Charlevoix county herald., 1921-05-27


"rhey are most probably calling IT
business" he rejoined.
The boss nodded. II know what has
happened. In spite of the fact that
the local people know that their eco
nomic salvation depends upon wide
and even distribution of their @. S.
& w. stock, there has been a good
bit Of buying and selling and swap
ping around. / remember you proph-
esied that I'm a little while we'd have
another trust in the hands of few
men. You may recollect that l didn't
dispute your prediction. merely said
that our ground leases-the fact that
all of the c. s. & w. plants and build
ings are on railroad land-would still
give us the whip-hand over any new
monopoly that might be formed"
'Yes, sub; remember you said
that" the major allowed.
"Very good. Marshall and his pocket
syndicate may have acquired voting
control in G. S. & W., and they may
be willing now to patch up an alliance
with Hatch. But In that case the new
monopoly will still lack the one vital
ingredient: the power to fix prices.
If there is new combine, and it tries
to make the producers and merchants
pay more than the agreed percentages
for storage and handling"
II know" the major cut in. "You-all
will rise up In the majesty of youh
wrath and put it out of business by
terminating the leases. l hope you
may: l sutt'inly do hope you may.
But you'll recollect that didn't advise
you on that point sub. You took
Misteh Ripley's opinion. Maybe the
cOuts will hold with you, but, candid
ly, Graham, 1 doubt it-doubt it right
much"
The boss didn't seem to be much
scared up over the doubt. He just
smiled and said we'd be likely to find
out what was I'm the wind, and that
before very long. Then he spoke of
Hatch's afternoon call at our Offices,
and mentioned the fact that the Red
Tower president would probably try
again, later In the evening.
The major let the business matter
drop, and he was working his way
patiently through the salad course
when he looked up to say:
"Was there anything In youh trip
to Strathcona to warrant Sheila's lit
tie telegraphic dangeh signal, Ora
ham?"
Nothing worth mentioning" said
the boss. without turning a hair; do
ing II, as l made sure, because he
didn't want Mrs. Sheila to be mixed
up In the plotting business, even by
implication.
The major didn't press the inquiry
any farther. and when he spoke again
IL was Of an entirely different matter.
Away along in the beginning, some
body think II was John Chadwick
spoke of you as man with q sawt
OF observation-disclosures tempeh,
Graham: what have you done with
that tempeh In these heah latch
daysT
The boss smile was a good-natured
grin.
Temper is not always a matter Of
temperament, major. Sometimes 1t Is
only a means to an end. Much of my
experience has been in the construc-
ton camps, where / have had to deal
with men In the raw. Just the same,
there have been moments within the
past six months when I have been
sorely tempted to burn the wires with
few choice words Of the short and
ugly variety and throw up my job"
(which, as you may say, brings us
around to President Dunton," put in
the old lawyer shrewdly. "He is still
opposing youh policies?"
"Up to few weeks ago he was
still bounding me to do something that
would boost the stock, regardless of
what the something should be, or Of
It's effect upon the permanent value Of
the property"
"Did I understand you to say that
hese-ah-suggestion from Dunton
had stopped?" the major inquired.
Temporarily, at least. I haven't
heard anything from New York-not
lately"
"Then Dunton's nephew hasn't made
himself known to youY
"Collingwood? Hardly. I'm not in
Mr.. HOWE Collingwood's set-which is
one Of the things I have to be thank
full for But this is news: didn't
know he was out here"
The news-giver bent his head grave
~ In confirmation Of the fact.
"He's heah, I'm sorry to say, Ora
ham. He has been heah quite some
little time, vibratin' round with the
Grigsbys and the Gannons and a lot
mo- of the new-rich people up at the
capital"
1t was the boss turn to go silent,
and could guess pretty well what he
was thinking. The presence Of Presi-
dent Dunton's nephew in the West
might mean much or nothing. But
could imagine the boss was thinking
that his own single experience with
Collingwood was enough to make him
wish that the nephew Of Big Money
would stay where he belonged-among
the high-rollers and spenders Of his
own set In the effete East