Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1917-06-13

Vic west tiNlti1dAlbu MI Gihfth II
smOthers me. | don't wonder that Ii
breeds men who live and grow up and
die without ever having chance to
find themselves"
Some day. perhaps, he would tell
Verda HIGHLANDER of the sharp-tongued
little Western beauty. Verda-and all
| sensible peOple-would smile at the
ideaS that he, John Montague Smith,
was of those who had not found"
themselves, or that the finding-by
which he had understood the Western
/ young woman TO mean something radi-
cal and upsetting- in any way
be forced upon a man who was old
enough and sane enough to know his
own lengths and breadths and depths.
He was stripping OFF his coat to dress
when he saw two letters which had evil
IDENTITY been thrust under the door dur
ing his absence at supper time. One of
the envelopes was plain, with his name
scrubbed on 1t in pencil. The other
bore typewriter address with the
card of Westfall Foundries company in
its upper left-hand corner. Smith
opened Carter Westfall's letter first
and read ii with little twinge of
shocked surprise, as one reads the story
of brave battle fought and lost.
Dear Monty" it ran. II have been
trying to reach you by phone off and
on ever since the adjournment of our
stockholders meeting at three o'clock.
We, of the little inside pool, have got
Ii where the chicken got the ak Rich
lander had more proxies up his sleeve
than we thought he had, and he has
put the steam roller over us to fiGish.
He was able to vote 55 per cent Of the
stock straight, and you know what that
means: a consolidation with the Rich
lander foundry trust. and the hearse
and white horses for yours truly and
the minority stockholders. We're dead
dead and buried.
"Of course, l stand to lose every
thing, but that isn't all Of it. I'm hOr-
ribly anxious for fear you'll be tangled
up personally in some way in the mat
ter of that last loan of 100000 that
got from the Bank and Trust. You will
remember you made the loan while
Durham was away, and I am certain
you told me you had his consent to
take my Foundries stock as collateral.
That part of it is all right, but, as mat
tiers stand, the stock isn't worth the
paper 1t is printed on, and-welI, to
tell the bald truth. I'm scared of Dun
ham. Brickley, the Chicago lawyer
they have brought down here, tells me
that your bank Is behind the consolida-
ton deal, and if that is so, there is GO
ing to be bank loss to show up on my
paper, and Durham will carefully cover
his tracks for the sake of the banks
standing.
at is a hideous mess, and it has oc-
Cured to me that Durham can put you
In bad If he wants TO. When you made
that 100000 loan. you forgot-and
forgot for the mOment-that you own
ten shares of Westfall FOundries in
your own name. If Durham wants to
stand from under, this might be used
against you. You must get rid of that
stock. Monty, and do II quick. Trans
fer the ten shares TO me, dating the
transfer back to Saturday. I still have
the stock books in my hands, and I'll
make the entry in the record and date
1t to fit This may look little crook
ed on the surface. but it's your saliva
ton, and we can't stop to split hairs
when we've just been shot full of holes.
"WESTFALL."
Smith folded the letter mechanically
and thrust it into his pocket. Carter
Westfall was his good friend, and the
cashier had tried, unofficially, TO dis
suade Westfall from borrowing after
he had admitted that he was going to
use the money in an attempt to buy
I'D the control of his own companys
stock. Smith was thinking of the big
bank loss and the hopeless ruin of
Carter WestfaIl when he tore the sec
ond envelope across and took out the
inclosed slip of scratch-paper. 1t was
a note from the president and 1t was
dated within the hour. Mr.. Durham
was back In Lawrenceville earlier than
expected. and the note had been writ
ten at the bank. 1t was q curt sum-
mons the cashier was wanted, at once.
At the moment. Smith did not con-
meet the summons with the Westfall
cataclysm, or with any other untOward
thing. Mr.. Watrous Durham had 4
habit of dropping in and out unexp- ct
edly. Also, he had the habit of send
ing for his cashier or any other mem
Der of the banking force at whatever
hour the notion seized him. Smith
went TO the telephone and called up
the Richlander house. The prompt
ness with which the multimillionaires
daughter came to the phone was an
intimation that his ring was not entire
ly unexpected.
This is Montague" he sail. when
Miss Richlander's melllfuOus Main
four six eight-Mr. Richlander's resi-
dence" came over the wire. Then;
what are you going to think of a man
who calls you up merely to beg Off
he asked.
Miss Richlander's reply was mercifuI
and he was permitted to go on and ex-
plain. I'm awfully sorry. but It can't
very well be helped, you know. Mr.
Durham has returned. and he wants
me at the bank. I'll be up little later
on. if I can break away, and you'll let
me come. Thank you. ever so
much. Goodby,'
The Lawrenceville Bank and Trust,
lately installed In IFS new marble-ve-
neered quarters, was only four squares
distant As he was approaching the