The state herald., 1920-03-05

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Coward on all matters In which she
found an interest.
"HOw Is it. Mr.. C0nward," Mrs.
Hardy said to him one evening over
her fancy work-for she prncticed an
industry in matters of
no experimentation is 1t that there
is no demand for property? You are
a renl-estate expert; you should he
able to answer that. Isn't this city
as good today as 1t was year ago !?
Doesn't II occupy the same site? Are
not the farms still producing?"
THAT'S Just II. dear Mrs. Hardy.
Why. indeed? Simply because the
booster has given way to the calamity
howler. Its psychological explanation
is simple enough. The world lives by
faith. Without faith there would be
neither seedtime nor harvest. That is
true of raising cities as well us of
rnislng crops. But there are always
those who rltiicule faith; always were.
'lwnys will he. And as soon ny faith
disappears things begin to sink"
"Ah" said Mrs. Hnrdy gently. $50
We owe all this-these empty houses
md shops. unsuitable property and ev.
"rything to those who have lost
faith-or never had 1t. To men like
Mr.. Elden. for instance. You remem.
her how he tried to discourage me
from the very first--tried to break
down my faith-that was 1t, MFR. Con
wnrd-l see 1t all very plainly now
md he and others like him have
brought things to their present pass.
Well. they have a great responsible.
ity."
As a result of this discussion Dave
found himself rather less popular
with Mrs. Hardy than before. Dave
accepted her displeasure with n light.
heart edness that was extremely trying
to the good wOman's temper. Had II
not been for his desire to spare Irene
my unhappiness he would have treat
I'd It with open dlppancy. He was
engaged ln the serious business of
the heart Of Irene Hardy
a task made none the easier by the
self-imp0sed condition that he must
conduct no offensive but must swnIt
with such patience MS he could com.
mand the voluntary cnpltulation Of the
besieged. On the whole ne told him.
self he had NO reason to be dissatisfied
with the progress Of events. He und
Irene often mOtored together. frequent.
ly accompanied by Mrs. Hardy. some
times by COnwnrd ms well. but 0cca.
alone. And Irene mude no Sc
cret Of the fnct that she preferred the
trips In which only she and Duve pnr.
ticipnted.
The gradual shrinkage Of values
to the vanishing point Imposed upon
Dave many business duties which
he would very gladly have evuded. The
Office Of Coward 4 Elden, 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 contrivcd TO lay
the blame upon the firm which hnd
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 resi.estste dealer ns
though he had done them nm injustice
when the finger Of fortune turned up
u loss instead Of 4 profit. For such
nm l..A
II they persisted In their Inurmurings
he told them so with becoming frank
ness.
Then there was Merton. the wild.
over with sick lungs md the mother.
less boy. who had brought his little
savings to the West In the hope Of
out his life In the dry.
clear atmosphere and saving his son
from the white death that had already
invaded their little family With u
cruelty almost unbelievable Coward
had talked this man Into the purchase
of property so far removed from the
rity ms 10 POSSESS no value except
MS farm land; aud the little savings
which were 10 ward on sickness and
death. or. II that could not be. rainis.
ter modest comfort In the declining
hours of life. had been exchanged for
property which. even Mt the time Of
the transaction. whs vniueiess nnd un.
salabie.
Merton had called ou Dave with re-
spect TO his investment. Dave had ut
erst been disposed 10 tell him frankly
that the property. for which he had
paid twenty dollars n foot. was barely
worth that much an acre. But n see
ond look at the man changed his pur
pose.
II know YOU were stung. Merton
he said. "shnmclessly s'ung. You are
one Of those uDsuspccting fellows who
think everybody Is going to play fnlr
with them. You belong to the clnss
who keep nil kinds Of rogucs nnd
In easy circumstances, You
might almost be charged with being
accessories. Now. just 10 show how
feel about It-how much did you pny
for those lotsf'
"Thrce thousand dollars. II was MI