iently clear to you," he insisted; whereupon he
went patiently and good-naturedly over the argument again, emphasizing
the desperate straits to which the Pacific Southwestern was reduced.

"We know all that, Mr. Ford," was the unyielding reply. "But granting it
to be the fact, don't you see the absolute futility of asking for
thirty-five millions additional capital at such a crisis?"

"No, I don't," said Ford stubbornly. "I know--as I can not explain to
you in detail in a half-hour interview--that this plan of mine can be
made successful. For two years, Mr. Colbrith, I have been the man on the
ground: no word that I am saying to you is speculative. Every clause of
the proposition has a carefully established fact behind it."

"No doubt it seems so to you," came the rasping voice from the
chair-depths. "But thirty-five millions!"--with a quavering gasp. "And
at a time when our earnings are falling off steadily and the stock is
going down day by day. It's--it's simply preposterous! I must really
decline to discuss it any further."

Ford had his packet of data in hand.

"I have all the exhibits here, carefully tabulated and condensed. Won't
you reconsider far enough to examine them, Mr. Colbrith?"

A thin white hand of negation and protest waved out of the depths of
the engulfing easy-chair.

"I am sorry to disappoint you, Mr. Ford. I knew your father, and we were
great friends. You are like him," he added reminiscently. "He might have
died rich if he had gone into corn-buying with me when we were
graduated, as I wanted him to. But he was too enthusiastic. He wanted to
turn the world upside down--just as you do, my dear young man; just as
you do."

Ford got upon his feet. The time had arrived for the firing of the shot
of last resort, and he aimed it deliberately.

"I came first to you, Mr. Colbrith, because it was my duty as a
subordinate, and your own appointee, and because you were my father's
friend so many years ago. I may say, frankly, that I did it against good
advice. Men who profess to know you have counseled me to appeal directly
to the board. What I wish to know now is if you are willing to take the
entire responsibility of turning this plan of mine down. Will it not
relieve you of all responsibility if you will call a meeting of the
directors, and let me lay this absurd proposal of mine before it? You
can surely have no fears for the result."

The shot told. The president struggled to his feet and too