The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1917-07-12

friend, and you are q stakeholder in
his bankrupt company. You took a
chance for your own hand and put the
bank in the hole. Now I'd like to ask
what you are going TO do about It."
Smith looked up quickly. Somewhere
inside of him the carefully erected
walls of use and custom were tumbling
in strange ruins and out of the debris
another structure, formless as yet, but
~obstinately sturdy, was rising.
81 an not going TO do what you want
me TO do. Mr.. Dunham-stcp In and be
your convenient ~scapegont," he said,
wondering a little in his inner grecesses
Low he was finding the sheer brutal
m~an-courage TO say such a thing to the
president Of the Lawrenccvllle Bank
and Trust. 81 suppose you have rea-
sol of your own for wishing to shift
the responsibility for this particular
loss to my shoulders. But whether you
have or haven't, / decline to accept It."
The president tilted his chair and
locked his hands over one knee.
at isn't n question of shifting the
responsibility, Montague" he said,
dropping the bullying weapon to take
up another. 1.-THE loan was made in
my absence. You have taken the banks
money to bolster up n falling concern
in which you are a stakeholder. Go to
any lawyer in Lawrenceville-the best
n you can finland he'll tell you ex.
actly where you stand"
While the big clock over the vault
entrance was slowly ticking off a full
half-minute the young man whose fu-
ture had become so suddenly and so
threatenlngly involved neither moved
nor spoke. but his silence was no meas
ure of the turmoil of conflicting emo
lions and passions that were rendlng
him.
81 may not prove quite the easy
mark that your plan seems TO pretig-
ure, Mr.. Dunham," he returned at
length, trying to say 1t calmly. Just
what are you expecting me to do?"
snow you are talking more like a
grown man." was the presidents crusty
admission. you are in n pretty bad
boat, Montague, and that is why l SEN
for you tonight"
"Well?' said the younger
You can see now IL VIII De- II
can say 10 the directors mat you nave
already resigned-and II you are not
where they can TOO easily lay hahus on
you-they may not care to push the
charge against you. There is a train
west at ten O'CLOCK. IL were IN your
place, should pack n couple OF SUIT
cases IN take IT, nat Is the only
sate thing Tor you 10 no. III you heeu
any ready money
II was at this point that j. Montague
Smith rose up out of the stenographer's
chair and buttoned his coat.
"'If I need any ready money!" he
repeated slowly, advancing a step to-
ward the presidents desk. "That Is
where you gave yourself away, Mr..
Durham. You authorized that loan,
and did 1t because o were willing to
use the banks money to put Carter
Westfall in the hole so deep that he
could never climb out. Now, II seems,
YOU are willing to bride the only dam
gerous witness. I don't need money
badly enough to sell my good name for
It. I shall stay right here in Lawrence.
VILE and fight 1t out with youi"
The president turned abruptly to his
desk and his hand sought the row Of
electric bell-pushes. With n finger
resting upon the one marked police"
he said: "There isn't any room for
argument, Montague. You can have n
more minute in which to change your
mind. II you stay, you'll begin your
fight from the inside of the county
Jail"
Now there had been nothing In John
Montague Smiths, well-ordered quar-
ter century of boyhood, youth. and
business manhood to tell him how to
cope with the crude and savage emer-
gency which he was confronting. But