The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-06-28
CONTINUED From Yesterday


pair lady" he said. a bit uneer.
,snly. you multiply my courage
tsnfold and I shall retain the gucr,
don OF your faith. But We swash.
euckllnE fellows arc proud: we must
cone As yic,ors or not az all, and
| am anything but victorious. Yet,
I'VE had many a fall and my armor
Is dented IN dozen places. I
have record OF failures that only
A lasting success can wipe out,
when. n ever. that record Is wiped
out. why-my tongue shall be my
hearts ambassador" This was the
boidest speech that Gray had ever
permitted himself
Never had be felt bob" 10 he 20
close 10 him as on this day. and IN
Consequences he made OK Il a fusti.
Val. He played the lover with a
respectful Arior. douhly thrilling by
reason Of It's restraint. and that
night Il was not Henry Nelson's
ace that fingered last in his nom.
cry. He wondered before he fell
asleep. IL he had acted wisely In let,
ting slip his hour. Opportunity has
A tickle way OF lifting those who
igpore her. and yet-how could hc
speak with honor 20 himself
II must not be inferred That
Henry Nelson endured with patience
the blews that were rained upon
hin. on the contrary. he fought
hack with every weapon 10 could
lay hands upon. and there were
many. In this he was aided by Old
Bell for father and son were much
alike and their friction had been
oaly such as results nom the rub
bag Of two hard bodies OF Identical
cumposition: now that they werr
put under heavy pressure. they ad.
hered and funetioned without heat
They wero handicapped. however
m that they had the bank 20 think
about. and. In times OF frcnzied n,
nance such as this a banking bust,
neS Is more OF liability than an
asset. Under normal conditions nc
single Individual Of Gray's limited
resources could have caused them
mora than temporary annoyance
but in the midst OF speculative
frenzy, in a time OF vast paper
profits" and overnight losses. at an
hour when they themselves were
over-e1iended and tho financial fab.
rtc Of the whole oil Industry was
stretched 10 a point OF imitation
whore a pin prick was apt to caus.
complete collapse. the feat OF ward
taE off a lance In the hands OF a
destructive enemy was one that KEEP,
them IN a constant state OF nervous
panic.
To make matters worse, the ores,
OF the wave had passed, the boom
was nearly over. and money was nc
longer easy. Outside investors were
cooling; mysterious and powerful In
fiuences were az work. and there
were rumors OF break in the
price Of crude. Meanwhile. so FAR
as the Nelson's were concerned. II
was necessary 20 pour steady
stream OF dollars into the earth In
order to save that which had been
accomplished at immense cost. and
such oil as their producing wells
gave forth was swallowed up In
other holes. II became. with them
a problem Of how to hold on, how
10 finance from day to day until
production returns overlook exploit
tation expense--a problem that put
gray hairs In their heads and lines
about their eyes. They were forced
10 many expedients.
How they manage II NJ al
oafted Gray. and worried him, too
for no knew that II ever they
turned the corner they would b
safe from him, and his vengeance
would fall 70 the ground. One bis
wei would set them up, and there
was always that danger. for scarce
~ week went by without news
OF some gigantic gusher. Knowins
al there WAS 20 know about their
neld activities, he set himself TO IN,
task Of iearnins more about the
bank Itself and about their method
OF operating II. This was a task
indeed, and he spent much time al
if-tirne he could N afford, by the
way, for he, too, had about exhaust
ed his last raaoiirre
he vas surprised one day 20 re
csiye from pnsvveti Thu hankar vvhf