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other thing. If the plant-setting machine is a failure we'll simply buy up the plant at a low price and make something else. Perhaps it '11 be better for the town to have the entire stock control in our hands. You see we few men have got to run things here. It's go- ing to be on our shoulders to see that labor is em- ployed. A lot of small stock-holders are a nuisance. As man to man I'm going to ask each of you not to sell his stock, but if any one comes to you and asks about its value, I expect you to be loyal to our enter- prise. I'll begin looking about for something to re- place the plant-setting machine, and when the shop closes we'll start right up again. It isn't every day men get a chance to sell themselves a fine plant full of new machinery as we can do in a year or so now." Steve went out of the bank and left the four men staring at each other. Then his father got up and went out. The other men, all connected with the bank, arose and wandered out. " Well," said John Clark, somewhat heavily, " he's a smart man. I sup- pose after all it is up to us to stick with him and with the town. As he says, labor has got to be employed. I can't see that it does a carpenter or a farmer any good to own a little stock in a factory. It only takes their minds off their work. They have foolish dreams of getting rich and don't attend to their own affairs. It would be an actual benefit to the town if a few men owned the factory. The banker lighted a cigar and going to a window stared out into the main street of Bidwell. Already the town had changed. Three new brick buildings were being erected on Main Street within sight of the bank window. Workmen em- ployed in the building of the factory had come to town .