Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1919-12-04
D1e System
az
BY GEORGE ELMER COBB
Copyright. 1919, by the Western News
paper Unionl

paper Unlone
System, my son-that is the es-
sence of all business success. Example:
David Blair; demonstration-his for
tune. Ten years ago he was running
an Indifferent grain and feed business.
He went n@5 real estate, particularly
subdivisions. He loaned a little mon
ey on advantageous terms-result:
wealth, luxury, a safe old age"
Acton Deane listened attentively
and said nothing. From what he had
heard, David Blair was skinf1int,
loan shark and hard master to have
as a creditor. However, Acton did not
venture any criticism bascd on hear
say. Definitely one thing he did know:
Blair had a daughter, Luella, so love-
ly and angelic that Acton cherished
her occasional smiles as if they wore
priceless jewels.
'Blair and l are old friends" pro-
eeeded Actions father. "You, just out
of college, hardly know what to turn
your hand to. Start in by studying bus
mess ways-learn the system that has
made Blair successful. Ne is willing
to take you into his service as sort
Of right hand man."
"I'm agreeable" said Acton. "When
do I begin?"
Fright away. Blair is expecting
you"
1t was all arranged forthwith. Ac
ton was elated over one fact Only-hiS
new connection with David Blair
might bring him into favor with that
austere person and make his charm
ing daughter more accessible.
Acton had never called at the house,
nor had any other young men that
he knew of. He had met Luella quite
incidentally in the woods. They had
mutually attracted one another. Their
meetings were clandestine but there
was no other way for the innocent
young souls, under a strain of fear of
the tyrant father.
AS to the system, within a week Ac
ton abominated it. The great admiring
public looked only at the dazzling dol
lars of David Blair Acton saw how
they were acquired. The man had a
soul of hard, impenetrable flint. His
clients and tenants were mostly of the
poor working class. Whenever he
leased one of his ramshackly cot
tages or sold one on installments or
loaned money at eXtOrtiOnate rates,
he required and held fast to all hard
interest terms and security offered.
Woe betide the unfortunate and OPP
pressed debtor who missed the pre-
scribed day Of payment!
Several times Acton was left in sole
charge of the office. He hated the
task, he upbraided his better self for
engaging in it. He fairly wrthed
when, one day, from an inner office
David Blair chuckingly estimated that
he had secured a valued adjunct in
the young man who cOldly treated all
the pathetic appeals Of poor wom-
an who pleaded for another month to
make up delinquent rent.
The sOulless man did not know that
Acton had secretly whispered to the
weeping woman that he would call up
on her that evening. 1t was to loan
her money personally and win graft
tude and blessings.
It got to be so that these benevO-
lent actions of Acton we'll nigh con-
sumed all he earned. One day he came
into the office to be confronted by
Blair in hot fit of rage. The latter
had heard of the secret benefactions
of his employee, his treacherous per-
version of the time-honored system
"You have demoralized my clientele"
he charged wrathfully, "you have sent
some of them to my competitors and
you have been clandestinely meeting
my daughter. Go"
And then a strange thing happened.
There was vengeful broOding man
whom Blair had squeezed down to a
point where he had lost home and po-
sition. One evening while Blair was
on a collecting tour at the most ram
shackly of his tenements, this man
confronted him in an empty suite. He
told Blair what he thought of him,
then he pounced upon him and gave
him the drubbing Of his life.
Bruised, bleeding half dead from
the terrible castigatiOn, David Blair
lay in an empty room on the bare
floor Of the wretched apartment. He
was too weak and sore to move. From
another room there was borne to his
ears the conversation Of a group of
denizens. He heard them deScant up
on the noble charity and helpfulness
Of his discharged young employee, he
writhed as they berated the selfish,
wicked wiles through which he, Blair,
had robbed the poor and had crushed
out all their happiness. He was
brought to judgment, indeed; for the
first time in his life he saw the light.
He saw it so clearly that when hours
later he crept from the cherries spot,
David Blair had promised his trem-
bling, craven soul that he would atone
for all the evil he had done, and,
changed man, the very next day he
began the duty of reparatiOn. And
this was how thp eYamnla of Acton |