The Bossier banner., 1916-04-20

exposed him and saved us the trouble,
and Sledge probably will go to the
penitentiary, as told him he would"
you have innocent IDEAS" kindly
observed her father. Bert probably
encourages you in them, but it is my
duty to warn and protect you. Here
Is exactly what will happen: Feeder
will go to the penitentiary for the
crime Of not having kept his mouth
shut Sledge will be indicted by the
grand jury. but the case win never
come to trial. He has appointed half
the judges on the bench. and the othel
half are afraid of him. His lawyers
will fight from court to court ON one
technicality after another until elec.
ton is over. and then the public will
forget all about it. You can't fight a
man like that"
II can be the one human being in
the world he can't order around" she
smilingly insisted. What do you want
me to do-marry him?'
Yes" was the unexpected reply.
Great goodness" laughed Molly.
are you DluHed tOO!'
"Worse!' lie said, rising and walking
up and down in the few short PAGES
| the length Of the room allowed him.
He had a crumpled newspaper in his
hand. and now he threw it on the
table. do you want to be turned
homeless into the street?"
I'm the shivering snow with q little
red shawl over my head?" she giggled.
mo, father; gray heaven, nor
1T isn't joke" he insisted, stop.
| ping before her, and now the mask OF
constraint dropped from his face. Mol.
| ly. you know that he threatened to
| break me. Well, he has done it."
"Nonsense!' she replied, unable to
conceive of that condition in its actual.
ity since there was no halt In their
luxury. 1T is impossible"
1T Is fact" he stated as calmly as
he could. cat the various banks
which Sledge controls l had obliga.
tons, which I thought were only nom.
inally considered to be call loans, ag.
| gregating hundred thousand dollars
| These were protected by my traction
stock. Last week the bank called them
recently received $S7.50O in cash on
a certain deal, and / had considerable
trouble to raise the additional $12,5OO
had to deposit $4,000 worth Of my
stock to secure it, and yesterday had
to put.up twenty-five thousand more
"But why?" asked Molly, sitting
down and considering the matter seri
ously for the first time.
| Because in one day merely by an.
nouncing that he was financially back
ing competing company Sledge low
cred the value of my stock from hun
dred dollars a share to thirty five
That same announcement broke the
| West End bank, has crippled two 9th
ers and made paupers of a hundred Of
! more small stockholders" e-@sss,
| How horrible!" she exclaimed ''The
poor people!" Then the wonder OF
such power came to her. with Just
word" she mused. But, father,
don't see yet how he could do it. You
say that your stock was worth hun
dred dollars share yesterday morning
| ohAs hOH
He nodded his head in confirma ton.
Each share of stock represents q
certain part ownership of the street
railway company, doesn't it,"
Again he nodded.
| well. the road is still there" she
argued. You still own as much Of II
as you did before. Why, father, Sledge
has just scared everybody. Your stock
will be worth what it was, or nearly
so, after this panic is over. Even com.
petition can't keep you from hauling
people and making money at it,
1T can keep us from hauling enough
to make anything like our previous
profits, and earning capacity is what
| gives stock its value. That Is not the
big trouble now, however. I have a
$4,000 mortgage on this place, which
is all it would bring at forced sale,
although it is worth double the money.
1t expires on the 1st of the month,
and Sledge knows it. 1t is held at one
of his banks. and it will not be ex.
| tended"
You'll have to pay It," she surmised.
What with?" he demanded. "At
the present prices, at which, by the
way, nobody cares to buy, it would
take every share Of my stock to pay
off that mortgage. would be abso-
lutely penniless."
| How did you come to owe 50
much?" she puzzled. II thought we
were wealthy"
"That's the way business is carried
on" he explained.
''Then anybody can be broke" she
decided, with a trace of awe. "Why
don't some of you good business men
get after Sledge?'
He looked at her pityingly.
ut can't be done," he confessed
Molly
| Il know what you're going to say
she interrupted him. Il won't do It
I'm going to marry Bert if it breaks
everJbodyr'
| THAT would be a very commenda
Bile spirit if you loved him." he quietly
remarked. Il don't think you do, how
ever. Nor do l, by any means, believe
Bert capable Of love worth the sac
rifice of everything. The Maryland
Gliders do not constitute universe II
themselves, nor is much happiness tt
be found in marriage which is a SO
cial triumph. I'm afraid, Molly, tha
you're stubborn and will not let your
self criticize your own mind"
"Of course I'm Stubborn she ad
mitted, as If that were virtue. 9Th,
date is set. and it will stay set. D.