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CHAPTER　IV

SALVAGE


Another　and　greater　enterprise　was　diverting　Mr。　Gwynne's　attention　from　the　delinquencies　of　his　debtors；　namely：　the　entrance　of　the　National　Machine　Company　into　the　remote　and　placid　life　of　Mapleton　and　its　district。　　The　manager　of　this　company；　having　spent　an　afternoon　with　Mr。　Gwynne　in　his　store　and　having　been　impressed　by　his　charm　and　power　of　persuasive　talk；　made　him　a　proposition　that　he　should　act　as　agent　of　the　National　Machine　Company。　　The　arrangement　suggested　was　one　that　appealed　to　Mr。　Gwynne's　highly　optimistic　temperament。　　He　was　not　to　work　for　a　mere　salary；　but　was　to　purchase　outright　the　various　productions　of　the　National　Machine　Company　and　receive　a　commission　upon　all　his　sales。　　The　figures　placed　before　Mr。　Gwynne　by　the　manager　of　the　company　were　sufficiently　impressive；　indeed　so　impressive　that　Mr。　Gwynne　at　once　accepted　the　proposition；　and　the　Mapleton　branch　of　the　National　Machine　Company　became　an　established　fact。

There　was　no　longer　any　question　as　to　the　education　of　his　family。　In　another　year　when　his　boy　had　passed　his　entrance　examinations　he　would　be　able　to　send　him　to　the　high　school　in　the　neighbouring　town　of　Easton；　properly　equipped　and　relieved　of　those　handicaps　with　which　poverty　can　so　easily　wash　all　the　colour　out　of　young　life。　　A　brilliant　picture　the　father　drew　before　the　eyes　of　his　wife　of　the　educational　career　of　their　boy；　who　had　already　given　promise　of　exceptional　ability。　　But　while　she　listened；　charmed；　delighted　and　filled　with　proud　anticipation；　the　mother　with　none　the　less　painful　care　saved　her　garden　and　poultry　money；　cut　to　bare　necessity　her　household　expenses；　skimped　herself　and　her　children　in　the　matter　of　dress；　and　by　every　device　which　she　had　learned　in　the　bitter　school　of　experience　during　the　ten　years　of　her　Canadian　life；　made　such　preparation　for　the　expenses　of　her　boy's　education　as　would　render　it　unnecessary　to　call　upon　the　wealth　realised　from　the　National　Machine　Company's　business。

In　the　matter　of　providing　for　the　expense　of　his　education　Larry　himself　began　to　take　a　not　unimportant　part。　　During　the　past　two　years　he　had　gained　not　only　in　size　but　in　the　vigour　of　his　health；　and　in　almost　every　kind　of　work　on　the　farm　he　could　now　take　a　man's　place。　　His　mother　would　not　permit　him　to　give　his　time　and　strength　to　their　own　farming　operations　for　the　sufficient　reason　that　from　these　there　would　be　no　return　in　ready　money；　and　ready　money　was　absolutely　essential　to　the　success　of　her　plans。　The　boy　was　quick；　eager　and　well…mannered；　and　in　consequence　had　no　difficulty　in　finding　employment　with　the　neighbouring　farmers。　So　much　was　this　the　case　that　long　before　the　closing　of　school　in　the　early　summer　Larry　was　offered　work　for　the　whole　summer　by　their　neighbour；　Mr。　Martin；　at　one　dollar　a　day。　　He　could　hardly　believe　his　good　fortune　inasmuch　as　he　had　never　in　all　his　life　been　paid　at　a　rate　exceeding　half　that　amount。

〃I　shall　have　a　lot　of　money；　mother；〃　he　said；　〃for　my　high　school　now。　　I　wonder　how　much　it　will　cost　me　for　the　term。〃

Thereupon　his　mother　seized　the　opportunity　to　discuss　the　problem　with　him　which　she　knew　they　must　face　together。

〃Let　us　see；〃　said　his　mother。

Then　each　with　pencil　and　paper　they　drew　up　to　the　table；　but　after　the　most　careful　paring　down　of　expenses　and　the　most　optimistic　estimate　of　their　resources　consistent　with　fact；　they　made　the　rather　discouraging　discovery　that　they　were　still　fifty　dollars　short。

〃I　can't　do　it；　mother；〃　said　Larry；　in　bitter　disappointment。

〃We　shall　not　give　up　yet；〃　said　his　mother。　　〃Indeed；　I　think　with　what　we　can　make　out　of　the　farm　and　garden　and　poultry；　we　ought　to　be　able　to　manage。〃

But　a　new　and　chilling　thought　had　come　to　the　lad。　　He　pondered　silently；　and　as　he　pondered　his　face　became　heavily　shadowed。

〃Say；　mother；〃　he　said　suddenly；　〃we　can't　do　it。　　How　much　are　you　going　to　spend　on　your　clothes？〃

〃All　I　need；〃　said　his　mother　brightly。

〃But　how　much？〃

〃I　don't　know。〃

〃How　much　did　you　spend　last　year？〃

〃Oh；　never　mind；　Lawrence；　that　really　does　not　matter。〃

But　the　boy　insisted。　　〃Did　you　spend　thirty…one　dollars？〃　　His　mother　laughed　at　him。

〃Did　you　spend　twenty？〃

〃No。〃

〃Did　you　spend　fifteen？〃

〃I　do　not　know；〃　said　his　mother；　〃and　I　am　not　going　to　talk　about　it。　　My　clothes　and　the　girls'　clothes　will　be　all　right　for　this　year。〃

〃Mother；〃　said　Larry；　〃I　am　not　going　to　school　this　year。　　I　am　not　going　to　spend　thirty…one　dollars　for　clothes　while　you　and　the　girls　spend　nothing。　　I　am　going　to　work　first；　and　then　go　to　school。　　I　am　not　going　to　school　this　year。〃　　The　boy　rose　from　his　chair　and　stood　and　faced　his　mother　with　quivering　lips；　fighting　to　keep　back　the　tears。

Mother　reached　out　her　hand　and　drew　him　toward　her。　　〃My　darling　boy；〃　she　said　in　a　low　voice；　〃I　love　to　hear　you；　but　listen　to　me。　　Are　you　listening？　　You　must　be　educated。　　Nothing　must　interfere　with　that。　　No　suffering　is　too　great　to　be　endured　by　all　of　us。　　The　time　for　education　is　youth；　first　because　your　mind　works　more　quickly　and　retains　better　what　it　acquires；　and　second　because　it　is　a　better　investment；　and　you　will　sooner　be　able　to　pay　us　all　back　what　we　spend　now。　　So　you　will　go　to　school　this　year；　boy；　if　we　can　manage　it；　and　I　think　we　can。　Some　day；〃　she　added；　patting　him　on　the　shoulder；　and　holding　him　off　from　her；　〃when　you　are　rich　you　will　give　me　a　silk　dress。〃

〃Won't　I　just；〃　cried　the　boy　passionately；　〃and　the　girls　too；　and　everything　you　want；　and　I　will　give　you　a　good　time　yet；　mother。　You　deserve　the　best　a　woman　ever　had　and　I　will　give　it　to　you。〃

The　mother　turned　her　face　away　from　him　and　looked　out　of　the　window。　　She　saw　not　the　fields　of　growing　grain　but　a　long　vista　of　happy　days　ever　growing　in　beauty　and　in　glory　until　she　could　see　no　more　for　the　tears　that　quietly　fell。　　The　boy　dropped　on　his　knees　beside　her。

〃Oh；　mother；　mother；〃　he　said。　　〃You　have　been　wonderful　to　us　all；　and　you　have　had　an　awfully　hard　time。　　A　fellow　never　knows；　does　he？〃

〃A　hard　time？　　A　hard　time？〃　said　his　mother；　a　great　surprise　in　her　voice　and　in　her　face。　　〃No；　my　boy；　no　hard　time　for　me。　　A　dear；　dear；　lovely　time　with　you　all；　every　day；　every　day。　　Never　do　I　want　a　better　time　than　I　have　had　with　you。〃

The　event　proved　the　wisdom　of　Mrs。　Gwynne's　determination　to　put　little　faith　in　the　optimistic　confidence　of　her　husband　in　regard　to　the　profits　to　be　expected　from　the　operations　of　the　National　Machine　Company。　　A　year's　business　was　sufficient　to　demonstrate　that　the　Mapleton　branch　of　the　National　Machine　Company　was　bankrupt。　　By　every　law　of　life　it　ought　to　be　bankrupt。　　With　all　his　many　excellent　qualities　Mr。　Gwynne　possessed　certain　fatal　defects　as　a　business　man。　　With　him　the　supreme　consideration　was　simply　the　getting　rid　of　the　machines　purchased　by　him　as　rapidly　and　in　such　large　numbers　as　possible。　　He　cheerfully　ignored　the　laws　that　governed　the　elemental　item　of　profit。　　Hence　the　relentless　Nemesis　that　sooner　or　later　overtakes　those　who；　whether　ignorantly　or　maliciously；　break　laws；　fell　upon　the　National　Machine　Company　and　upon　those　who　had　the　misfortune　to　be　associated　with　it。

In　the　wreck　of　the　business　Mr。　Gwynne's　store；　upon　which　the　National　Machine　Company　had　taken　the　precaution　to　secure　a　mortgage；　was　also　involved。　　The　business　went　into　the　hands　of　a　receiver　and　was　bought　up　at　about　fifty　cents　on　the　dollar　by　a　man　recently　from　western　Canada　whose　specialty　was　the　handling　of　business　wreckage。　　No　one　after　even　a　cursory　glance　at　his　face　would　suspect　Mr。　H。　P。　Sleighter　of　deficiency　in　business　qualities。　　The　snap　in　the　cold　grey　eye；　the　firm　lines　in　the　long　jaw；　the　thin　lips　pressed　hard　together；　all　proclaimed　the　hard…headed；　cold…hearted；　iron…willed　man　of　business。　　Mr。　Sleighter；　moreover；　had　a　remarkable　instinct　for　values；　more　especially　for　salvage　values。　　It　was　this　instinct　that　led　him　to　the　purchase　of　the　National　Machine　Company　wreckage；　which　included　as　well　the　Mapleton　general　store；　with　its　assets　in　stock　and　book　debts。

Mr。　Sleighter's　methods　with　the　easy…going　debtors　of　the　company　in　Mapleton　and　the　surrounding　district　were　of　such　galvanic　vigour　that　even　so　practiced　a　procrastinator　as　Farmer　Martin　found　himself　actually　drawing　money　from　his　hoarded　bank　account　to　pay　his　store　debtsa　thing　unheard　of　in　that　communityand　to　meet　overdue　payments　upon　the　various　implements　which　he　had　purchased　from　the　National　Machine　Company。　　It　was　not　until　after　the　money　had　been　drawn　and　actually　paid　that　Mr。　Martin　came　fully　to　realise　the　extraordinary　nature　of　his　act。

〃That　there　feller；〃　he　said；　looking　from　the　receipt　in　his　hand　to　the　store　door　through　which　the　form　of　Mr。　Sleighter　had　just　vanished；　〃that　there　feller；　he's　too　swift　fer　me。　　He　ain't　got　any　innards　to　speak　of；　he'd　steal　the　pants　off　a　dog；　he　would。〃

The　application　of　these　same　galvanically　vigorous　methods　to　Mr。　Gwynne's　debtors　produced　surprising　res