Evening star., 1923-06-10

You go about as if you'd lost your
last friend, and when other people
would be friendly with you, you
slap them. I've worked in the same
office with you for over a month now.
And there's hardly been a day when
you haven't slapped me, somehow,
before il ended
He meditated on this.
I'll have to apologize TO you.
then" he said finally. "You don't
understand I'm worried-more than
any one knows. It's-it's-the pulp
company. You know the story of
my experience there. don't you?"
Not wholly-at least I've never
heard your side of the matter
Benedict folded his paper. Almost
before he was aware. he was acting
the unwilling role of the discouraged
and embittered boy, telling his
troubles to a girl.
She listened quietly, gravely. Some
how. on that ride she ceased being
the plodding little proof-reader and
Office girl in country newspaper
Office up in Vermont. She was a
very practical young lady, and her
criticisms were constructive and
sympathetic.
y X
THE train pulled into Paris before
l. either was aware they had COW
cred half the distance. They alight-
ed. left the depot and walked side
| by side up through the streets in the
hush of the Summer night
But why don't you make a fight?'
she demanded as they sat for a time
on the steps of the Whitney house on
Pine street where June boarded.
You're still stockholder, aren't
you? And all that's standing in. your
way is the stubbornness of this man
Bird"
"Oh, you don't understand" he an
swered, lapsing at length into his
usual cynicism. 'It takes money,
slathers of it, to get control OF
enough stock to GUST that contrary
bone-head And it's superfiuous to
say that 1 haven't got it. / didn't
even have enough to support myself
so / could wait around Paris for
something to crash up there at the
mill. fat chance I've got to buying
any controlling interest in the busi-
ness"
"You mean you're penniless?"
"All my savings went TO pay for
the stock Mr.. Gates gave me the
opportunity to buy. He thought all
along that I was to succeed him. He
trained me for it, and now I'm-I'm
helpless
Does it really take money to do
, what you would like to do in the
pulp. company? Or does 1t take just
plain brains and nerve?"
What do you mean?" he asked.
DO you know how to run that
| business better than Mr. Bird?"
Naturally. I think So"
THAT isn't answering my question
Do you?"
| Yes"
| "Then why not walk in and throw
him out? He's only an employe, isn't
he? And you're stockholder.'
!. Throw him out?" Benedict laugh
ed harshly. You mean figuratively
or literally?"
| II mean literally--that is, If he
! refuses to resign and there's nc
I alternative"
| do you know what would happen
if 1 tried that?"
"What?"
"why, Bird would - would -
| would"
well, what would he do? If you
really are a better man than he is
couldn't you match him nerve foI
nerve and move for move? Bird
would have no one to whom to ap-
peal to back him up. And IL you
can't make good between now and
the time the majority stockholders
get back, can you ever do it?'
"It isn't done" he declared. NO
body ever heard of one lone stock.
holder walking in and ousting a cor
poration manager just because his
fellow stockholders were absent"
II see," the girl remarked acidly
~You lack the nerve"
"I do not lack the nerve!" he re-
turned hotly.
"Then why don't you do it? Whats
istopping you?"
"The law. Bird would have the Law
on me-somehow."
But you have as much brains a: