The Lamar register., 1919-01-29
Illustrations
oIr~iiSsnyer.


retirement of the stock of the original
company. The voting control OF the
old stock we already have. as you
know"
Tn" banker pursed his lips until the
stubLly gray mustache stood out
>iiflly. Then he cut straight TO the
heart of the matter
"You mean that there will be ma
iority pool of the old stock. and that
the pool will ignore those stockholders
who don't come in?"
"Something like that" said Smith
pleasantly. And then: Were going
io be- generously liberal, Mr.. Kinzie !:
we are giving Colonel Baldwin's
friends n fair chance To come I'm out
II the wet. OF course. II they refuse
to come inf they prefer to stay
out"
Einzie was smiling sourly.
"You'll have to take care Of your
avn banker. won't you, Mr.. SMITH" he
asked. "Why don't you loosen up and
tell little moref What have you
fellows got up your sleeve, anywayT
At this. the new financial manager
Stacked OF on the hawser of secrecy
ittlc-iust n little.
mir. Kinzie. we've got the biggest
thing. and the surest. that ever came
to Timnnynni Park: not In futures,
mind YOU. but In facts already as good
as accomplished. II IL were necessary
as IL isn't-I could go to New York to-
day and put million dollars behind
our reorganization plan In twenty-four
hours. You'd say so Yourself If l were
nj liberty to explain. But again We're
dodging and wasting your time and
ours. Think the matter over-about
your stock-and let me know before
noon. It's rnther cruel TO hurry you
so. but time Is precious with us and
"You sit right down there. young
man. and put little Of this precious
time of yours against mine" said Kin
zIe. pointing authoritatively at the
chair which Smith had just vacated.
"You mustn't 20 on at half-cock, that
way. You'll need u hank here To do
business with, won't your
Smith did not SIT down. Instead. he
smiled gcnially and fred his final shot.
"No. Mr.. KlnZie; we shnnt need II
local bank-nOt as n matter OF abso-
lutte necessity. In fact. on some nc-
counts | don't know but that II would
be better for US not to have one"
"SIt down" insisted the bank presi-
dent: and this time he would take no
denial. Then he turned abruptly upon
Baldwin. who had been playing his
part OF the silent listener letter-per-
feet.
baldwin, we are old friends, and I'd
trust you to the linton any PROPOSE
tion that doesn't ask for more than
the straight-from-the-sh honesty
How much Is this young friend Of ours
talking through his hatf"
"Not any whatever. Dave. He's got
the goods" Baldwin was wise enough
to limit himself carefully as TO guam
tlty in his reply.
Again the banker made comical
bristle brush OF his cropped mustache.
~ want your business. Dexter: I've
got 10 have It, But I'm going to be
plain with you. You two are asking
me to believe that you've gone outside
and dug up new bunch Of hackers.
That may be all right, but Tlmanyoni
Ditch has struck pretty big bone that
maybe your new hackers know about
and maybe they don't. You've had a
lot of bad luck, so far; getting your
land titles cleared, and all that; and
you're going to have more. I've"
II was Smiths turn again and he cut
| In smartly.
THAT is precisely what I was driv-
ing at. Our banker can't run with the
hare and hunt with the hounds. You1l
excuse me IL say that you haven't
been altogether fair with Timanyoni
Ditch, or with Colonel Baldwin, Mr..
Klnzie. A friendly banker doesn't
help sell out his customer. You know
that. as well as I do. Still. you did
it."
Kinzie threw up his hands and tried
to defend himself. sit was a straight
business transaction. Mr.. Smith. As
long as we're In the banking business.
we buy and sell for anybody who comes
along"
"No. We don't. Mr.. Kinzle; We pro-
tect our customers first. In the pres
eut instance you thought your Gus
toner was a dead one, anyway, so II
wouldn't make much difference II you
should throw another shovelful of dirt
or so onto the coffin. Wasn't that the