The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1916-08-18
CHAPTER XIX-continued.

"YOu want counsel and you are not
,villIng to buy it with the coin Of con-
adsnee." he said at length, adding:
Ti q Just as well, perhaps. l doubt
vsry much If | am the person to give
Il to you"
sWby do you doubt it? Isn't It a
,Uart Of your jOb?"
mot always, am not your con-
,eIsnce keeper, Brouillard. Don't mis-
understand me. | may have lived a
voar longer than you have, but you
have lived mOre-a great deal more.
that fact might be set aside, but there
!. another: In the life Of every man
,Nsra is some one person who knows,
Tho understands, whose word for that
nan IL the one only fitting word of in
sniration. That is what | mean when
,sv that am not your conscience
tssper. Do make 1t Clear?"
granting your premises--yes. Go
on"
II will. Wen paste that leaf down
and turn another. Though / can't
counsel you. can still be your faithful
aecuser. You have committed a great
ain. Broulllard. and you are still COM
hitting 1t. II you haven't been the
leader in the mad scramble for riches
here in this abandoned city, you have
been only a step behind the leaders.
And you were the one man who should
have been like Caesars wife, the one
whose example counted for most"
Brouillard got up and thrust out his
hand across the desk.
You are q man, Castner-and that
Is better than being a priest" he as
serted soberly. 'T1i take back all the
spIssiul things I've been saying. I'm
down under the hoofs Of the horses,
and It's only human nature to want to
pull somebody else down. You are one
Of the few men in Mirapolis whose
presence has been a blessing instead
Of & curse-who hasn't had q purely
selfish greed to satisfy"
Again Cashier shook his head.
There hasn't been much that could
DO. Brouillard, it is simply dreadful
the hard. reckless, half-demoniac spirit
q this place! There is nothing to APP
peal to; there Is no room or time for
anything but the mad money chase or
ths still madden dissipation in which
lhe poor wretches seek to forget. /
can only try here and there to drag
some poor soul out of the fire at the
last moment. and It makes me sick
SICK at heartl"
You mustn't look at 1t that way"
said BrOuillard. suddenly turning COM
ioFteE "You have been doing good
work and a lot Of it-more than any
three ordinary men could stand up un-
Ger ! haven't got beyond seeing and
appFeciating. Cashier; truly have
not And I'll say this: IF / had only
aalt your courage but it's no
use, I'm In too deep. can't see any
nftheF ahead than a man born blind.
Inefa Is one end for which / have been
striving from the very first, and it is
aill mattained I'm past help now, /
aava reached point at which I'd pull
ne Whole world down in ruins to see
nas end accomplished
the young missionary took another
'eIn up and down the room and then
came back to the desk for his hat. At
we leav6taking he said the only help
ml word he could think of.
20 70 your confessor, Brouillard-
lguf real confessor-and go all the
more readily II that one happens to be
goa woman-whom you love and
Easl They often see more clearly
'aaa Rs do-the good women. Try It;
Aa e me help where a man can
i@ long hour after Cashier went |
ssay bfouillard sat at his desk, fight
" y hose fight who see the cause |
w and who know they only make
y rum more complete by struggling |
so''Fright's guess had found its
49, dc was loaded to break with
1sa' ieet and options and corners"
$ 'ae least speculative period he had |
e.sls and mortgaged and bought
800 punging recklessly with the |
~ oo'ees Of wringing another hun
~. thousand out of drying sponge /
ssN lae time when David Massin-
~. ~ SHOULD need II. At first the under
seemed easily possible. But
~ As drying Of the speculative
= became increasingly diff.
- More and more he had been COM
~ y ouysand hold, until now the
..sempt to unload would have
10y 'ns panic which was only wait
\ some hedging seller to fire the
sweat stood out in great drops
.o'eaead when he finally drew
. telegraph blanks under his
P.s...,a began to write a message.
nsly no composed 1t. refer /