The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1916-04-20

trust, the fuel trust, the cloth trust,
and all the other Ubiquitous combina-
lions in restraint of everything! Wow!
HoWie! That was the hot one! The
Alp. was the main stem, and within
thirteen seconds of the appearance on
the streets Of the tremendous extra,
every other fragile branchlet of a rail-
road not under the immediate protec-
ton OF he APP, was reduced to a
shrivel, and its stocks began to drop
with the s~ickening plunge of an In
opened parachute!
Gail Sargent kept Nanette on the
rush for extras from the first yell on
the streets, and she read every word,
Including the underlines on the miscel.
aneous portraits of Allison and the
funny pi-lines which invariably oc.
Cured in the middle Of the most inter.
esting sentences.
1t was true, all true! Here was the
first step in Allison's tremendous prof.
ect an accomplished fact. The rest of
it would be gradually revealed, from
day to day, as suited his needs, and
the empire he had planned would
spread, until its circle touched, and
o~verlapped, and broke into an intricate
webbing, over all the land and water
Of the earth! And she was to be the
empress!
Was she? Through all the night she
had battled that question. and the bat
tie had left traces of darkness around
| her luminous eyes.
Late in the afternoon Jim Sargent
came home. drawn, tagged, and with
hollows under his eyes. He had a vio-
lent headache. and he looked ten years
older. He walked slowly into the Ii.
brary where Mrs. Sargent and Mrs.
Davies and Gail were discussing the
future of Vedder court, and drcpHsd
into a chair.
Grace Sargent rang a bell instantly.
When Jim felt that way, he needed a
hot drink first Of all.
What is the natter" she asked
him. the creases of worry flashing into
her brow.
Its been a hard day" he explained,
forcing himself, with an effort, to an.
swer. Years Of persistent experience
had taught him to follow the line of
least resistance. There has been a
panic on change. Railroads are going
to smash all up and down the line. Al.
lison's new APP. road. It's the star
piracy of the century. Allison has
brought into the railroad game the
same ~rough-shod methods he used in
his traction manipulations."
Has your company been hurt, Jim"
asked his wife, fully prepared for the
worst, and making up her mind to
bear up brayely under it.
mot yet" replied Sargent, and he
passed his hand owe his brow. He
was already making a tremendous eff.
fort to brace himself for tomorrow's
ordeal. Il escaped today by an acct
dent. BY some mistake the Towando
Valley was mentioned as belonging to
the new Alp. combination. OF course
/ didn't correct it, but tomorrow they'll
know"
"Mr. Allison was responsible for that
statement" Gail %serenely informed her
uncle. He promised he'd take care of
YOU"
Great guns" exploded her uncle.
What did you know about this
thing?
"All Of it," smiled Gail. She had
known that Allison would keep his
word, but it gave her a strange sense
of relief that he had done SO.
Her Aunt Helen turned to her with
a commanding eye; but Gail merely
dimpled. .
"Of course / couldn't say anything"
went on Gail. 1T was all in conf.
dence. Isn't II glorious, Uncle JIM"
"You wouldn't have thought so II
you'd been down town today" respond
ed her uncle. trying again to erase
from his brow the damage which had
been done to his nerves. They wanted
to mob Allison! He has cut the
ground from under the entire railroad
business of the United States! Their
stocks have Debated an aggregate Of
billions Of dollars. and the slump Is
permanent! He has bankrupted a host
of men, riied the pockets OF a million
poor investors; he has demoralized
the entire transportation commerce of
the United States: and he gave no one
the show OF a rat In a trap"
Isn't that business?" asked Gail,
the red spots beginning to come into
her cheeks.
mot quite!" snapped her Uncle Jim.
Fiction has made that the universal
idea, but there are decent men in bust.
ness. The majority of them are, even
In railroading. Most roads are organ.
lied and conducted for the sole pur-
pose Of carrying freight and passen-
/, gers at a profit for the stockholders,
and spectacular stock iobbing deals
are the exception rather than the
rule"
HAS Mr.. Allison been more unfair
than others who have made big con-
solidations?" demanded Gall. again
aware of the severely inquiiiEg eye Of
Aunt Helen.
"Rotten!" replied her uncle. with an
emphasis in which there was much Of