RR
By
HENRY RUSSELL MILLER
Sua D
Aurhor of
“THE MAN HIGHER UP.” “HIS RISE
TO POWER,” Etc.
SYNOPSIS.
by his sweet-
leaves Bethel, his
Mark Truitt, encouraged
heart, Unity Martin,
native town, to seek his fortune fmon
Truitt tells Mark that it long has been
his dream to see a steel plant at Bethel
and asks the son to return and bulld
one If he ever gets rich. Mark applies to
Thomas Henley, head of the Quinby Iron
works, for a job and is sent to the con-
struction gang. Hls success in that work
wing him a place as helper to Roman
Andzrejzski, open-hearth furnaceman. He
becomes a boarder in Roman's home and
assists Plotr, Roman's son, in his studies
Kazia, an adopted daughter, shows her
gratitude in such a manner as to arouse
Mark's interest in her Heavy work In
the intense heat of the furnace causes
Mark to collapse and Kazla cares for
him Later Roman also succumbs and
Mark gets his job. Roman resents this
and tells Mark to find another boarding
place Five years elapse during which
Mark has advanced to the foremanship,
while his labor-saving devices have made
him invaluable to company In the
meantime Kazia has married one X
Whiting Mark meets with an accldent
which dooms him to be a cripple for life
He returns to Bethel intending to stay
thers He finds Unity about to marry an
other man and wins he back Unit
urges him to return t« work In thi
city Mark rises rapidly wealth
rower In the business, but ti}
cial ambitic make thelr
ried life biel
Wear out
threats of
the
is
to
steel 80
ns of his wife
CHAPTER XIV,
In the Mold.
Then began what promised
come a rake's progress.
to
ing up blocks of stock in Lochinvar's
company; it could be bought for the
proverbial song. But Henley got wind
of it. He, too, began buying stock,
secretly and swiftly, also for a song.
By the time the MacGregor company
learned of his rivalry, he needed but
a thousand shares to own control of
the company, its properties and fran-
chises,
“And 1
shares are
Mark “Do
Woodhouse ?”
“1 bought my house from him
he wants me to lend him money to
build his new flying machine. He
came to me,” Mark chuckled, “as one
inventor to another.”
“Get that stock,” Henley com-
manded. “Act quick and you can get
it cheap We can’t build that rall
road. Or rather, won't ‘Let the
other fellow blaze the path!'” This
sneering quotation from the |}
lustrious but cautious Quinby. “That's
| what comes from working with a cow-
know just where those
to be had,” Henley told
you know one Timothy
we
was
invited to join their revels. He
hard, at first recklessly, then
minedly and then wistfully
into the spirit of dissipation
tempt was a flat
oughgoing habit of
unerringly for the result
through at once to dregs in
cup. His companions privately laughed
at the spectacle of this hard serious
man awkwardly essaying role of
devil of a fellow; but
he thus unwittingly
would soon have got him
death's-head at their He
eeeded only in still further impalring
his health, in acquiring a bad taste
in the mouth and relaxing all
the line his habit of rigid abstemious-
ness
After a few
the old routine.
“1 hear,” Henley interrupted a con-
sultation one day to remark, “you've
been sowing wild oats. Got ‘em all
harvested?”
Mark nodded,
Crop's in the
cheap. 1 agree w
all is vanity.”
“What made you do
“1 don't know To
like, I guess, I didn't
knack of it.
“Trouble at home,”
shrewdly
Aloud he said
better stick
fit in.”
‘l1 sometimes think that's all vanity,
too.”
“At least we
vain And
more romance in making steel than in
helping to support Tenderloin.”
Mark made a gesture
After a frowning pause, he answered
“1 don’t know The I've
lost the romantic point of view To
me the business nothing but a
money-making machine now--and
something do. 1 wonder wa
work go hard to get money don't
need We get no good out of it. Tim-
othy Woodhouse gets more pleasure
out of his flying machines that won't
fly.”
“Just wait,”
til somebody tries to take it aw
you, Nearly every man of un
tality goes sooner or later
the stage of questioning the existing
scheme of things. Things are, is all
the answer he gets. The sooner he
to
The at-
The
that
failure.
mind looked
last
the
SAW
the
the
provided
re ’
rid of
they
as a
feasts suc
nonths he returned to
sheepishly
for sale
phet that
grinning
barn—and
ith the pro
.re
it
gee
it's
the
what
have
thought Henley
You'd
where you
I imagine not
to business,
something to be
whole
have
over on the
the
of disgust
trouble ls,
ia
to why
wo
said Henley dryly, “un
v fro
fron
1
l
uai vi
his peace of mind.”
which was the fleecing
Woodhouse.
No one would have been more sur
prised than Timothy to learn that he
had any fleece worthy of the atten
tion of such shearers as Henley and
Truitt. But years before a Lochinvar
had come out of the West with stock
to sell in the Iroquois Iron Ore Min-
ing, Development & Transportation
company. He had a gifted tongue, He
departed for his own place, a richer
and doubtless a wiser man, having
received a profitable lesson in the
credulity of his fellows. Later inspec-
tion revealed that the longnamed
company’s properties consisted of an
immense fleld of admittedly good ore,
but its development work only of the
extraction of the sample so proudly
exhibited by the promoter and its
transportation facilities of a franchise
to build a railroad through 300 miles
of wilderness. In those days the bulld-
ing of railroads was not lightly under
taken. The investment seemed to fall
ghort of Lochinvar's prospectus
“Naturally!” Timothy once said rue-
fully, “Since I invested.”
But a time bad come when makers
of steel began to operate on a larger
schle and to look far ahead into the
future, The MacGregor company con-
ceived the project of buying that ore
field and building that railroad. It
commenced secretly and leisurely pick.
“I'l Give You,” Proposed Timothy Ea-
gerly, “a Half Interest In the Ma.
chine.”
{ ard But that's
shouldn't turn an
no reason why we
1
honest dollar a
ira t the
expense of MacGregor, 1s IL?
it is not, ha
in the bill in equity
*
ward induced by
weve as alleged
was after
MacGregor agents to
sald Truitt
falsely and fraudulently and with
tent to decely
sented to
sald stock was of no value whatsoever,
the
the
Mark
Bty,
r, true,
oT
i
timothy
file against Mar
1
sald Wi it
the odhquse
that said stock had
x Mil ¥n wie »
While KNOW IDE
value hereinbefore
get forth
mself hon
lay
1 to legal interference
Providence
schemes of
who prided hi on his
oF was always careful not to
his projects ope
In this
which
case, that special
seems to guide the
men of such honesty, graciously ren-
dered legal fraud unnecessary
I exclaimed when at
Timothy, with the
had explained his
machine “By
it may just be
ly George! he
thelr
model before them,
plans for the new
George! It may be
that y hit it
anyhow.”
next meeting
ou've It sounds plausible,
I prize your opinion
gratefully, "the more
done something mechanically yourself
I meet so much skepticism Do
think you'd care to flmance this?”
Well,” Mark returned caution,
after all, aerial navigation is hardly
in my line. [I really ought have
some sec y, don't you think?
“I'll give proposed Timothy
eagerly, “a interest in the ma
chine.”
Mark seemed to be fighting down an
| impulse, But he shook his head. “You
see, Its value would be scientific
rather than commercial, And I'm just
& plain money-grubber, you know.”
Timothy sighed “That
| guess. All I've go{, Is mortgaged to
| the limit now I'm disappointed,
though.”
“8till,”’
like to
' said Timothy
because
you ve
you
to
to
you,”
half
Mark went on slowly,
do fit,
“I'd
Haven't you anything
an excuse to be silent?”
“Nothing. Unless,” Timoths
tured timidly, “you could call Iroquois
Iron an excuse.”
Mark grinned broadly.
of that bubble.”
Timothy, too, grinned, though un-
happily. "Bubble, I'm afraid, exreesses
it exactly.”
“I've heard
study of the model
contribute even money to what might
turn out to be the invention of the
age. 1 believe—I believe I'll take the
excuse.” He made a sudden reckless
gesture, “I'll do better. I'll go the
whole hog and buy the stock,
out of the trees!”
It was ridiculously easy.
Timothy was evidently excited.
“Have you discovered some new im-
portant principle of your machine?”
'! Mark inquired.
come to buy back that stock.”
“Oh, no! I'm satisfied with my bar.
gain.” .
“But,” Timothy explained innocently,
in excess——very much In
what you pald me for it."
“The less reason then,” Mark smiled,
“why I should sell it back to you.”
eXCcoss
down went pride,
stand,
me, 1 have been careless
very poor business man. I have
almost everything I inherited. What
is left is mortgaged almost to full
value, except this stock which I now
find I can sell for enough to clean up
my obligations and give me a new
start.”
“And which Is now mine.”
“Which is now yours, through a hard
bargain-—an inadvertently hard
gain, of course,” Timothy added hast
ily The troubled look In his eyes
deepened ‘And now 1 come to you
as one gentleman to another,
you me from it.”
to release
| ike.
“But this {8s not business
one gentleman to another.”
was guiltless of humorous intent
any advantage your interest in
work might accidentally glve you
to my wife and daughter, who
entirely dependent upon me, this would
mean much
“Isn't it
are
a little
| your substance in riotous invention,
begin t {
Mark
‘1 hardly
late, after wasting
to
}
ain
king them? Besides,
looked at his watch pointedly,
your right to
the consideration you've
goa ask me
» them
vs faa dl
painfull
y
all along
“If you'c
You took advantage
ir inside knowledge of its
and of the fact that I'm er a
in such matiers get
But | suppose
partic
sort
tar
tered me
{ of your value
rath
fool
to
A
cheap
ex
pect larity
your
Mark sneered
obligation to
duct
At
particularity of
you get
ting a good rou sum for something
of
least you
no
when you thought were
value
That,” sald
‘Il supposed and you
practically a gift
keep you longer, sir
And Timothy stalked away. F
eral days
no
1
pretended was
sclencs 1 shall
no
Or SOV.
Mark's familiar obese
in him
y its own. It was
of industry
eeks its zenith
rising to
things
Swiftly
power and
in a big,
fashion t
its leaders
prestige, doing
bold, precedent
LOIG,
1 th
stirred
above
And
tion of
wera
ig
efying that
e world to a just admiration.
ythers—in na
did not march with
towered that giant
his shadow but
obscured
names and fame known
fabric was
years Quinby’s
a fact, more splendid
delay. It stood just across the
from MacGregor's library. This
imity for a comparison
which of
suffered no Somehow
w
seemed
the the estin
all who
the
Mar
big to
army of steel
> at g te
Gregor, and in too
INE
be
Quinby, their
wherever the stout
After
Was
wholly, Jeremiah
used
project
for the
gireet
prox
by
Paleontology
many
tha
ME
called
thao aatttizt
the Institute
whit its noble
f
of
exact
to
and
Parthenon,
inder a simple
acter not shared
elaborate library
MacGregor could not have believed
that a comparison was intended, since
he accepted an invitation to share with
Quinby himself and an ex-president of
the United States the honors on the
occasion of the dedication, He, as did
the ex-president made a speech,
which he paid a high tribute to his
“brother in the great work of distrib
uting surplus wealth’ This tribute
lines masses, copy
fFuUggest In
najesty char
¥
i 03
the author
its fo
by of the
assigned to “the thousands of obscurely
faithful” who had given their
strength, thelr courage, their patience
| this project possible.” Some
hearers interpreted this merely as the
! too great modesty of superlative, tri
| umphant genius. But when, expand
ing thia text, he thus brought his pero
ration to a close:: “Let labor and
capital, the Siamese twins of produc
tion, dwell together in unity, in amity,
in the forbearance that springs from
love!” the audience applauded enthusi-
astically; reckless of damage to new
kid gloves,
That evening, in the cella of the in-
stitute, was held a great reception.
The Truitts were there—as who that
counted was not?-but together only
until they had reached the end of the
receiving line, Mark betook himself
to a chair in a corner occupied by the
skeleton of some prehistoric monster
and there watched the crowd.
He caught a glimpse of Unity, a
beaming happy Unity, the center of a
{ laughing group, and scowled angrily.
|. « « Though their life had been super
| ficlally unchanged, he had had his
freedom. It had boen a partial use
|
!
paid for by the loss of even the pre-
tense of affection, by an ill-disguised
mutual aversion.
His reflections were interrupted by
# hand on his shoulder, Henley sat
down beside him. f
“Taking it in?"
Mark nodded
“We're outshone
“As the stars by the sun,
care?”
“No!” snarled Henley, in a tone that
gave his words the lie, Mark repressed |
another sneer. Here was Henley, the |
man of magnificent achlevements, of |
real genius, jealous as a woman over
Quinby’s hollow glory!
"He seems,” Mark nodded toward
the resplendent Quinby, “to attract the
women.”
“It's mutual,
“S80? I'd have
"w
Do you
As 1 happen to know.”
classed him with |
the vestal virgins. Isn't he a little old
for the woman game now, though?”
“He's in his fifties,” Henley sald, |
and well preserved. And the man |
who has nothing to do but to idle |
around the globe and spend the money |
make is dlways easy picking |
the Delllahs.”
Quinby doesn’t
tion of a Samson.”
returned Henley,
for his outburst,
for
my no
“Samson,” who felt
the better
penny-wit."”
Later, Henley Mark left their |
refuge and through the
crowd. It chanced that Quinby espled
He deserted an admiring group
Was a
and
sauntered
them.
A lifelong dream has been realized,
partly to you''--he placed a
shoulder
Aud to you he
Mark
thanks
Henley's com
the fleld
her hand oi
lieutenant
striking
hand on
mander in
laid the ot
chief
It was a
¢
modes utiaware of
upon Hem held it a
gracefully withdrew
My
BHOGTrod
1
nmitteg
183
strangely a
Fre
Ww
suicide He
iis new fly
answering
Timothy oodhouse It was prac
insisted on going
} ying machine, Broke
neck, of course
Mark passed on
tt i ¥
ckly but that
his
quickly. Not
overheard
80
he an
ex
nan that skinned Woodhouse
CHAPTER XV
Stuff of Dreams.
spirit for it
Mark's campaign of «
hy
vv EU
VAS
snouest came t
OUGUEest CAINS £
its grand climax became a stock
Cot
by Steel p
any.
artnera” of whom
abreast
eT »
HES of his
nt to speak with
IUBIEED
merely
reward
friendship
11 * ow
hen, thm
the
be
Mark laid
informally
to
igh Henley
allowed
Quinby
WAS soo
nthropist to
“ Jo
“ring
He Placed a Mand on Henley's Shou!
der.
refused his assent, turning arguments
aside by the simple expedient of ig.
noring them. Whea Henley, at whose
suggestion Mark %ad demanded the
right to purchase stock, insisted with
rising anger, Quinby donned a frigid
dignity.
“Do you want the company to lose
Truitt?” Henley demanded,
“1 ean not conceive,” Quinby an
gwered coldly, “that any man who
owes as much to my company as Truitt
does could be so lacking in loyalty
and all fine sensibilities as to desert
me.”
“That,” sald Henley curtly, “is
damned nonsense. The company owes
more to Truitt than the stock we ask
can ever repay, more than to any other
man--with ova exception,”
“1 am glad,” Quinby thawed slightly,
“that you make an exception.”
“Yes, Mysell"”
Quinby’s face was a study
let him have this stock or lose Truitt
and me.”
Thereupon Henley
gave to Quinby his
the chalrmanship.
silence while
paper.
“Very well,” he sald at last
tore the resignation into little bits.
But it was a graceful surrender
During the pause Quinby had regained
his poise Hoe was more
gracious patron, apparently blind
Henley's show of dislike
“Ah! my dear Tom,” he shook
head smilingly, “that was hardly
You played upon my affection
know there i8 no sacrifice |
wrote out
raogignation from
There was a tense
Quinby studied the
once the
“Humph!"” grunted Henley
no sacrifice.”
"Of course,”
Truitt
ment.’
on, takes under our agree
And this launched another long ar
For under the Quinby
agreement s-bhorrowed,
friend and rival,
stockholder
com
indeed,
any
mand
upon written
three-fourths of the stock
owning three-fourths of the
outstanding shares, could be compelled
to his
value,” a prov
which Quinby,
the
is
de
by
surrender
LOOK
the thr
stock at Its
islon from eat
owning the majority
alone exempt
of
stock WHE Had
his own interest not been so deeply
coucerned Mark might have reli
spectacle of the
tremend
wremend
JUS
Mark
Hen
&@
i
nomon As
iid
had
is
Ho co
feniey
sg "Te
his im}
w had his
sword the power
heavy
$ 2p »
alk
Warnir
ywerhead
had not known fr
Mark would have
Him } WOON
voice, tood
the had
menace
8p Henley’'s hands, resting
nails
imperi-
His black
Ken
he desk, clenched until
he palms The ugly
us face was deathly whit
eyes blazed Mark t
he about upon
and inflict or
hurl at the vain shallow poseur
of the man of
and unpur
Because he had a pro
and a sort of love for
wanted gee
defiance, He forgot his own in-
terest in the scene
he ) Tr a4 mo
ment |
Quinby
at least
the splendid
worth, of
Was
physical injury
jeflance
real invincible
chasable spirit
found respect
{Oo
in humorous protest.
“My dear Tom!” How the purring
Mark felt the hot blood rise,
“If you are
about to resign again, 1 beg of you,
congider. | have made one concession
to that threat. But if you make it
relation that has been both pleasant
and profitable. It will cost me some-
shing, perhaps, but--it will cost you
more.”
“Now!” muttered Mark.
Now was the time to hurl defiance,
to overwhelm Quinby and Quinby's
power under manly scorn. .. . Quin-
by, outwardly serene as midsummer’'s
skios, smiled on. Henley was silent.
The blazing anger in his eyes died
down to a smoldering, sullen, futile
rage. The pen dropped from his hand.
What a shattering of idols was
there! Mark turned away that he
might not see,
His glance fell upon Quinby., The
mask of benevolence had been pulled
aside. Ugly triumph and still uglier
hate shone, In that moment Quinby's
revenge for a thousand sneers and the
open contempt of years was taken.
Mark hated him,
After a long heavy silence Quinby
turned to Mark.
agreement?”
“It seems to be Hobson's choice.”
Quinby rose and took Mark's right
band in both of his
“I.ot me be the
the company
“Do you accept the
irst to welcome you
I'm sure we shall
harmonious.”
‘1 ean see,” Mark answered with a
shrug, “that harmony ’
Quinby gone
and saddened, watched
moment
be
pays
was sickened
for the
giving
swiftly
a man,
mad, belatedly
He
forth across
wild beast he had become
incoherently departed
pouring forth a flood
phemies He flung
emote and kicked
though liveg to be
This, with Quinby present,
struck a
barbaric
EOne,
under
tempt
My
voles
back
lke the
He cursed
Quinby,
coarse blas-
arms about,
desk as
taken
would have
Mark's
Quinby
who had sat silent
ed
paced
and the room
the
of
his
chairs and
they had
responsive chord in
soul But thi
8, with
from the man
1s
forth only
threats, call con
My
and
Did
work!’
before Mark Mj 1!
Fool
Mark shrugged his shoulders
mistake was in think!
“Your
m a fool
ng ai
there
and take
npany—I,
ey 10 advertise
1
I—! I'm
Henley Glared.
Mark's
laugh was a snees
Henley turn on him And you,”
00. And
cracks his
nto line and
I've made
Harmony
have
We ’
SNOW
yushing
Prob
I'li fall
own
like
And
had better
are clerks
excuse
into a chair.
8i-
still
subsided. In
the white,
who
3 spoke
What
are
I'm wondering, does m
cowards of us all?
Henley stared hard
Mark thought that agai
been touched the
rage. Then red of shame
into the older man's countenance
to
the
crept
He
“You're a witness that it does.”
Mark limped slowly away from the
Quinby building
Now, by all the rules of the game
he played, was the time to exuit. The
monster was tamed, or at least for
him, lick its slobbering chops. Whether
or not the partnership—final trophy
Eldorado's conquest—survived
venturer would never again know the
haunting fear that lashed the crowd.
He had no need to catch its hurrying
pace,
Yet he did not exuit. He had what
he had set out to win, and he had is
not. His triumph was fact. But the
sense of it, the swelling of soul, the
surging passionate pride he had fore
tasted in his young dreame, were not,
Success was but figures on a balance
sheet,
He had succeeded in a life In which
sentiment, brotherly kindness, mercy,
were the badges of failure; yet tha
thought of a weak Timothy Wood
house, dead in an hour of recklessness
bred by a cheat, could drive sleep
from his pillow:
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
Found in Sing Sing Prison.
Found, a photograph, a tintype of
a young girl, Owner may secure it
by applying to the editordn-chief—
Sing Sing Star of Hope ,