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KICS L1CUHTAIN KIRALD. KINGS MOUNTAIN. N. 0 V'.. jjihon of Ttlarlt Truitt Bp. RUSSELL MILLEn (Copyright. M1J, by Tha VYNOP8IS. k ' Vark wC encouraged br hi sweet- hsurt. bi.lt.f Martin, leaves bi lml. hla native town, lo seek hia fortune. Simon Trultt tolls Mark that It long haa bean Ma dream to awe a ateal plant at Bethel and aaka tha son to return and build one II ha avar gets rich. Murk appllra to Thoniaa Henley, head of tha Qulnby Iron worka for a Job and la sent to tha con struct Ion gang. Hla succumb In that work wlna lilm a placa as helper to Roman Andsrajaakl, opan-hearth furnacaman. He fcacomea a boarder In Roman's noma anJ aaalals Plotr, Roman's son, In hta atudlea. Kaala, an adopted daughter, shows her gratitude In such a manner aa to arouse Mark's Intareat In her. Heavy work In the Intense heat of tha furnace causes Mark to eollapaa and Kasla wares for Mm. Later Roman also succumbs and Mark gets his Job. Roman resents this and tails Mark to And another boarding Slacav Flva years elapse during which lark haa advanoed to ths foremanship, while hla labor-aavlr.g devices bare made tiUn Invaluable to the company. In the meantime Kasla haa married one Jim Whiting. Mark sneela with an accident which dooms him to be a cripple for life. He returns to Bethel Intending to atay there. He flnda Unity about to marry an other man and wlna her back. Unity urges nlm to return to hta work In the etty. Mark rises rap'dly to wealth and vower In tha ateel business, but the so Hal ambitions of his wife make their mar--led Ufa unhappy. Constant blckerlnza wear out Mark'a patience and ha makes threats of divorce. i CHAPTER XIV. ( . In thg Mold. Then began what promised to bs iaa a rake's progress. Mark (ought Hit new companions and got himself nvlted to Join their revels. . He tried ard, at first recklessly, then deter nlnedly and then wistfully to enter nto the spirit of dissipation. The at--nipt was a flat failure. The thor ughgoing habit cf mind that looked o'lrringly for the last result saw trough at once to the degs In the 9. His companions privately laughed the spectacle of-this hard serious an awkwardly essaying the role of vil of a fellow; but for the humor ' thus unwittingly provided they uld aoqn hare got rid of him aa a th's-had at their feasts. He suc ied July in still further Impairing health, in acquiring .a bad taste fa mouth and relaxing all along tlne his habit of rigid abstemious- fler a few months he returned to old routine. I hear," Henley Interrupted a con ation one day to remark, "you're 1 sowing wild oats. , Got 'em all ested?" irk nodded, grinning sheepishly, p's In the barn and tor sale p. I agree with the prophet that -vanity." ' '; 'hat made you do It?" don't know. To see what it's I gaets. But I didn't have the k of it." . ouble at home," thought Henley dly. i:-."-: ud he aaid: "I imagine not. You'd f stick to business, where you ometlmes think that's all vanity, least we have something to be over. And on the whole there's romance in making steel than in g to support the-Tenderloin." k -made a gesture of disgust a frowning pause, he answered: n't know. The trouble Is, I've ie romantic point of view. To le business is nothing but a -making machine now and ilng to do., I wonder why we 40 hard to get money we don't We get no good out of It" Tim tVoodhouse gets more pleasure his flying machines that won't i wait," said Henley dryly, "un. .body tries to taken away tram aarty every man of unusual vfc , gca sooner or later through age of questioning the existing i of things. Things are, ,1s all twer he gets. The sooner be king queatlopr.'tue better for e of mind." "p. returned to the matter In hand, as the fleecing of Timothy ise.. : - --; would have been more-eur-an Timothy to learn that he ir.- fleece worthyjof the atten "n ich shearers as Henley and ut years before a Lochlnvar out of .the West with stock t the Iroquois Iron Ore Mtn- i lopment . A Transportation He had a gifted tongue. He -it hia own place, a richer ess a 'Wiser man, saving profitable lesson in th f hla fellows. Later inspee i ed that the long-named ropertieg consisted of an ( d of admittedly good ore. opment work only of the f tr ino.le so proudly t -?noter and Its n ft tranohlae ,llru, .',.'100 miles t. In tboae days the bailor da waa not lightly under nveatment aoemed to fall "Tim iiruapoci.ua, . Timothy once said rue i Invested."' '..-.; t . ad eoma when makers 1 1 to operate) no a larger i k tar ahead into the J Oregor company oon-1 t of buying that ore ! that railroad. It I if and leisurely pick-, Amharat ' "THT MAN H1CHFR UP,- "HIS i TO K)WIH." tc Bobbe - Marrls Company) . lug np blocks of stock In Lochlnvar's company; it could be bought for the proverbial song. But Henley got wind of it He, too, began buying stock, secretly and swiftly, also for a song. By the time the MacQregor company learned of his rivalry, he needed but a thousand shares to own control of the company, ita properties and franchises.- "And I know Just where those shares are to be bad," Henley told Hark. "Do you know one Timothy Woodhouse?" "I bought my house from him. And he wants me to lend him money to build his new flying machine. He came to me," Mark chuckled, "aa one inventor to another." "Get that stock," Henley com manded. "Act quick and you can get It cheap. We can't build that rail road. Or rather, we won't 'Let the other fellow blaze the path!'" This sneering quotation was from the il lustrious but cautious Qulnby. "That's what comes from working with a cow- "I'll Give You," Proposed Timothy Es gerly, "a Half Interest In the Ma chine.. ard. But that's no reason why we shouldn't turn an honest dollar at the expense of MacQregor, Is ItT" . i ' It Is not, however, true, aa alleged In the bill In equity Timothy was after ward Induced by MacQregor agents to file against Mark, that "the said Trultt falsely and fraudulently and with in tent to deceive and defraud, repre sented to the said Wrodhouse that said stock was of no value whatsoever, the while knowing that said stock had the value hereinbefore set forth." Mark, who prided himself on his hon esty, was always careful not to lay bis projects open to legal Interference. In this case, that special Providence which seems to guide the schemes of men of such honesty, graciously ren dered legal fraud unnecessary. "By George I" he exclaimed when at their next meeting Timothy, with the model before them, had explained his plans for the new -machine. "By George! It may be it may Just be that you've hit It. It sounds plausible, anyhow." . -.; :,'- "I prise your opinion," kald'Timothy gratefully, "the more because you've done something mechanically yourself. I meet so much skepticism. Do you think you'd care to finance tjils?" .' "Well," Mark returned to caution, after all, aerial navigation is hardly In my line. I really ought to have some securitydon't you think r . 'Til give you," proposed Timothy eagerly, "a half interest in the ma chine." ' ;---:!'.. . ...:... Mark seemed to be fighting down an Impulse.? But he shook his head. "You see. Its value would be scienttflo rather than commercial. And I'm Just a plain money-grubber, you know." -' Timothy sighed. "That ends it, I guess. All I've got is mortgaged to the : limit -: now. ' rm dlaappolnted, though."' ' 'Still," Mark went on slowly, "I'd like to do It Haven't you anything that would give business Instinct even an excuse to be silent?" "Nothing. Unless," Timothy ven tured timidly, "yon could call Iroquois Iron an excuse.".' .. Mark grinned broadly'.' "I've heard of that bubble. '. -; -v-;,vr.---. . . Timothy, tod, grinned, though unhappily.-"Bubble, Fm afraid, expresses It exactly." . ' .. -"' Mark apent a minute In frowning study 'of the model. "It would be something." he admitted at last, "to contribute even money to what might torn out to be ths invention of the age- I believe I believe I'll take the excuse." He made a sudden reckless gesture. "Ill do better. I'll go the whole hog and buy tb stock, Mr. Woodhouge, yon would talk the birds out of the trees!" ; r -... It wag ridiculously easy; '. - .- But the event had a sequel. Scarcely a week passed when Timothy returned. Timothy waa evidently excited. "Have you discovered some new im portant principle of your machine?" Mark inquired. :. . V . "No," Timothy answered. "I have coma to buy back that stock " . , "Oh, no! I'm satisfied with my bar gain." "But," Timothy explained Innocently, "I have discovered that It has a value In excess very much In excess of what yon paid ma for It." "The leas reason then," Mark smiled, "why I should sell It back to you." "But," Timothy swallowed hard and down went pride, "you don't under stand. It would be a great favor to me. I bare been" careless I may as well speak out and say that I am a very poor business man. I have lost almost ererything I Inherited. What la left Is mortgaged almost to full value, except this stock which I now find I can sell for enough to clean up my obligations and give me a new start" "And which Is now mine." "Which Is now yours, through a bard bargain an Inadvertently hard, bar gain, of course," Timothy added bast lly. The troubled look .In bis eyes deepened. "And now 1 come to you as one gentleman to another, to ask you to release me from It" "That would hardly be business like." "But this Is not business. I said, as one gentleman to another." Timothy was guiltless of humorous Intent "For myself I shouldn't think of disturbing any advantage your Interest in my work might accidentally give you. But to my wife and daughter, who are entirely dependent upon me, this would mean much." "Isn't it a little late, after wasting your substance In riotous Invention, to begin thinking of them? Besides," Mark looked at his watch pointedly. "I hardly aee your right to ask me to give them the consideration you've never given them." Timothy flushed painfully, rising. "You refuse, then?" "I do." "Then you had this stock in mind all along?" "If you'd made as shrewd a guess before " Mark grinned. "I was told you are apt to do this sort of thing." "The loser In a deal," Mark re minded him coldly, "always finds something to criticise. If there s noth ing else 1 can do for you good day. Mr. Woodhouse." "So this Is what you call a deal? I should choose another term. I shall take enough of your time to give you my view of It You came to me to get that stock, but you did not come frankly. You resorted to subterfuge. You flattered me. You took advantage of your InBlde knowledge of Ita value and of the tact that I'm rather a fool In such matters to get It absurdly cheap. But I suppose one need hardly expect particularity of conduct from your sort" Mark sneered. "At least you felt no obligation to particularity of con duct when you thought you were get ting a good round sum for something of no value at all." "That." aald Timothy with dignity, "I supposed and you pretended was practically a gift to science. . I shall keep you no longer, sir." And Timothy stalked away. For aeV' era! days Mark's familiars observed in him an unusual Irritability of tem per. Steel had come into its own. It was the first principality of 'industry, Swiftly as the sun seeks its lenlth, its leaders were rising to power and prestige, doing big things in a big, bold, precedent-defying fashion that stirred the world to a just admiration. And above the others in the estima tion of all who did not march 'with the army of steel towered that giant MacQregor, and In his shadow but too big to be obscured wholly, Jeremiah Qulnby, their names and fame known wherever the stout fabric wag used. After many years Quinby's project was a tact, tbe more splendid lor the delay. - It stood Just across the street from MacQregor s library. This prox imity called tor a comparison, by which the Institute of Paleontology suffered no whit Somehow Us noble lines and masses. In exact copy of the Parthenon, seemed to suggest in its founder a simple majesty of char- acter not shared by the author of the elaborate library. MacQregor could not have believed that a comparison was Intended, since he accepted an invitation to share with Qulnby himself and an ex-presldent of the United States the honors on the occasion of the dedication. He, as did the ex-presldent, made a speech, in which be paid a high tribute to bis "brother in the great work of distrib uting surplus wealth." This tribute Qulnby, when bis turn came, formally assigned to "the thousands of obscurely faithful", who had "given their strength, their courage, thetr-pa'tlence and talent, nay, oft their very Uvea, to upbuilding the Industry which made thla project possible." Some of his hearers Interpreted this merely as the too great modesty of superlative, tri umphant genius. But when, expand ing this text, he thus brought his pero ration to a close: : ' "Let labor and capital, the Siamese twine of produc tion, dwell together In unity. In amity. In tbe forbearance that springs from love!" tbe audience applauded enthusi astically; reckless ot damage to new kid gloves. That evening. In the cells of the In stitute, was held a great reception. The Trultts were there as who that counted was-not? nut together only until, they had reached the end of the receiving line. Mark betook himself to a chair In a corner occupied by the skeleton of some prehistoric monster and there watched the crowd. ' He caught a glimpse of Unity, a beaming happy Unity, the center of a J laughing group, and scowled angrily. . . . Though their life had been super ficially unchanged, . he had had his freedom. It hai been a partial eas iest freedom that he did net want, paid for by tbe loaf of even tha pre tense of affection, by an Ul-dlsgulsed mutual aversion. Hla reflections wers Interrupted by a band on bis shoulder. Henley sat down beside him, ' "Taking It In?" . . Mark nodded. "We're outshone." "As the stars by the aun. Do you care?" "Nol" snarled Henley, In a tone that gave hla words the He. Mark repressed another sneer. Here waa Henley, tbe man of magnificent achievements, of real genlua. Jealous as a woman over Quinby's hollow glory! "He seems," Mark nodded toward the resplendent Qulnby, "to attract the women." "It's mutual. As I happen to know." "So? I'd have classed hjm with the vestal virgins. Isn't be a little old for tbe woman game now, though?" "He'a In his fifties," Henley said, "and well preserved. . And tbe man who has nothing to do but to idle around the globe and spend tbe money others -make Is always easy picking for the Delllaha." "Qulnby doesn't Just meet my no tion of a Samson." "SamBon," returned Henley, who felt the better for bis outburst, "was a penny-wit." Later, Henley and Mark left their refuge and sauntered through the crowd. It chanced that Qulnby espied them. He deserted an admiring group to greet them paternally. "A lifelong dream has been realized, thanks partly to you" be placed a hand on Henley's shoulder "com mander in the Held. And to you" he laid the other hand on Mark "his chief lieutenant" Jt was a striking tableau. Qulnby, modestly unaware of the many eyes upon them, held It a moment, then gracefully withdrew. "My commander In the field!" sneered Henley. "Drunk! Blind drunk with self-Importance!" "How much better are we?" "Sometimes," Henley said coldly, "you talk like a fool." He strode away. Mark, left alone, began to pick his path gingerly around trailing gowns and chattering groups. In search of fresh air and quiet. But once, as he waa pausing a group ot men, a remark arrested his attention. He did not know tbe speaker, but he halted sharpiy and addressed him. "Who waa that you said committed suicide?" The man looked at him strangely a moment before answering. "Timothy Woodhouse. It was prac tically suicide. He Insisted on going up in his new flying machine. Broke his neck, ot course." Mark pasBed on quickly. V Not so quickly but that he overheard an ex planation. "The man that skinned Woodhouse." CHAPTER XV. 8tuff of Dreams. When his spirit for it was dying, Mark's campaign of conqueBt came to Its grand climax he became a stock holder in the Qulnby Steel company, one of tbe- "young partners" of whom Qulnby, In all things abreast of bis great rival, waa wont to speak with such paternal enthusiasm. Up to this time he had been merely an employe, handsomely paid but finding hla chief reward from Henley's profitable friendship. When, through Henley, Mark laid the matter of partnership Informally be fore Qulnby, he was allowed to aee through the philanthropist to Qulnby. At Srst Qulnby unctuously but firmly Hs Placed a Hand on Hsnley'e Shoul- .' ,der. . refused his assent, turning arguments aalde by tbe aimple expedient of ig noring them; When Henley, at whoae suggestion Mark bad demanded tbe right to -purchase stock, insisted with rising anger, Qulnby donned a frigid dignity. .v..,. 'Do you want the company to lose Truitt?" Henley demanded. "I can not conceive,". Qulnby an swered coldly, "that any man who owes as much to my company aa Trultt doeg could be so lacking in loyalty and all fine sensibilities as to desert me." ' -'--.-,.-. ... - That" ; said Henley curtly, "is damned nonsense. The company owes more to Truitt than the stock we ask can aver repay, more than to any other man wUk saw exception," ., . ""I am glad." Qulnby thawed slightly. "that you make an exception." "Yea. Myself." Quinby's face waa a stud, "And," Henley continued, "you can let him have this stock or lose Trultt and me." ,,--.. , Thereupon Henley wrote out and gave to Qulnby bla -islgnatlon from the chairmanship. There was a tense silence while Qulnby studied the paper. "Very well." he aald at last He tore the resignation Into little bits. But It waa a graceful surrender. During tbe pause Qulnby bad regained hia poise. He was once more tbe gracious patron, apparently blind to Henley's show of dislike. "Ah! my dear Tom," he shook his head smilingly, "that was hardly fair. You played upon my affection. You know there Is no sacrifice 1 would not make rather than lose you." "Humph!" grunted Henley. "This Is no sacrifice." "Of course," tha philanthropist went On, "Trultt takes under our agree ment" And this launched another long ar gument For under the Qulnby com pany agreement borrowed. Indeed, from hla friend and rival, MacUregor any stockholder, upon written de mand by three-fourths of the stock holders owning three-fourths of the outstanding Bhares, could be compelled to surrender his stock at Its "book Value;" a provision from the threat of which Qulnby, owning the majority of the slock, alone was exempt. Had his own Interest not been so deeply Concerned Mark might have relished the spectacle of the tremendous arro gant Henley hurling himself In vain asainst the paternal Quinby. Murk did not deceive himself as to Henley's real purpose, which was not to serve him but to set up a precedent to upset tbe agreement. "It isn't fair to Trultt," Heuley pro tested vehemently. "It isn't fair to any one but you. How can he, how can I, bow can any of ua, know when you're going to make a deal with the others to kick him out and cheat him out of the real value of his stock?" Tact was the one weapon Henley knew not how to wield. Quinby gave him a pained glance. "You know I'm not a hard man. And you know that Is a contingency not likely to happen." "It happened to Cauler and Slebblns and New." "Ah! But they," Qulnby reminded him, "got an exaggerated Idea of their importance to the company." Henley glared. Qulnby smiled. The mellifluous voice flowed on. "You should know that men In my position may not consider their pri vate impulses. Our wealth Is a trust a sacred trust" He paused, perhaps to control the rising emotion Inspired by thought "The secret of my suc cess haa been harmony In my organ isation. Harmony I must have I will have. And so I must reserve the right and means to oust any who seek to disturb it The work to which I havi given myself the projects you, I fear, hold so lightly depends too closely on my business success to allow me to violate auccessful precedents. Even," he beamed on Mark, "even for the sake of your brilliant young friend. Even for you." Quinby's face had not put off Its smiling benevolent mask. His voice had not risen nor lost by so much as a note its wonted musical stately cadence. But Mark, a silent and al most forgotten listener, knew that in the last words menace spoke as clear and venomous as In the hiss of a snake. He could Interpret the men ace; Henley had rested too securely In his Importance to the company; he now had bis warning; like Damocles' sword the power of Quinby's contract rested heavy overhead. If he had not known from Quinby's voice, Mark would have understood from him to whom the menace had been spoken. Henley's hands, resting on the desk, clenched until the nails bit Into tbe palms. The ugly imperi ous face was deathly white. His black eyes biased. Mark thought for a mo ment be wag about to spring upon Qulnby and inflict physical Injury, or at least hurl at the vain shallow poseur the splendid defiance i.' the man of real worth, of invincible and un pur chasable spirit. Because he bad a pro found respect and a sort of love for Henley, he wanted to see and hear that defiance. He forgot his own In terest In the scene. Henley reached again convulsively, for pen and paper, Quinby raised a hand a beautiful, soft, perfectly man icured member in humorous protest "My dear Ton"" How the furring paternal phrase, addressed to Henley, stung! Mark felt the hot blood rise, resentful for bis master. "If you are about to resign again, I beg of you, consider. I have made one concession to that threat. But if you make It again, I shall be obliged to break off a relation that has been both pleasant and profitable. It will cost me some thing, perhaps, but it will cost you more.", . "Now!" muttered Mark. ' Now was tbe time to hurl defiance, to overwhelm Quinby and Quinby's power under manly scorn. . . . Quln by, outwardly serene as midsummer's skies, smiled on. . Henley was silent The biasing anger In his eyes died down to a smoldering, sullen, futile rage. The pen dropped from bis band. ... What a shattering of Idols was there! Mark turned away that he might not see. - - His glance fell upon Qulnby. Tbe mask of benevolence had been pulled aside. Ugly triumph and still uglier hate shone. In that moment Quinby's revenge for a thousand sneers and the open contempt of years was taken. Mark hated him. . After long heavy silence Quinby turned to Mark. "Do you accept the agreement?" "It seems to be Hobson's choice." Qulnby rose and took Mark's right band In both of his. "Let me ba the .first to welcome you Into the company. I'm sura wa shall be harmonious." "I can aee," Mark answered with a shrug, "that harmony pays." Qulnby was gone. Mark, sickened and saddened, watched a man, for the moment mad, belatedly giving voice to his rage. He paced swiftly back and forth across the room, like tha wild beast be had become. He cursed Incoherently the departed Qulnby, pouring forth a flood ot coarse blas phemies. He flung bis arms about, smote and kicked chairs and desk as though they had lives to be taken. Tins, witn Quinny present, wouio oava struck a responsive chord In Mark's barbaric soul. But this, with Quinby gone, from the man who bad sat silent under threats, called forth only con tempt "My success! My company! My work!" Henley stopped, panting and glaring, before Mark. "My Qod! Did you hear him? Fool fool fool!" Mark shrugged his shoulders. "Your mistake was In thinking him a fool." "And 1 I had to sit there and take his oily threats " "At least, you took them." "I, who made this company I, who gave him tbe money to advertise himself around the world 1 I l'n Henley Glared. Qulnby Smiled. the fool. You're the fool. We're all fools, working our lives out to build up this business while he, who does nothing, gallivants about Bpendlug mil lions on bis accursed Institutes never knowing when he'll close In on us and rip us out of our Jobs and rightful proflta " J "I used to think that abAit you, when I was In the mills. I suppose the men think that about us now," Mark's laugh was a sneer. Henley turned on him. "And you," be snarled, "I made vou, too. And I suppose, when Qulnby cracks his whip, you, too, will fall into line and help to rob me ot the stock I've made valuable. You, with your 'Harmony payB' " An hour before Mark might have quailed before Hepley's wrath. Now he did not quail, "See here!" be said sharply, pushing away the fist under bis nose. "Prob ably you're right Probably I'll tall Into line. I hope not for my -own sake. But you can talk to me like that when I give you the excuse, &nd bow you," he added coldly, "bad better pull yourself together. There are clerks within hearing.'' ' 1 Henley dropped heavily Into a chair. Slowly the paroxysm subsided. In si lence Mark watched the white, atlll working face. It waa Henley who spoke first, and surprisingly, "What are you think ing?" "I'm wondering, does money make cowards of us all?" Henley stared hard. For a nvunuj Mark thought that again a match bad been touched to tbe magazine ? bis rage. Then tbe red of shame crept Into tbe older man's countenance, He made a gesture of dejection, "You're a witness that It does." Mark limped slowly away from the Quinby building. Now, by all tbe rules of the game he played, was the time to exult The monster, was tamed, or at least for ever baffled; It need not, looking upon him, lick its slobbering chops. Whether or not tbe partnership final trophy of Eldorado's conquest survived Quinby's treacherous caprice, the ad venturer would never again know tbe haunting fear that lashed the crowd. He had no need to. oaten Ita hurrying pace. Yet hs did hot exult He had what be bad get out to win, and be bad It not Hla triumph was fact But the sense of it, tbe swelling of soul, the surging passionate pride be bad fore tasted in his young dreams, were not Success was but figures on a balance sheet He had succeeded In a life In which sentiment brotherly klndnees, mercy, were the badges of failure; yet the thought of a weak Timothy Wood house, dead In an hour of recklessness bred by a cheat, could drive sleep . from his pillow. TO BB CONTmUED.) Found in Sing Sing Prison. - Found, a photograph, a tintype ot a young girL Owner may secure It by applying to the dltoxta-caiat Site Sing Star of Hops, v v
The Kings Mountain Herald (Kings Mountain, N.C.)
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Aug. 27, 1914, edition 1
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