# LA RESPONSABILIDAD ABROCHADA
Las alternativas de la vida rara vez llevan etiquetas. Lo correcto no siempre es blanco, ni lo incorrecto, negro. A la vista, la bifurcación de los caminos no es a menudo más que la confluencia de carreteras muy transitadas, y las buenas intenciones no son una guía segura hacia el camino recto. Esta, sin embargo, era una de esas raras encrucijadas en las que la luz roja del Destino brillaba plenamente a la vista, y en su fulgor de advertencia me pareció leer el letrero:
"Settle Right or Forever Regret."
Well it was for me and for those thousands who were victimized and robbed later that I heeded the monition, for if in the interests of peace I had allowed myself to be overwhelmed by the imperious will of Henry H. Rogers, I should to-day be as helpless as those others who, coming forward to accuse, are met with "Standard Oil's" crushing rejoinder, "It's a lie—you can't prove it."
I have wondered since if the master of "Standard Oil" also saw the red signal or interpreted its prophetic message. His eyes still met mine in the same deadly, intense stare, but the anger had passed out. Then in an instant the battle was mine. Henry H. Rogers came out of the clouds and with a gesture of his hand waved away all that had passed, and said:
—Maldita sea, Lawson, eres un hombre de lo más impracticable para hacer negocios, pero supongo que tendrás que salirte con la tuya. Ahora dime —y hazlo con pocas y claras palabras—, qué es lo que piensas hacer