Carrizozo outlook. [volume] (Carrizozo, N.M.) 1910-1945, 1920-01-23

~ accompanied b. Mrs. Hnrdy, some
times by Coward as well, but occn-
s%ionnlly alone. And Irene made no Sc
cret Of the fact that she preferred the
trips In which only she and Dave pnr.
tlclpnted.
The gradual shrlnknge Of vnlues
to the vanishing point imposed upon
Dave many business duties which
he would very GLADLY hnve evnded. The
office of Coward & Eden, which had
once been besleged by customers enger
to buy, was now n center OF groups no
less enger 10 sell and when they
could not sell they contrived TO lay
the blnme 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 MS
though he had done them an injustice
when the finger OF fortune turned up
n loss Instead Of a profit. For such
people Dave had little sympathy. and
II they persisted In their murmurlngs
he told them so with becoming frank.
ness.
Then there was Merton, the Wild
over with sick lungs aud the mother
less boy, who had brought his little
savings to the West In the hope OF
outstanding out his life IN the dry.
clear atmosphere and saving his son
from the white denth that had already
invaded their little family. with n
cruelty almost unbelievable Coward
had talked this man Into the purchase
OF property so far removed from the
city ms 10 possess no value except
us farm land and the little savings
which were to ward or sickness and
death. or, II that could not be, minis
ter modest comfort in Che declining
hours of life, had been exchanged for
property which. even nt the time Of
the transaction, was valueless and UNI
snlnble.
Merton had called on Dave with re-
spect to his investment. Dave had nj
first been disposed 10 tell him frankly
paid twenty dollars a foot. was barely
worth that much ~ acre. But n Sec
ond look at the nan changed his pur.
pose.
81 know you were stung, Merton. y
he said, "shnmelessly stung. You are
n Of those unsuspectlng fellows who
think everybody Is going to play fair
with them. You belong TO the class
who keep all kinds Of rogues and
scoundrels In ensy circumstances. You
might almost be charged with belnl
accessories. Now, just TO show how
| feel about it-how much did you pay
Tor those lots?"
, "Three thousand dollars. II wns al
I had"
"Of course II was. II you had hnt
p more you would have paid more.
, suppose Coward justified himself
7 with the argument that II he didn'
. take your ensy money someone els
q would. which Is doubtless true. Bu
q Just TO show you how | feel about it,
' III buy those lots from you, for tire,
? thousand dollars"
0 "a cant do Il, Mr.. Eden; l can
do e. said Merton. and there wa
. moisture on his cheeks. ''rhat woul'
. be charlty-nnd | can't take It.. Bu
y I'm much obliged. It shows your
n square. MIR. Eden. and | hold no n
y will 10 YOU"
g "Well, can I help YOU IN some wa
S you will acceptY I'm afraid don
mean 10 be unkind, but we may n
$ well be ffunk-l'm afraid Yea won
need help very long"
h Merton answered as one who I'm
made up his mind To the inevitable
O sud Dave thought better Of him. Thl
~ little wreck Of a mnn-thls child !
!, business matters-could look dem /
4 the face without n CULVER.
q mot so long he said. ~ felt eve
D. 50 much better when | came her
10 first | thought ! was really going I
L be well again. But when | found WIFI
a. a mistake | had mnde | began to wo
30 ry. rot for myself. you know, but N
q hoy. and worry Is Just what nj
trouble lives on. | have been worI
/. Ing n little, and boarding out, and n
boy Is going TO school. But | can't
heavy work, and work o. any kind
II hard to get. / ind l can't keep golr
70 that way"
l. Merton looked with dreamy ey'
through the office window, while Dn'
Il wns turning over the hopelessness
,e his position and inwardly cursing
Il. system which made such condition
IS possible. Society protects the ply
Of lcally weak from the physical
strong the physical hlghwayman us
,e oily gets his deserts but the ment
81 hlghwaymnn preys upon the weak al