You had nothing to do with the getting of it. It was given you. Now,
we're going to have a year that will not be forgotten by those who
handle wheat and flour, and the men with the long heads will roll the
money in. Well, I've no use for another clerk, and my salesman's good
enough for me, but if we can agree on the items I'll take you for a
partner."
The offer was made and accepted quietly, and when a rough draft of the
arrangement had been agreed upon, Graham nodded as he lighted another
cigar.
"You may as well take hold at once, and there's work ready now," he
said. "You've heard of the old St. Louis mills back on the edge of the
bush country. Never did any good. Folks who had them were short of
money, and didn't know how they should be run. Well, I and two other
men have bought them for a song, and, while the place is tumbling in,
the plant seems good. Now, I can get hold of orders for flour when I
want them, and everybody with dollars to spare will plank them right
into any concern handling food-stuffs this year. You go down to-morrow
with an engineer, and, when you've got the mills running and orders
coming in we'll sell out to a company, if we don't want them."
Winston sat silent a space turning over a big bundle of plans and
estimates. Then he said, "You'll have to lay out a pile of money."
Graham laughed. "That's going to be your affair. When you want them
the dollars will be ready, and there's only one condition.
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