The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1916-05-05

Eph, ven il he had wanted to bC
helped. Jim Carew set the pace, anc
he was bitter against Eph. Care8
had turned Eph's invention into a com
pany concern, and he was loaded down
to the heels with the worthless stock
Eph wanted Polly badly; he humbled
himself to go to the magRate and ask
for work as-his chauffeur!
Your mans left, l hear" Eph be.
gan.
You want the job" said Carew, and
a devilish clever thought came to him.
How would twenty-five a week suit
you?" he asked.
Finely" said Eph.
ri take you, then. And I'll pay
you twenty-ive-in the Knight com.
pany stock"
Eph neve bIinked. That suits me"
he answered. And he went to work.
The Knight company, i%nsolvent as
ever, made steel castings in a small
way, ard the twenty-five dollar shares
were still to be had, If anyone wanted
them, at about three dollars apiece.
The widow had fifty. Carew held
forty thousand, and every Saturday
one was unloaded on Eph. After a
couple Of months the magnate grew
reckless.
III raise you to a hundred" he
said. That meant about twelve dol.
lars a week to Eph. Actually, Carew
wal afraid of losing a good chauffeur.
III make it two hundred, he said a
little later. Pretty good salary for a
chauffeur"
Yes, sir" said Eph.
Eight shares a week passed into
f0h's pocket, or twenty-five dollars at
the actual knight prices. In six
months he held something over two
hundred shares, representing a capt
tai of $500. Polly was jubilant. He
had spoken of marrying her.
One Saturday Carew said, I'm buy
back those shares at five apiece, Eph
l hear the companys doing a little
business. / understand yoa haven't
cashed in on them.
I'm going to hold them, sir SAID
Eph. I'm going to sell them my tor
pedo and, when they start manufac.
turing, the shares will be worth the
old price, and something more"
We'll, I'll pay you cash in future,
grumbled Carew.
There won't be any future, a D
swered Eph. I'm going to leave you
tomorrow, Mr.. Carew.'
He did, and the bans were put up in
church, while Eph went back to the
shed and invested everything In a
forge and torpedo metal. Folks pitied
Polly now. They spoke more harshly
Of Eph than ever. He had sold his
stock at six, and it was rising, rising
1t became twelve, twenty, fifty. The
war boom broke with a vengeance. It
to ninety. 1t touched a hundred.
There was a wild furry to sell. Every.
one sold except the Widow Gill, whose
five thousand dollars worth remained
in the bank vaults. People alternately
cursed and praised Eph, according as
they had won or lost.
"ltll touch two hundred" said Eph
when the slump followed. Only Knight
held steady. Nobody under
stood.
Not till Eph and Polly. both radi
happy, had started on their
honeymoon. Then the papers we're
.ull OF the news. The Knight com.
'any-Eph Knight, president, had the
exclusive right to manufacture the
lew torpedo for the allied govern.
nents. And Eph, who had sold at six,
leld fifty thousand shares, new shares,
It two hundred!
Welcome home!" said the triumph.
i banner under which the honeymoon. !
RS rode on their return journey.
But when the mobs had dispersed
oily sat beside Eph, ~radiantly happy,
n the old ~woodshed, while the inven.
lost in thought worked on his i'm.
Droved ~aeroplane engine.