The Wyandotte herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1879-1943, 1942-07-17

to sign the papers that would reveal
to the world that they were failures.
She shuddered Involuntary at the
thought. Even now Bill must be
facing Benjamin Cheney, Ken Morse
and Nat Murray. Friends Of long
standing. Men who had loaned him
money, knowing that Old Bills word
was better than his bond, that their
investments with him would be safe.
Poor Bill. A man had to have nerve
and courage to 60 through an ordeal
like that. A man had to have it to
face the future, too. For those three
men would despise him hereafter.
They'd look at him with accusing
glances and talk about him behind
his back.
No, it wasn't the money. It was
the disgrace that was hard to bear,
the future that would break their
spirits. The wound to their pride.
You couldn't blame these men.
Their attitude was something in
evitable, something that must be
faced and conquered.
The front door opened and closed
and q mans voice doomed out
greeting to the children below
stairs. Mrs. Griswold almost
WINGED. That was Old Bill come
home. Bluff and hale as ever, al
most jovial.
She looked into the mirror for a
final inspection then stood up, smil-
ing. Old Bill was standing in the
doorway behind her.
Hello, mother" he said, and
came toward her and placed an arm
about her shoulder. well, it's over.
I've just come from the shop"
"I know, Bill. I know" She was
talking to him much the same as
she would have talked to Allen or
Stanley or Rilla when they were
children; looking up at him, pat
ting his shoulder.
Mother, you've been fine about
all this, you and the children. A
man couldn't ask for much more in
his wife and children"
"Why shouldn't we try and under
stand and help? Haven't you al
ways given us everything, always
been kind and good and understand
ing with US? It would be pretty
small of us to turn against you now" "
Old Bill laughed and held her
closer. You sound like Allen"
He paused. But. here, / must tell
you what happened. They-Ben and
Ken and Nat-they've taken over
the business, and I'm to run it as
always. They've appointed me gen.
eral manager. No one will know
but what the place never changed
hands"
"Billl l don't understand"
Old Bill laughed well, they
talked it over and decided they
couldn't petition me into bankruptcy.
You know it takes three men to do
it-and well, those three old coots
didn't want to go on record as the
petitioners of Bill Griswold into a
state of bankruptcy. Sentimental old
fools. They hemmed and hawed
around and talked a lot about how
I'd helped them at one time or an
other as well as lot of other folks,
and finally Ken Morse summoned
up the nerve to fatty refuse to sign
the petition. After that Ben and Nat
did likewise, grinning like a couple
of school kids Sort of ashamed of
their own weakness, you know. Then
pretty soon Ben declared he hated
to see the business 60 to pot any
way and suggested that he and Nat
and Ken take it over and give me
a job, if I'd like to work for them. "
Old Bills voice was bluff and hale
as always. But he was holding his
wife in his arms, looking over her
shoulder. She couldn't see his face.
And suddenly she didn't want to.
1t might prove embarrassing. And
so she stood there, holding him, pat
ting his shoulder, appearing not to
notice that the huge frame was
trembling slightly.
1t would be over in a minute and
Old Bill would be himself again and
everything would be all right. Then
Mrs. Griswold was going to leave
him alone with his thoughts; she was
going downstairs and find Allen and
say to him, 'Allen, you were right.
It hadn't occurred to me that folks
must feel the same toward your IA
Their as we do. / hadn't taken into
consideration that they are as hui
man as We" And she knew Allen