Show LL i t 4 0 r f o oa a The ReaL Reali Man ii i By Y FRANCIS LYNDE DE I I lr by y flYERS MYERS I- I 41 p tI g Copyright by Chas Scribners Scribner's Sons CHAPTER IX IX Continued 8 I driving That Is precisely what was lug frig at nt Our banker cant can't run with the hare hate and hunt with the hounds You'll excuse me if I say that you haven't ha been altogether fair fall with Ditch or with Colonel Baldwin Mr Kinzie lanzie A friendly banker doesn't help sell out his customer You know that as well as ns I do Still you did ft it Kinzie threw up his hands and tried to defend himself It was a straight business transaction Mr Smith Smith- As long as ns were we're In the banking business we buy and sell for anybody who comes along No we dont don't Mr Kinzie we protect protect pro pro- teet our customers first In the pres pres- present present ent eat Instance you thought your customer customer customer cus cus- tomer was a dead one anyway so it wouldn't make much difference If you should throw another of dirt or so onto the coffin coflin Wasn't that the way of It The president was ryas fairly pushed to the ropes and he showed it Answer me one question both of you he ho snapped Are you big enough to fight for your own against Stanton's crowd see and the sight Is going to cost you something said Smith and th the blandest oil could have hae been no rio smoother than his lils tone i I Is that right Dexter I I the way it looks looks' to me Dave said the ranchman capitalist who whatever might be his limitations In the field of high finance was not lacking the nerve to fight unquestioning ing In an any partners partner's quarrel The president of the Brewster City National turned back to Smith What do you want Mr Smith he asked not too cordially Nothing that you'd roUd give us I guess a little business loyalty for one thing thing thing- And a n checking balance for imme- imme necessities for foe sug suggested sug- sug ii- ii g sted the banker With all aU his trained astuteness astuteness- trained In KInzie's own school at that that Smith Smith could not be sure that the gray faced old Westerner was not setting setting setting set set- ting a final trap for him bim after all aU B Bt But Buthe tt t he took the risk saying with a n deco show of Indifference Of course i IO would be more convenient here than in Denver Denyer or Chicago But there is no hurry about that part of it it The president took toole a n slip sUp of paper from a pigeonhole and wrote rapidly upon It Once more his optimism was locking horns with prudent caution It was the optimism however howe that was driving the pen Baldwins Baldwin's word was worth something and it might be disastrous disastrous dis dis- to let these two get away without without without with with- out anchoring them solidly to the Brewster City National Sign this you two he said I dont don't ont know even eyen the name of your new outfit yet ret but Ill I'll take a chance on one piece of two name paper nn anyhow bow Smith took up the slip sUp and glanced at It It was an accommodation note for twenty thousand dollars With the mone money fairly In his han hands s he paused to drive the nail of independence squarely before he would begin We Ve dont don't want this at all nil Mr Md Kinzie Kinzie Kinzie Kin Kin- zie unless the banks bank's goodwill comes with it he said with becoming gravity gravity grav gray ity Uy i l lIll Ill stand by you was the brusque brusq e rejoinder But its it's only fair to you ou both to say that youve you've got the biggest kind of a combination to buck you youa you you- a national utilities corporation with the llie strongest sort of political backing I doubt If you can tell us an anything that we dont don't already know said Smith coolly as he lie put his name on the note and when Baldwin had signed Let this go to the credit of Ditch if you please Mr Kinzie and well we'll transfer it later Its It's quite possible that we shant need It but we are willing to help out a littlon little e on your our discount profits anyway Fu Further Further Fur Fur- ther along when things shape themselves themselves them them- selves up a bit more definitely you shrill shall know all there Is to know and and 1 well ell give you just as good a n chance to m make ke money as you'll give us us When they were safely out of th the e hank bank and half lf a square away from it Dexter Baldwin pu pushed his hat back bac k and mopped his forehead They sa say y n a n man cant can't sweat at this altitude h he e remarked Im here to tell teU you ou Smith Sinith that Ive I've lost ten pounds in th the e last ten minutes Where In the name of did you ge get t your nerve bo boy You made him be be- lIe lieve wed we'd got outside backing fro from m somewhere I didn't say anything like that d did d I No uNo but you opened the door and h he e walked In all aU right Im I'm not responsible sible Bible for Mr KInzie's imagination We were obliged to have haye a n little advertising ad nd- capital we couldn't turn a without it Put me in touch h with a good business lawyer and Ill I'll start the thc legal machinery Then youcan you youcan youcan can get into your car car carand and go around and Interview your crowd man b by man I want to know exactly where we stand with the old stockholders before be be- before fore we make nn any move in public Can you ou do that thaU Baldwin lifted his hat bat and shoved his fingers finers through his hair I i reckon I can there are only sixt sixty or seventy of em And Bob Stillings is your law lawyer Come around the cor cor- corner corner corner ner and Ill I'll introduce you CHAPTER X The Rocket and the Stick For a n full fortnight after the pre pre- preliminary preliminary visit isit to the Brewster City National bank Smith was easily the busiest man in county Establishing Establishing Es Es- himself in the House and discarding the working khaki only because he was shrewd enough to dress the new part becomingly becomingly becom becom- i he flung himself Into what Colonel Baldwin called the miracle working campaign with a zest that knew no flagging moment Within the fourteen fourteen-d fourteen day y period newtown new newtown newtown town offices were occupied on the second second second sec sec- ond floor of the Brewster City National Na Na- t ional Honal building Stillings most efi efficient of corporation counsels had secured the new charter and the stock-books stock of High Line had been opened with the Brewster City National Na Na- t ional named wanted as the company's depository depository depository tory and official fiduciary agent At the tIle dam the building bunding activities had been generously doubled An electric electric elec elec- t ric light plant had been Installed and Williams was working day and night nightshifts nightshifts shifts both in the quarries and on the forms Past this the new financial I manager himself broadening rapidly as his field broadened was branching o ut in 9 other her directions After fter a brief brief- c conference with a n few of his Ills principal stockholders he had instructed Stillings to include the words Power and Light in the cataloguing of the new company's company's com corn pany's pons's possible and probable charter activities and by the end of the fortnight fortnight fortnight fort fort- night the foundations of a n powerhouse were going in below the dam and negotiations negotiations ne ne- ne- ne g were already on foot with the Brewster city council looking toward toward to to- ward the sale of electric current to the city for lighting and other purposes Smith had made the planting of his financial anchor securely to windward h his is first care Furnished with a selected select select- ed list by Colonel Baldwin he had made a n thorough canvas of possible investors Investors investors in In- and by the time the now note stock stool was printed and ready for delivery through Kinzie's bank ban an ironclad pool of or the majority of the original Timan Timan- Timan yoni Ditch stock had been organized and Smith had sold to Maxwell Starbuck Starbuck Starbuck Star- Star buck and other local capitalists a n sufficient sufficient sufficient suf suf- amount of the new treasury stock to give him a fighting chance this with a promise of ot moie more If f It should be needed Not to Maxwell or to au any of vf the new Investors hud had Smith Emith revealed the full dimensions of the prize for fOl which Tim Tim- High Line was entering the race Colonel Baldwin and one William William Wil WIl- liam Starbuck Maxwells Maxwell's in brother-in- l la law aw w by courtesy and his partner in fn inthe inthe the Little Alice Allee mine alone knew the wheel within the wheel how the great eastern utility corporation represented b by Stanton had spent a million or more In the acquisition of the Esca- Esca Escalate Escalante late lante grant which would be practically practical practical- l ly y worthless as a agricultural land without without without with with- out the water which could be obtained only by means of of the dam damand damand damand and canal s system stem With all aU these strenuous stirrings inthe In Inthe Inthe the business field It may say Itself that tha t Smith found little time for social Indulgences Indulgences In In- during the crowded fort fort- night Day after day the colonel begged him hm to take a night ot off olf at the ranch and It was even more difficult to refuse refus e the proffered hospitality at nt the wee week week- I end But Smith did refuse it It was not until after Miss Corona Corona- driving to town with her father as she e frequently did had dill had thrice visited 1 th the t new offices that Smith to o began o con soli congratulate himself rather bitterly t to tobe 0 1 be e sure upon his wisdom in sta staying g away from Hillere For Far one thing he be was learning that Corona Baldwin Baldwi n w wa wn ag able to make him see rose colored When she was not with him he was a aman aman man In daily peril of meeting th the e sheriff But when she was present calm sanity had a n way tray of losing it Its s grIp Miss Coronas Corona's fourth visit to th the e handsome suite of offices over o th the e Brewster City National chanced t to o fall upon a Saturday Her ITer father president of the new company as ns he had been of ot the lie old had tl a private office office of of- fice flee of his own o but Miss lUss Corona soon drifted out to the railed off end of th the e larger room where the llie financial secretary secretary sec sec- rotary had his desk daddy Colonel tells me that you are coming out to Hillcrest for the weekend weekend weekend week week- end was was the way In which she Interrupted In in- t the financial secretary's brow over oyer a new material contract I HI h have ve Just wagered him a anice anice anice nice fat little round Iron dollar of my allowance that you wont How about abou t It i Smith looked up with his best best na na natured grin You win he said shortly Thank you she laughed In a n minute or so Ill I'll go back to the presidents president's presidents president's presidents president's dents dent's office and collect Then One On e dinner lodging and breakfast of u us s was about all you could stand wasn't It I thought maybe It would be that tha t way ay What made you think so She had seated herself in the chair chat r reserved for inquiring investors There was was' little interval of or a n smooth glove i ing ng silence and then like a n flash ou out t of a clear sky she smiled across th the e desk end at him and said Will you forgive me If I ask you n a perfectly ridiculous question Certainly Other people ask the them m every day Is Is ls Is your name really and trul truly y John Smith I Why should you doubt It It was just here that Smith was n s given glen to see another one of Miss 1 Coronas Corona's Coronas Corona's Coronas Corona's Co Co- ronas rona's many moods moods or or tenses tenses and and i iwas it t was a n new one to him bim She was visibly y embarrassed I I uI-I I dont don't want to tell you she stammered All right you If youre you're going to take it that easy I will tell teIl you she retorted Mr Mir Williams thought your name was a an nn alias and Im I'm not sure that he be doesn't doesn t still sUII think so so The uThe Smiths never hart havo to have hare aliases Its It's like John Doe or Richard 1 1 Roc Hoc you know knots r you any middle name I have a middle initial It Is M Mf He was looking her fairly in the eyes eye as he said it It and the light in the ne new offices was e excellent Thanks to he her r horseback riding Miss Coronas Corona's small oval face had a touch of healthy health outdoor outdoor outdoor out out- door tan but under the tan there came for Just a flitting Instant a hush flush of deep color and at the back of the gray e eyes es there was something that tha t Smith had never seen there before Its Its It's its it's Just an Initial sh she C queried Yes its it's Just an Initial and ana I dont don't t tf use it ordinarily Im I'm not ashamed o othe of f the plain John I uI dont don't know why you should be she commented half absently h he e thought And then How many JohnM John JohnM M. M Smiths' Smiths do you ou suppose there are in the United States Oh I dont don't know a million or so I guess I should think you would be rather rathe r glad of that she told him him- But when n he tried to make her say why he should I Ibe ibe be glad she talked pointedly o ol other othe r things and presently went back to lie her r fathers father's office There were fine little headings of oh perspiration standing on the fugitives fugitive's s forehead when she left him After the other members of the office of flee face force had taken their departure he still sat at nt his desk striving to bran bring g himself back with some degree of ot clearheadedness clearheadedness clear I headedness to the pressing demands o of f his job Just as ns he was about to give ghe e it up and go across to the a Rouse House for his dinner William Starbuck k drifted in to open the railing gate and and 1 to come and plant himself in the chair of privilege at nt Smiths Smith's desk endWell endWell end Well son youve you've got the animals animal s stirred up good and plenty at lust last he said when he had found the rank mak ings and was deftly rolling a cigarette cigar cIgar- ette his ette-his his one overlapping habit reach ing back ack to his hiss riding range-riding youths Dick Maxwell got a wire today from fron t his kiddies kiddie's and ana my own girl i respected law daddy law daddy Hira Hiram you know v him him the umber lumber r li king ng I Im listening said Smith Dicks wire was an order instructions from headquarters to keep hands hands' off of your our new company and to work warp strictly in cahoots harmony cahoots harmony was tho the lord he be used used with with Crawford Cranford Cra Stanton How now does that fit you The Tho financial secretary's smile smite was the self-congratulatory self face wrinkling face of the quarry foreman who has seen his tackle hitch hold to land the 1 big lg stone safely at the top of the pit r What Is Maxwell going to do about it Il he asked Dick is all wool and a n yard wide and what he signs his name to is what what he Is going to stand by You wont won't lose him but the wire shows us just about where were we're aiming to put our leg into the gopher hole and break It doesn't it Im not borrowing any trouble Mr Fairbairn and his colleagues are lust Just a few minutes too late tate Starbuck I Weve We've got our footing inside footing of the tile corraL The ex cowpuncher who was now well up on the middle rounds of fortunes fortune's fortunes fortune's for fur tunes tune's ladder shook his head heat doubt doubt- doubtfully fully Dont you make any brash breaks John Mr Hiram Fairbairn and his crowd can swing twenty millions to your one little old dollar and a half hull and they're not going to leave any of the pebbles unturned when |