The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1920-01-29
&2cov Si'1ircHzn
~ By Robert JC. Stead
h0E$AVSIy4%F| Ovthor%
~ N232& Kitchener. and other poems
~ VM ~V m"~e~S FvmHysv


Is no demand for property You are
real-estate expert; you should be
able TO answer that. Isn't this city
ms good today us II was a year ago 7
Doesn't II occupy the same site7 Are
not the farms still producing7"
That's just n. dear Mrs. Hardy.
why. indeedf Simply because the
booster has given way to the calamity
bowler. Its psychological explanation
Is simple enough. The world lives by
faith. without faith there would be
neither seedtlme nor harvest. That IL
true OF raising cities as well as OF
raising crops. But there are always
those who r.dIcule faith; always were.
llways will be. And as soon as faith
disappears things begin TO sink"
"Ahw said Mrs. Hardy gently. $50
we owe all this-these empty houses
md shops, unstable property and ev-
erything to those who have lost
faith-or never had II. To men like
Mr.. Eden. for instance. You remem-
her how he tried 10 discourage me
from the very first-tried TO break
down my falth--thnt was II. Mr.. Con.
ward--I see II all very plainly now
and he and others like him have
brought things TO their present pass
Wen. they have great responsible
lty."
As n resplt OF this discussion Dave
found himself rather less popular
with Mrs. Hardy than before. Dave
accepted her displeasure with light
hear edness that was extremely trying
TO the good woman's temper. Had IL
not been for his desire TO spare Irene
any snhapIlness he wouki have treat
ed Il with open filppancy. He was
engaged In the serious business Of
task made none the easier by the
selfimposed condition that he must
conduct no offensive but must await
with such patience as he could com
mnnd the voluntary capitalization OF the
bcsieged. on the whole he told him
self he had no reason TO be dissatisfied
with the progress Of events. He and
Irene often n tored together. frequent
ly accompanied by Mrs. Hardy. some
times by Coward as well. but occa-
slonnlly alone. And Irene made no Sc
cret Of the fact that she preferred the
trips in which only she and Dave par
tlcipated.
The gradual shrinkage OF values
TO the vanishing point imposed upon
Dave many business duties which
he would very gladly have evaded. The
office OF Coward & Eden. which had
once been besieged by customers eager
To buy. was now center of groups no
less eager to sell: and when they
could not sell they contrived to lay
the blame upon the firm which had
originally sold TO them. Although. for
the most part, these were men and
women who had bought purely from
the gamblers motive. they behaved
toward the real-estate dealer as
though he had done them an injustice
when the finger OF fortune turned up
loss instead OF n profit. For such
people Dave had little sympathy. and
II they persisted in their murmurings
he told them so with becoming frank
ness.
Then there was Merton. the wild
over with sick lungs and the mother
less boy. who had brought his little
savings 20 the West In the hope of
outstanding out his life In the dry.
clear atmosphere and saving his son
from the white death that had already
invaded their little family. With a
cruelty almost unbelievable Coward
had talked this man into the purchase
Of property so far removed from the
city ms TO possess no value except
as farm land; and the little savings
which were TO ward of sickness and
death, or. II that could not be, minis
ter modest comfort In the declining
hours of life, had been exchanged for
property which. even at the time of
the transaction. was valueless and I'M
salable.
Merton had called on Dave with re-
spect TO his investment. Dave had at
first been disposed to tell him frankly
that the property. for which he had
paid twenty dollars a foot. was barely
worth that much an acre. But a sec
ond look at the man changed his pur-
pose.
II know YOU were stung Merton"
he said, "shamelessly stung. You are
one Of those unsuspecting fellows who
think everybody Is going 10 play fair
with them. You belong 10 the class
who keep all kinds of rogues and
scoundrels In easy circumstances. You
might almost be charged with being
accessories. Now. just to show how
! feel about it-how much did you pay
for those lots?"
"Three thousand dollars. II was all
l had"
"Of course II was. IL you had had
more you would have paid more.
suppose Coward justified himself
with the argument that II he didn't
take your easy money someone else
would. which is doubtless true. Bui
just TO show you how feel about it
I'll buy those lots from you. for three
thousand dollars"
~ can't do ID, Mr.. Elden; can't
do ~ % said Marian and thara vuae