The Kevin review. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1929, 1924-02-07


Commerce was situated at the south,
east corner Of the market square. He
had seen it on the preceding day. s
handsome block, ona Of the finest build
ings in Malopo. II might take him ter
minutes to reach it 1t was question
able whether he would arrive in time
He ran on, painting, choosing the
shortest way, which fortunately did not
lead past the Continental, where he
would almost certainly have been rec
ognized. On he esced, through the
narrower streets, alive with fruit ped
oilers and old-clothes men, who stopped
and stared in wonder at the sight of
the Withholding man with blood on
his face and dusty clothing, and
screamed in shrill abuse as he hurled
their carts right and left and cleared
a passage down the middle of the road.
The market square lay before him, a
tangle of transport wagons AID oxen.
Winton lodged here and there, thread
Ing the mazes, painted across, and saw
the Chamber of Commerce building in
front of him.
He heard men shouting behind him.
A crowd was collecting, following him.
He looked like a mailman, unless he
was the bearer of desperate news Of
some rising in the outlying districts.
A policeman tried to intercept him.
Winton hurled the man aside, dashed
into the building, and ran with sure
Instinct up the cement steps to the
second story. Upon a door in front
of him he saw the name of the Big
among the names OF twenty other COM
panies, yet staring at him as If he
alone were there.
A man rushed at Winton from some
where in the passage and collared him.
Winton thought he recognized him as
one of the coach passengers. There
was no doubt that De Witt had placed
him there on guard. He was larger
than Winton and powerfully built, but
Winton got the door partly open and
wedged himself there.
He saw a number of men, who had
been seated about a table inside the
room, leap to their feet. At the head
was a tall, lean old man with a short,
square white beard. Near him was De
Witt, still carrying on his face the
bruises Of the fight. The others were
obviously nonentities.
Winton saw what was happening, and
his fury lent him new strength. He
struggled madly in the grasp of his as
~sailanr, and the chief shareholder in
the Big Malopa company. entangled
with De Wits spy, rolled uto the
room at the feet of the astonished
small shareholders.
DE Witt, who had been speaking,
smashed his fist down on the table.
Throw that lunatic opt, and let's
put this business through p he yelled.
"The proposition is that this company
go into voluntary liquidation for the
purpose Of reconstruction and the issue
Of preferred stock. ! declare the mo-
ton"
II oppose It'll" shouted Winton, leap
ing to his feet and fighting OFF De
Wits man. Il am Winton Garrett,
owning so per cent Of the stock. My
certificate"
He tried to get his hand into his
pocket, but his assailant was dragging
him toward the door. There came a
scuffle Of feet in the passage, and the
policeman, heading the mob, burst into
the room.
In another moment Winton would
have been flung down the stairs, and
the control of the Big Malopo would
have passed into the s~yndicate's hands,
forever, or pending complicated
legal processes. But a sudden diver
sion completely changed the situation.
Out of the crowd stepped Ned Burns,
whlte-haired, white-bearded, waving
his arms ~furiously.
"You let Mr.. Garrett go !" he shouted.
"I know him, and | know you, Mr.. De
" i. Discharge me, Will you, after
I've worked eight years for your
"Bravo, Nedp shouted the crowd.
go it, old cock!"
"The motion is garfield" shouted
De Witt.
'That don't make no difference"
said Ned, planting himself before him.
Maybe you think because l was fool
to work for you eight years
that I don't know the law, Mr.. De
Witt! You may be purser, but the law
the Colony requires that all proposals
for liquidation must have the assent of
a majority. Mr.. Garrett owns the ma
jority, and he hasn't voted yet"
"Well done, Ned" cried the mob.
"Colony law don't run in Malopo"
shouted De Witt. "This is a native
protectorate. You think because I've
put you out of your job for inefh-
that you'll come here and inter-
fere with this meeting, do your"
"Let's hear Mr.. GARRETT" cried the
crowd.