Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1916-08-04
CHAPTER XIX-Continucd.

CHAPTER XIX-Continucd.
Ii
you want counsel and you are not
willing to buy it with the coin OF con.
fldence.' he said at length. adding:
1T is just as well, perhaps. | doubt
very much If | am the person to give
1t to you"
why do you doubt It? Isn't 1t a
part Of your job?"
Not always. | am not your con.
science keeper, Brouillard. Don't mis-.
understand me. | may have lived n
year longer than you have, but you
have lived mora great deal more.
That fact might be set aside, but there
is another: In the life Of every man
there is some one person who knows.
who understands. whose word for that
man Ia II the one only fitting word OF In.
SEPARATION. That Is what | mean when |
say that | am not your conscience
keeper. DO ] make II clear"
Granting your premIscs-yes. Go
on"
II will. Won paste that leaf down
and turn another, Though | cant
counsel you. | can still be your faithful
accuser. You have committed a great
sin, BrouIllard. and you are still com
mittlng it. 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"
Rrouillard got up and thrust out his
hand across the desk.
you are a man, Castncr-and that
IS better than being n priest" he as
serted soberly. "Ill take back all tho
spiteful things Two been saying. I'm
down under tho hoofs of the horses,
II It's only human nature to want to
pun somebody else down. You are ono
or tho few men In Mirapolis whose
presence has been a blessing instead
NWnen the WOriu was auIahc WIFI
of a curso-who hasn't a q purely
selfish greed to satisfy"
Again Cashier shook his head
There hasn't been much that could
do. Drouillard, 1t Is simply dreadful
the hard. reckless, half demoniac spirit
of this place! There Is nothing to ap'
peal to; there Is no room or time Tor
anything but tho mad money chase or
the still madden dissipation In when
the poor wretches seek to forget. /
can only try here and there to drag
some poor soul out of the fire at tho
last moment, and 1t makes mo sick
sick at heart!"
You mustn't look at 1t that way
said Drouillard, suddenly turning com
forter, You have been doing good
work and a lot OF it-mOre than any
three ordinary mcn could stand up UNI
der. | haven't got beyond seeing and
approaching, Cashier; truly have
not. And I'll say this; III ! had only
half your courage nut ltS no
use, I'm in too deep. | can't see any
farther ahead than a man born blind.
There is one end for which | have been
striving from tho very first, and 1t Is
still unattained. I'm past help now.
hayo reached a point at which I'd pull
tho whole world down in ruins to set
that end accomplished
The young missionary took another
turn up and down the room and thcr
came back to the desk for his hat. A
tho lcGvctaking he said the only help
full word he could think of.
Go to your ~confcssor. Brouillard-
your real confessor-and so all tn,
more readily if that y happens to b.
a good woman-whom you love ant
trust. They often see more clearl,
than we do-the good women. Try II
and let me help where a man ca
help"
For a long hour after Cashier wen
away Brouillard sat at his desk, fight
ing as those fight who sec the eau
lost, and who know they only max
the ruin more complete by strugglin
on.
Cortwright's guess had found II
mark. He was loaded to break wit
front feet and options and corners,
In the least speculative period he ha
bought and mortgaged and bougl
again, plunging rechlessly with III
sole object Of wringing another hun
dred thousand out Of drying spong
AGAINST the time when David Massil
gale should need it. At first the undo
taking seemed easily possible. BIZ
with the drying of the s%peculatiy
sponge II became increasingly DIFF
cult. More and more he had been cor
PEELED to buy and hold, until now II
bare attempt to unload would hay
started the panic which was only wal
ing for some hedging seller to fire II
train.
The sweat stood out in great drol
on his forehead when he finally DIRE
a pad OF telegraph blanks under h
hand and began to write a messag
Palustakingly he composed II, refe