Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1916-02-18


you're trying to scare me-" protest
ed Bert.
mo. only to encourage you" insisted
Marley. ''The happiest man in the
world is one who finds a wife capable
of directing him and generous enough
to let him think he is doing 1t all him
self"
THAT'S a new idea to me-" pondered
Bert complacent through condescen-
sion only as he stroked his carefully
curled mustache and reflected upon his
own ability.
"The worst Of it is you have to grow
old to realize It," Marley gently insin.
uated. II was smart man until my
wife died Won't you have drink?'
mo. thanks" refused Bert. walking
disconsolately to the library. II prom
Ised Molly the minister shouldn't smell
! it on my breath"
"Afterward. them" laughed Marley.
and. returning to his den, closed the
door just as the bell Of his extension
telephone rang.
Hello, Marley! hailed the voice of
Willie Walters. Had your franchises
Cancelled and regranted?"
Don't need it," replied Marley, re-
eecting instantly that he was out Of
The franchise worry, but curious never
the less. what do you meanY'
1.-The Allerton bill was put through
its final passage last night" explained
Walters.
"Oh, yes, the Allerton BILL" smiled
Marley. II knew all about that"
You don't seem to have got in early
on the advantages" remarked Walters,
seeming story. ITS law now. op-
erative from its passage"
1T won't hurt anybody" chuckled
Marley. 'There wasn't much Of i'm
portance in it."
"NO?" Queried Walters. Just enough
to make a political corpse Of Allerton.
They'll embroider that fifty year fran
chise clause on his shroud."
franchise clause? l don't under
stand''
II thought you didn't know the pro-
visions Of the BILL" went on Walters,
delighted to have unearthed q new an
gle to the story. 1.-The thing is SO
beautifully juggled that it automatical-
ly extends all franchises granted with.
in the last ten years to an extra fifty
years of lifetime on the same terms as
their original charter
"Goodw returned Marley. "All my
franchises have been renewed within
the last ten years."
| "Now know you've been asleep" re-
joiced Walters, not that he had any
enmity for Marley, but merely that he
liked good story. '"The bill specifical-
~ does not apply to renewals, but to
original franchises. Why, yours abso-
lutely expires in three years, If that's
the case; moreover, the franchises at
the end Of that time belong to Sledge's
company"
"Impossiblew 'gasped Marley.
Get your alarm clock fixed" advis-
ed Walters. Monday night the cOun-
Gil in secret session granted franchises
to Sledge's company covering every
street in the city, including-now, listen
Including those streets now covered
by franchises when those franchises
EXPIRE"
For just a moment Marley felt the
strength leaving him, spasmodic i'm
pulse due to an entirely automatic men,
tai impression that he still owned the
old company.
Its bald faced stealw he hotly
charged, indignant at Sledge's whole
sale appropriation.
ITS a pippin!" agreed Walters.
Fact Of the matter is. Marley. that
unless you completed that consolida-
ton with Sledge at the expiration Of
three years he can make you tear up
your rolling stock and other trash.
Did you consolidate?''
NO" laughed Marley, and for mo-
ment Walters professionally hoped that
he had been mentally unbalanced by
the news NO. Walters" Marley
chuckled when he had succeeded in
controlling his voice; II didn't CONSOLE
date. | sold out"
ION the level?" queried Walters in
credulously. ITO whom? How much !?
Did you get the cash?"
II got the cash. but that's all I'll
answer" laughed Marley. II might
reveal somebody else's secrets If
told you more" and despite the plead
| ing Of Walters he refused to make an
other statement.
He turned from the telephone. still
chuckling. but suddenly noticed that
his hand was trembling as if it had
been palsied. His body seemed to
have realized before his mind the over
whelming disaster which he had es
capped.
Why. II he had not sold out at the
exact minute he did his stock today
would be worse than worthless The
entire company would not bring more
than the junk heap value of it's worn
out equipment. He could not have met
the mortgage on his house. he could
not have paid a dollar of his debts, he
would have been left without a penny.
and he would have dragged down into
bankruptcy hundreds Of poor families
like Henry Peters, who had their all
invested in his enterprise. True, they
were ruined anyhow or would be, but
he had curiously immoral sense that.
by stepping out from under before the
crash came and by being no longer at
the head Of the doomed company, he
was passing along the moral RESPONSE
bility Of their downfall to the up state
syndicate and to Sledge. Thank God.
he was safe.
Again his bell rang.
Marley" queried tense person.
YES" he acknowledged. trying to
he tbaf OF