The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-09-11
The Girard=
Hawkins Plant
How II Was Saved
From Ruin
By BARBARA PHIPPS


The firm OF Girard & Hawkins was
organized for the erection and opera.
ton Of large manufacturing plant
Edward Girard. son Of the head Of the
firm, soon after the work was begun
went abroad for tour previous to set.
Ting down to his life's career. On his
return he was to enter the service of
the Girard,Hawkins company. He had
not been away long when his father
died suddenly. After several cable
grams between Edward and his moth
er it was decided that he should finish
his tour. Mr.. Hawkins was abundant.
~ able to supervise the erection Of the
factory and to start its operation.
Six months later Edward received a
letter from his mother announcing the
death of Mr.. Hawkins just as the
works were finished and were about to
be operated. Mrs. Girard was much
worried as to the further development
of the Girard- Hawkins company. 1t
was impossible to find good business
man with experience in the same line
to take an interest in it and run it.
But Hawkins share had fallen to his
only child, Isabel, who was still a
minor. She was under the control of
her guardian, brother of her father,
who seemed bound to wreck the enter
prise. He had failed at numerous
hnSinQcS affnrtS and
establishing himself as full manager of
the Girard- Hawkins company. This
Mrs. Girard believed would bring the
company to grief, and she would not
consent to it. The consequence was
deadlock, with the prospect Of FORE
closure under a mortgage on the prop
erty.
From an irresponsible gadabout Ned
Girard suddenly found himself called
upon to extricate valuable property
from ruin. Many a man has been de-
velOped by such a situation, and young
Girard had in him the markings Of a
successful man. Realizing that he had
suddenly been plunged into a great re-
sponsibility, he sat himself down to
think what he should do.
There are persons who have the fac
ulty Of diving into questions and TAX
Ing out the meat while others are look
ing for 1t in the substances which con-
tain It. Where was the kernel Of the
nut In this instance? One-half Of 1t
was In himself, the half owner with
his mother. What constituted the 9th
er half? The guardian uncle? Ned
looked beyond him and straight at
this minor daughter heir. Mrs. Girard
had described her as a schoolgirl, sew
enteen years old. She was being edu-
Gated abroad, and at the time of her
fathers death was at school at Gene
va, Switzerland.
When Ned began to study the prob
lem before him he was packing to re-
turn to America. When he finished
his deliberations he was packing to go
to Geneva, his object being to get con-
troll Of his business partner. That is to
say, he aimed to get such an influence
over her as would enable him to cir
cumvent her guardian uncle and there.
by save the Girard Hawkins company
from wreck.
Ned, on his arrival at Geneva, made
inquiries as to Miss Hawkins and
found that she had received news of
the death Of her father and was look
ing for an escort to return to America.
Ned at once wrote to some American
friends Of his who were at Lucerne and
were about to leave for home. These
persons were two maiden ladies' whom
be had known since he was a boy. He
asked them to stop over ON their way
home at Geneva, where he would join
them and escort them to the United
States.
Only too glad to have his assistance
and his company, they did as he de-
sired. When they reached Geneva he
told them he had heard that young
girl, an orphan, who had just lost her
father in America was anxious to find
an escort across the Atlantic. The la
dies sent word to the school where
Miss Hawkins was, stating what they
had heard and offering to take her un-
der their care. The offer was accepted,
and Ned felt that he had made a be-
ginning
Now, these ladies had engaged pas
sage on a steamer that was to san from
Naples. Therefore Miss Hawkins, to
avail herself of their care. must also
sail from Naples. 1t mattered not to
her what port she sailed from, and the
party, Ned included, left Geneva for
Naples via Milan. Florence and Rome.
Ned knew that the vessel on which
they had engaged passage would not
sail for several weeks, which the Ia
dies would put in between Florence
and Rome. His advantages were thus
trebled as to the time he would spend
travelling with Miss Hawkins, but far
more than trebled in another respect
The young lady might be confined to
her room by seasickness on the voyage,
while on land this was not to be ex-
pected, and a couple with nothing to
do but to see sights are In fair way
to fall each under the others infu-
ence.
The partnership between the late Mr.. |
Girard and Mr. Hawkins WAS nurelv a