Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-01-22

Ballots.
~ slight feeling Of panic threat
3 ened Sledge when he stepped into
q the stockholders meeting Of the
recognized street railway COM
pany nobody knew it, for he sat of to
one side of the presidents table, fac
ing the gathering, as heavily indiffer-
ena as ever, his big face expression
less and his small gray eyes gazing
steadily straight ahead at nothing.
Marley was far more nervous than
be. waiting impatiently, gavel in hand,
for Acting Secretary Hunt to finish
his tedious job of clerical work. Con-
siderable stock had been brought in
TO be entered on the books, and, as the
certificates were displayed to him,
Hunt. with a lavender silk handker-
chief tucked in his cuff. looked occa-
sionaly across at Sledge, evidently
worried that he could not catch the
eye OF the big chief.
Bert Glider was the last man in line
TT Hunts desk. and as he handed over
a large bundle of certificates Hunt
glanced at the name on the back of the
top one and coughed loudly. He
scraped his chair He dropped his
corporate seal on the floor with loud
clatter. but Sledge looked straight
ahead. Whatever had happened to
him he would know in good time. bait
in the meantime he was going to rest
mind and body and nerves. and, if the
big boss had one faculty which more
than another had helped him to sue
cess, this was this putty-like iner-
tia.
Marley. waiting. gavel in hand and
pulling with rapid strokes at his
goatee, watched this little tab,eau I'm.
til. with another perspiring glance at
Sledge, Hunt handed back the bunch
of certificates to Glider and closed his
books. Then. at last, the presidents
gayel fell. and he announced the spe-
cial stockholders meeting of the Ring
City Street Railway company open for
business
Immediately he made neat little
speech to his faithful friends, the
stanch investors. who had believed in
the future of their heretofore prosper
Gus organization well enough to hold
to their stock or to purchase more in
the face of apparent adversely 1t was
true that certain purely manipulatiye
transactions had seemed to initiate
against the company and had tempo
rarily depressed the market value OF
its stock.
Bendix stole sly look at Sledge
He had never batted an eyelash.
However, the president went on, the
intrinsic value of the stock was still
there, and, with that thought constant.
ly in mind. there was no need for a
panic. The stock was worth and
should command par. The improve
ments, for which the reorganization
had been made, were to be carried out
and others vastly greater were in i'm
mediate contemplation.
1t was a hopeful speech, rousing
speech. reassuring speech. and Presi
dent Marley felt when he sat down
bathed in self appreciation and per
sipiration, that, there being six re
porters present by special invitation
he had raised the market value of his
stock from ten to fifteen points.
So impressive was his speech tina,
little Henry Peters, whose cheeks were
shrunken and pale and whose wrinkle
framed eyes were bleared from the
loss Of sleep. turned to his nearest
neighbor and said, with sigh of re
lief:
I'm glad l didn't sell my stock day
before yesterday. l almost took thir
ty-fve for it, but the man didn't come
back"
His neighbot, a waffle necked maj
with a crooked nose and towlike hal
which swept down his forehead ant
curled up over his eyebrows, sale
through his nose, like the wheeZe Of {
penny whistle:
"Nyah; everything's all talk"
Up rose Attorney Tucker, a sharl
nosed little man with beady eyes ant
the crisp business air which frownl
On smile and hates a holiday.
Let his fellow stockholders beware
of too much optimism. He himself
had been, next to President Marley
the largest individual holder of stool
In the company. He had sold all bu
an extremely small portion before tn,
panic and wished that he had sold ths
balance, for the outlook was yer,
gloomy. He did not wish to make hi!
remarks III the form of personal ii
rade, but he did feel it necessary Il
point out that the downfall and ulti
mate ruination of their company wal
due. not 10 Encouragement. but t,
political manipulation.
LET me tell you the truth b,
shouted. I'VE have with us today
at this very meeting, man Of tremen
dous power and influence; politician
Of national renown; one who Is at thil
moment under the searching eye o.
the law: an omnipotent friend and I
relentless foe. and this man has cho
sen, for reasons Of his own, to wreck
and devastate and turn to useless rus
the Ring City Street railway com
pany."
Every eye was turned to Sledge. ba
that omnipctent friend and relentless
foe, without moving a corpuscle, gazet
straight ahead at nothing.
He is no friend Of the workin,
man" swore little Henry Peters.
As L tnfur.ated =py ais .mpassire