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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 17, 1914)
-1 THE 8EMIAVEEKLY TRIBUNE. NORTH PLATTE. NEBRASKA. SgSS35SgSSag The Ambition of Mark Truitl By HENRY RUSSELL MILLER 2ZJCKaKlKSK! fffc3fc?5KraajKfcJ&riZZ (Copyrliiht, 1913. by Tho u CHAPTER XXVI Continued. Ho bocamo conscious of Simon's cu Hous gazo and turned sharply on him. "Old man, you soom to know a sur prising lot about making stool. Look down tho valley thore, on thoBo IiIIIb. Do you eoo anything that Isn't thoro?" Simon looked and nodded. "I'vo Wn seoln' It moro'n forty years." Honley stared. "Humph! An epl domic. Thoro's magic In theso hills." His thoughtful glanco Bwept them onco mora. "But d d alluring magic" Tho gentle, somotlmcs plaintive Volco of tho preacher had no power to distract from thought. His wistful message could not reach tho man for !whom It had been prepared in tho hopo that It would como to him with heajlng In its wings. Tho bonodlctlou bad boon said. Mark wont quietly from hiB rear pew out of tho church and limped slowly lalong tho dusty, wood-flanked plko un til ho camo to a minor crost There ho droppod on tho roadsido and turned tils oyes to tho valloy. Tho murmurous quiot of noonday fwas about him. Up tho rise, villago bound, creaked la battorod old top-buggy, bearing a Sassongor whoso grlzzlod beard and nod faco, too, showed tho marks of time's battering. Tho buggy drow up beside him. I "Did ho find you?" "Who?" Tho doctor chucklod. "Ouess ho didn't, or you wouldn't havo to ask. iHo's a vigorous party that doesn't fctodarstand tho Joy of talk. I took him jtxom Number Four to your place." -Short and Btout " "And not much for lookB," Hodges fconcludod tho portrait "That'B him. taas a way with him, though. And tho - habit of taking what he wants, I guess, Without waiting." "Sunday truffle," tho doctor drawled, la getting protty heavy. Numbor JPoar brought a woman, too. Expect ing any boggago of that klnd7" Mark ehook his head absontly. "No? That's too bad. Sho'a a now hind for Bothal a right pleasant kind, fcoo, though I'm not auro how our Jtfomon'd tako hor." Tho doctor "There'a These Hills." grinned, but his ploosantry won no answering' smllo from Mark. "Woll, I must bo mosoylng along. Bottor rldo into town. Tho vigorous party'll bo near to apoploxy by now, waiting for you." ,' Mark got In and tho buggy resumed Its croaking Journey. Tho doctor rambled on. "A good many now sorts come to' Jlothol nowadays. Good thing for un, Jtoo givos us a poop into tho world. Wo'vo you to thank for that. I camo across a queer oho yesterday. I was up on tho Hill I go thoro somotlmos oven since tho fire. I found him pampod out in tho old tool shod about tho only thing tho tiro mlBsed, He's a half-starved little rat, with a strag gly brown beard nnd a club foot. I fcekod him how ho got thero and ho didn't seem to know. Said ho'd Just Svalked and walked and walked till ho found tho shed. I wantod to bring tilm back to town, but ho wouldn't como. His mind's moro than half gone, H should Judgo. You'd bottor send porno ono out to look aftor him." "I will." "And ho Bays," tho doctor concluded his heralding of fato, "his name is Po ller Anderson." CHAPTER XXVII. '( Cities Unbuilt. ' Ilenloy was pleased to bo facotloue, "Tho groat Utopian in his modest teottago living In democratic simplic ity among his village neighbors. Very protty I 1 suppose you do tho chores, too." "Somotlmes what wo havo." "Very prettyl The Sunday papers -would like that. But lfa a little too theatrical, don't you think?" SuS liIS mJlwmvim I n Author of THE MAN HIGHER UP." "HIS RISE TO POWER." lite Bobbs - Merrill Company) "Not conspicuously so. Tho placo wao horo, and It sorved my purposo very well. I don't nood much room, you know. I'm not a Wall street hero." "Humph!" grunted Henloy, still a skeptic. "What," Mark asked, "did you como hero for?" Henley gruntod again. "Cordial, I must say! I camo to rostoro your sanity." Ho rose, mopping his rod fa( with a silk handkerchief. "Take me out of this sun and I'll begin. I hear you're protty far gone." Mark lod him Into a cool office-like room pleasant enough and made him comfortablo with a cigar and a chair by n window from which a view of tho valloy was to bo had. "Not sybaritic," Honley grudgingly admitted, "but good enough for a man who has no women. Now toll me what you're trying to do horo." And Murk began, simply, without enthusiasm or sentimentalizing, to set forth his Idea. Tho explanation camo to an end. Mark awaited his auditor's comment. "Of courso, you know," Henloy said, with an easiness that was outward only, "you won't put It through." "I do not know that," Mark an sworod quietly. "This valloy Is well situated with respect to tho market. Its transportation facilities are good. Our fuol Is hero, and I dan get oro horo cheaper than Qulnby or Mac Grogor. I can mako steel cheaper than anybody in America, and there's no plant of Its slzo that can equal mlno in capacity. In ten years, with a fair flold " "With a fair field. Exactly!" "You moan I won't have it?" "You won't havo It" "Why?" "For ono thing profile. " "I'll mako money horo." "It Isn't a question of your profits nor of profits alone, but tho size of profits. No," Henloy shook his head vigorously, "you can't havo it I'm horo to toll you that." "Woll?" "I havo no objection to your safety appllancos. They're practical. They'll savo twlco their cost In damages oV- ory year." "That's obvious." "I'll agroo to tho batho. If tho men want to clean up aftor work why, I regard bathing as a very proper habit" Mark smiled. "Tho man will bo grateful." "I'm not Joking," Henloy romlndod him sternly. "I'll go nB far as to agroo to tholr olght-hour shift as an experiment I'd like to sco it tried out" "Yes?" "Your company stores, company gar dens and company homos aro well enough. Thoy can ,bo made profitable properly handlod. But your profit sharing plan Ib all wrong and" Hen loy loaned forward and rapped on tho arm of his chair to emphaslzo each word "and you can't havo It I wouldn't caro If you gavo thorn only a nominal share. It would bo useful at flrat to got good mon up horo. Aft erward you could cut It out. But why, In God'B name, give them half?" "Bocausa I'll neod tho other half for somo things I'm planning." "I'm not Joking," Henloy repeated. "Why glvo them half?" "Oh, that's an approximation. It seems to mo a protty fair division of tho spoils. I don't -insist on its accu racy. Howovor, that's not tho point.1' Mark stralghtoned up In his scat by tho desk, facing Honley squaroly. "Havo you forgotten that my money and mlno only is Invested in this plant? I can quoto good authority, .yoursolf, that a man ought to bo al lowed to run his own business to suit hlmsolf." "As long as ho hurts no ono else." Mark smiled ngaln at that. "You said you weren't Joking. I supposo you aren't. That's tho Joke of it. How ovor, tho point Is, you forbid mo to conduct my own buslnoss in my own way. And your authority?" "Tho power," answorod Henley qui etly, "to smash you and tho will. We've got labor where wo want It In this business and wo propose to koop It thoro. What you propose would bo a dangorouB precedent. If wo lot you succocd, wo'd havo tho men all ovor tho country yammering for tho sumo freak conditions. Thoroforo, wo won't lot you succeed," "I soo. And you?" "I? 1 made you havo you forgot ton that? and I'm responsible for you. I holped to put labor whoro It is, nt some rlBk to myself, and I don't pro pose to havo a man of my own mak ing undo tho biggest thing I'vo ovor dono. Therefore, I won't lot you suc ceed." "You aro qulto suro you can do it smash mo?" "Trultt, evory stool company In tho country will mako It Its business to put you out." "And you won't stand aside and lot m fight It out with tho rost of them?" "No." Honloy Boomcjl astonished at tho question, "Certainly not. What did you expect?" "I had hoped," Mark answered slowly, "that you'd stay out of it 1 reallzo I had no reason to hopo that" Henloy stirred restlessly, turned to look out upon tho valley, upon tho city that had not yot arisen. An uneasy qualm movod his heart, continued with a sharpness that was almost akin to pain. Ho found himself restating an absurd, an Incredible impulse a ten derness such as ho had used to know, stealthily and unadmlttcdly, for a young half Invalid with tho habit of triumphing where robust mon fell, multiplied now for this man. "Trultt, I " Honley stopped, an embarrassment n unwonted as tho Impulso upon him, and turned again to tho window. "Trultt," ho began ngaln, very gruffly, oyes still fixed on the city tho magic of tho hills rcvenled to him, "I well, I Uko you. I've always counted you my friend. I don't want to havo to fight you. I don't think you want to fight mo. Thoro Is there may bo another alternative." Ho turned to faco Mark. "Tako mo In with you." Mark looked his astonishment "I say," Henloy wont on, "L might do it. I'vo seen something this morn-lng-i-Bomething you've been seeing. Tho city out there. It's big big! And if tho figures you'vo given mo are correct, It's possible. Tills place was intended for a city. And with us working together, It could be ten times bigger oplc stupendous!" Ho got to his feet, and shooting up tho shade, stood looking thoughtfully out of tho window. "Wo'd mako It," Henley seemed al most to bo thinking nloud, "a qlty from tho beginning. Wo'd got the gov ernment to mako tho rlvor navigable to tho mouth and Bhlp our coal by boat to the gulf. I can think of a dozen concerns I could get to move their plants here and contractors who'd un dertake to house tho people. In flvo years wo'd havo fifty thousand hero, and coming as fast as wo could put roofs ovor them. But wo'd build on steel. Wo'd quadruple your plant at onco for a start We'd mako this tho steel centor and this overgrown trust with its graft and favoritism and slip shod methods would havo us to reckon with. Wo'd leavo Qulnby and that Scotch bagpipe, grown fat on other men's brains, In the shado. By God!" Henley's voice was ringing, as ho wheeled on Mark again. "It would bo tho big thing of tho century mak ing a city to order. And I guess for that you'd bo willing to glvo up your llttlo two-by-four paternalism." "That would be stipulated?" "Certainly! Wo'll " - Henloy seemed unconscious of tho chango of mood and tenso. "Wo'll leavo fads to tho cranks. Wo'll build this city on a rock on a sound financial founda tionand use tho profits for exten sions." "I think you don't understand what I" "Understand? Of courso I under stand. That'B why tho idea grips. You'ro a born battler; things were coming too easy for you. You, neod obstacles, tohave to extend yoursolf. I neod that I'vo got a hold In Wall streot I can tighten my hold. But I'm out of placo thore. I'm a builder, not a money-grubbor. I've got to soo things growing under my hand. What I'm at now Is Just a game. This would bo a work, tho kind I need. Will you consider it?" "Aro you offering It?" "I'm offering it as a possible alter native to putting you out of business. Thoro may bo magic In theso hills, but If tho thing works out on study as I beliovo now It will, I'll do It What do you say?" "And you say," Mark Insisted; "it's tho only possible alternative to fight ing you?" "To being," Henloy corrected grimly, "put out of business." It was Mark's turn to go to tho win dow. Ho stood there Bllont, for many minutes, looking not upon tho city that might bo but upon tho little vil lage that was. "What do ypu say?" Henley demand ed lmpationtly. "It doesn't tempt" Mark faced him steadily. "You woro mistaken. I don't want battle. I don't want ob stacles. But I do want to put that through." Ho nodded toward tho vil lage and tho mills. "Humph! -You'll find plenty of ob stacles and battles ovor there." "Yes. But thoro would bo com ponsatlonsi" "I would glvo you compensations. Do you moan," Honloy demanded, "you chooeo to hobble along with a llttlo ono-horso plant nnd philanthropy whon you might go with mo Into some thing really big? Compensations! You'll end In losing nil you have." "All tho money I havo," Mark cor rected. "That Is possible. But I'm not worrying about tho poor farm. I oxpoct, when that happens, I can find a good Job somowhoro." "Then," Henloy fired his last gun, grullly, "then you chooso thoso pooplo ovor thero against mo who made you?" "Thoy holpod to mako mo to mako you, too. You,' Mark answored qui etly, "don't tompt "I'd like you to undoretand," ho con tinued after a llttlo pause, "slnco you'vo mentioned friendship, I don't llko to think of you as an enemy. But this plan, this Idea, Is worth a good deal to me, oven though tho chance of Buccess is Binall. It camo to mo be- foro tno strlKo. A nil nt first it was only the shallow sontlmontallty you think it Then It became a rafugo. I camo horo because thoro was a thing" Henloy saw tho shadow that passed ovor IiIb face "a thing I want ed to forgot, something I needed to earn. But now It's grown beyond that It hns a value of Its own. It's my nlcht', the thing I must do. You'vo holpod mo to mako that clear. "Yau ought to understand It, for you hoa It. It's what saved you from be- triir Itlra tYin nthnp mnnnv frnhliAi-a I .fl ...W VMW WW M.VVI . . WW. U. You camo closo to being one of thorn. Why, once when Qulnby crocked his whip you you cringed llko a whipped dog before tho old blather skite becauso you loved your monoy. You remember that, don't you? And then you ran afoul of him again, over the strike, when tho same threat hung over you, nnd you didn't cringe. You beat him down. Why?" "I couldn't lot" "No, you coildn't You believed op posing him would cost you much. The strlko you forced did take hundreds of thousands from tho value of your stock. But you didn't think of that then. And now you'vo claimed my friendship. How much does It mean to you?" "A good deal, Trultt," Henloy an swored slowly. "It's tho only friend ship I over wanted. It was my reason for making you what you are." "Friendship means obligation you'vo Just reminded mo of that. Would it add to your obligation if I told you thatf you got away whole from Qulnby because of me?" "What! What's this? You nover told me" "It wasn't I who did it but a wom an." Henley saw tho shadow again. "I'm Offering It as a Possible Alterna tive to Putting You Out of Busi ness!" "But she did It for me. I took for you an advantage I wouldn't tako for my self. Docs that squaro what you did for me?" "Yes. I don't understand. But it does. It more than squares it" "Then my success here can't hurt you will you stand aside and let me fight it out with tho others?"" "You're aBklng me to lot you undo tho best thing I've ever dono!" There was a long silence in the llttlo room. Henley sat stiffly, staring at tho man who had passed out of reach of his Influence. And tho pain was unmistakable now. "I see," ho said at last, as If reluc tantly. "I guesB I'm the only one of tho monoy grubbers who could under stand. It seems to be your idea against mine. I'm sorry." "It seems so. I'm sorry, too." "My city I guess it was Just tho magic of tho hills, aftor all. I don't want to do It without you I'm sorry." Thoro was a heavy pause. Then Henloy drow a long breath that whs almost a sigh, glanced at tho clock and rose. "I'll take another cigar," ho said, grimly facetious, "if you don't mind giving aid ana comfort to tho enemy. Then I'll go back to my money grub bing." When thoy wero standing on the station platform he aBked abruptly, "Can you tell mo about that woman business?" "I'd rather not" Honley scrutinized him keenly. From around a curvo camo the cres cendo whlstlo of tho approaching train. "You'd hotter," ho said as he Btopped for his grip, "get hor up here. You'll neod her. And whon you'ro down and out como to mo and I'll glvo you a Job." Mark watched the train, regretfully, until It was caught out of his sight. Then he lot his gazo dwell Hngorlngly on the mills and villago ucross the river. A wave of protectlvenesa swept ovor him, of tondornoss as for a deeply loVod one. And quick upon that wave, ere it obbed, surged another, as though un der the shock of tho first contact with opposition a dam had fallen, loosing a torrent that flooded hie soul, lifting him high, filling his need. Conscious ness, distinct, deflnlto, thrilling, filled him of a now power and mottlo, of tho vitality of his purposo, of an ulti mata purpose Into which his fitted. A weight fell llko tho pilgrim's pack from his shoulders. His spirit stood erect, steady. Ho liftod his eyes to tho hills. "I can put It through. I will. . . . I havo faith." CHAPTER XXVIII. White Water. The woman who alighted with Hen ley from tho train had come with an errand. Sundry inquiries from tho station nnd at tho now hotel bo hide ously garish amid tho gray tones of Its surroundings convinced her that she would need Mark Trultt's help. But sho had overheard her fellow pas senger's questions to tho doctor and guessed that Mark would bo with him for most of that day. Sho stayed In hor little hotel room until dinner time. After that meal, eaton in n noisy dining-room filled with Btlll homeless men who had come to build or work In the Bethel experi ment, sho went out nnd wandered about through tho old villago, of which yeurs before, hearing of It from an un appreciative young adventurer, sho had UBOd to thiuk as a sort of ante- room to heaven. Thero had oven boon a porlod in that far-off, innocent girl hood when she had thought of It as a beautiful restful haven, to which, somo dny when ho should havo tired of tho greedy city and Its grind, hor lover might bring hor. Always, it seemed, sho had needed and wanted a haven. If only ho had brought hor then, what might havo been saved! "What might have been saved! But I mustn't think of that." From down a nnrrow lane sho caught a gllmpso of tho river, smiling in tho sunlight It beckoned to her and sho obeyed, turning her steps upstream. A thick grovo of oaks and chestnuts shut her off from tho village and sho was nlono with tho river and forest Itlver and forest hold many memories for hor. Hours passed. A few fleecy, tum bling clouds floated over hor. Heavier and Jess silvery masses appeared over tho western horizon. Tho wind fresh ened. Sho did not notlco. . . . And suddenly sho know that sho was not alone. Sho turned and saw him stnnding near, staring, bowlldered yet Btrangely eager, toward her. Her lips parted, her bosom lifted in a sharp Intake of breath, as their eyes met Then she got slowly to, hor feet, trying to look away that sho might regain a lost-self-control. Ho started toward her, with tho pe culiar halting step sho never could see without a tender maternal im pulse. Scarcely two yards away he stopped. "Kazla you!" "Yes." "But I," ho stammered, "I don't un derstand." Self-control was coming back. "I camo to got Plotr." "To get Piotr," ho repeated mechan ically. But he did not comprehend. Ho passed a hand over his eyes. Tho apparition did not fade. Gradu ally ho realized with a dazing Jumble of gladness and pain and reluctance that it was Indeed she, In tho flesh. "I can hardly reallzo It," he said at last. "I was Just thinking of you. Often I am thinking of you. A hun dred times I'vo been on the point of going to seo you, to find out " "To find out?" "How badly I hurt you." "I told you I haven't blamed you." "But that Isn't true it can't Nbe true. It wouldn't bo human not to resent me, what I'vo brought you. You do resent, don't you?" "Why do you press mo with what is ended? I don't want to think of it or to bo unjust. I " Sho turned sharply to faco him. "Yes, if you must know It, I do resent." "You havo every right to resent," ho answered sadly. Sho started swiftly along tho bank toward tho village. Ho followed, try ing to keep' up with her, and with a real effort managed It A quarter of a mile was thus traversed, neither speaking, sho keeping always ono pace ahead so that ho could not sco her face. Then she observed his heavy breathing and slackened her pace. "I didn't reallzo I was walking so fast" Her voice was qulot again. "I don't mind It.' Ho assayed a laugh, a poor, mirthless attempt. "I need a countor-lrrltant Just now." "And I didn't mean what I said back there. I haven't felt that way often, at least. I havo no resentment against you only against myself. It was In mo to keep clean and I deliberately it is nil so clear now chose the worst thing." "That is true of all of us." "I don't know. I only know it's true of me. And so you needn't go on tor turing yourself with thoughts of your mt. , "Kazla? You?" responsibility. Oh, I don't want you to do- that. It can help neither of us and It will cripple your work here." "It Isn't facing the truth that can hurt, but tho truth Itself. Kazla, why did you como hero?" "I told you to get Plotr." "Plotr? I had forgotten him. I heard this morning he was here." "Then ho Is hero? I asked at the station and hotel, but no ono had seen or heard of him." "But why is ho hero? And why havo you como?" "Ho came back to us a fow weeks ago, tho forlornost waif I'vo ovor seon. I don't know how ho had been living wo'd no trace of him since Uncle Homan died. Ho was starving and hU mind was clearly gone. I sup poso he wouldn't have como to me otherwise I ought to havo put him away somowhoro, but ho was harm less and it seemed so cruol. He Just sat around poring over books aa ho used to when ho was a boy. Ho seomod. to havo forgotten all tlmt'B happened slnco then. And then thrco days ago ho awoko. Ho asked mo for somo monoy said somothlng about a debt ho had to pay. It was little enough and he's had so llttlo of everything, poor Plotr!" "So very llttlo." "Ho went out and didn't como back. And yesterday I'd seen sho was worrying, but thought it was becauso he hadn't appeared again tho Matka told mo sho thought from something ho'd said that he might have como up hero to try to harm you In somo way. Do you know where ho Is?" "Tho doctor hero, who told me abouj him, said he's camping out in an old shed over there in tho hills." "If you'll help mo to him, or send somo ono " "I will go myself." They had reached tho lane that led to the main streot and tho hotel. She would havo turned thero, but ho put out a hand and stayed her: "Kazla, was it only on Piotr's ac count you -came?" Her glanco wavered, sought wist fully and sadly tho hills across tho valloy, camo back to his. "You mean, did I think of meeting you again? I why should I deny it? I wanted to seo your work 1 had been hearing about and you again. But it doesn't mean I wnnted to chango anything. Please believe that And I didn't want to trouble you" "You haven't troubled mo." "Will you please leavo mo now and bring Plotr to tho hotel? I must leavo with him tonight" When sho had passed out of his sight, ho Btarted quickly vlllagoward. At the cottago ho harnessed his horse to a buggy, drove across tho brldgo and took the road that led to Hedges' Hill. CHAPTER XXIX. The Miracle. "I shall know it," ho had thought, "when it comes." And as ho drove thero came to him the knowledge of his miracle. It came, not with tho lazy luxurlousnesa of youth drifting, ignorant and caring not for wisdom, toward a mate, nor yet with tho ecstatic feverish excitement of tho passionate man, but with a deep, solemn, all-pervading Joy. Peace fol lowed It tho peace of certitude, for ho know that In tho woman who had sinned he had found the ono who fit ted Into him ns a member into its body, completed him, with him formed tho perfect unity of content, for ho knew that from Its Infinite precious ness neither trial nor failure, disap pointment nor misstep could subtract "Sho must know," he thought. "She must be made to know that nothing else counts that wo are to begin over agalg together." , Ho remembered his mission. Thero was a rumble of thunder. He glanced overhead and saw tho black ened sky, heard tho rushing wind. A fow scattered drops fell. Ho urged tho horso forward. He was miles away from the villago and near the foot of 'a hill that tow ered woll above Its neighbors. Ho smiled as ho saw a trace of an old road, almost obliterated by weeds, that led zigzagging up tho eminence. It was Hedges' Hill and near the crest, he remembered, was tho outhouse that sheltered the unhappy Piotr. The storm overtook him before ho was half-way up the hill.' When ho reached tho clearing on tho odgo of which stood the shed, he mado his horso fast to a tree, and drenched to tho skin by tho pelting rain, entered tho shelter. At first, In tho shadows of the win dowless shed, he saw no signs of Piotr. He stood In tho doorway, watching tho storm. ' Ho had been thoro several minutes whon a queer choking sound camo from behind him. Ho turned quickly, and as his eyes becamo used to tho darkness, made out tho figure crouch ing half hidden behind a bench in the far corner. "Hello! Is" that you, Plotr? What aro you doing over there?" The nolBo enmo again. "Is something wrong with you?" Mark went closer to him. "I'm Mark Trultt. Don't you know mo, Plotr?" "Y-yes," quavered Plotr. "What's tho matter sick?" "I'm a-afrald," camo tho whimpering reply. "U'b tho storm." Mark smiled pityingly. So this poor nerve-broken creature, who cowered before a llttlo wind and rain and light ning, was ho who had sot out to harm him. 'Ho's In a bad way," ho thought "Thero, now," ho said, gently, "I'm not going to hurt you, Piotr." Piotr was in his corner, half crouch ing, staring fixedly at Mark. His eyos made tiny points of light in tho deep shadow. "D-did you come horo to got mo?" "Of courso I did. I heard you woro hereabouts and I wasn't going to lot you Btay up horo and starve to death." "Wh-what are you g-golng to do with me now?" "For ono thing," Mark answered gravely, "when this rain lets up I'm going to tako you back to town and get you in tho habit of eating thre squaro meals a day. I think It's be ginning to let up a llttlo now." "Who," enmo Piotr's quavering voice, "who told you I wns hero?" "The doctor who found you yestor 3ay and Kazla." "Kazla! She she is here?" "Yos. Sho camo to get you." "Sho knows?" "Sho guessed she and tho Matka guessed you wero up to some mis chief. You frightened the Matka with your wild talk. But wo'll discuss that later. Come, we'll make a start now " (TO BE CONTINUED.)