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stock, and with the air of the gifted amateur, found most
things came easily to him, especially women. He was in total contrast to
Harvey. It was that contrast that brought them together.
    Roger’s only ambition was to join the Navy,
but after graduating from Dartmouth he had had to return to the family firm
because of his father’s ill health. He had only been with the firm a few months
when his father died. Roger would have liked to have sold Sharpley & Son to
the first bidder, but his father, Henry, had made a codicil to his will to the
effect that if the firm were sold before Roger was forty years old (that being
the last day one can enlist for the U. S. Navy), the money was to be divided
between his relatives.
    Roger found himself between the devil and
the deep blue sea. Business life held no interest for him, and he felt
miserably incompetent left in charge of the family firm. It gave him a steady
income, but he knew it could not long survive on its past reputation. On the
other hand, he could not sell it and join the Navy without leaving himself
penniless. Harvey and Roger met at the Exchange, and while neither liked or
understood the other, each thought there might be something in the acquaintance
to his own advantage. Harvey was right.
    Gradually, in discussions well primed by
late night Bourbon, Harvey learnt from Roger that Sharpley & Son had been
founded in 1833, though they did not like to be reminded that their first
successful trading had been in slaves. From there they had progressed to become
experts in the import of whisky and the export of furs. Although only small in
size, they had a reputation for honesty and efficiency–a reputation which had
been built over nearly a hundred years. Harvey gleaned from Roger that the
income from Sharpley & Son for the year 1929-30 was $30,000 on a turnover
of $420,000. It had been as high as $82,000 in the halcyon days of his father,
but the firm was now being run by its ageing vice-president and general
manager, John Bodie, who was satisfied with his position, realising that the
gift God had given to every other generation of Sharpleys had sadly missed
Roger. Bodie could well remember Roger in his diapers, and was not much more
impressed now. Still, Roger left him a free hand to run the firm the way old
Mr. Sharpley had always run it, though sometimes even Bodie wondered if his
methods were appropriate for the times. He was due to retire in five months at
the age of sixty, but knew that Roger would be lost without him and would have
to keep him on at least until the age of sixty-five. Knowing the codicil to
Henry Sharpley’s will, he felt safe from any thunderbolts.
    Harvey gave the problem some considerable
thought, and after two lengthy sessions with a skilful New York lawyer,
suggested the following course of action to Roger: Harvey would buy 49 per cent
of Sharpley & Son for $100,000 and the first $20,000 profit each year. At
the age of forty Roger would relinquish the remaining 51 per cent for a further
$100,000. There would be three Board members–Harvey, Roger and one nominated by
Harvey, giving him overall control. As far as Harvey was concerned, Roger could
join the Navy and come to the annual shareholders’ meeting once a year.
    Roger could not believe his luck and did not
even consult John Bodie, or anyone else at Sharpley & Son. He realised only
too well that they would try to talk him out of it. Harvey had counted on this
and had assessed his quarry accurately. Roger only gave the proposition a few
days’ consideration before he allowed the legal papers to be drawn up in New York, far enough away from Boston to be sure the firm did
not learn what was going on. Meanwhile, Harvey returned to the Morgan Bank,
where he was now looked upon as a reliable customer. The manager agreed to help
him in his new enterprise with a loan of $50,000 to add to his own $50,000,
enabling Harvey to acquire 49 per cent of Sharpley & Son, and become its
fifth president. The