The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1901-09-05


dial words, and while q little Of this sort
of treatment might have served me bet
ter in time past than II can possibly do
now, l am not one to rake up old matters
of a dissgreeable character. That you
may judge as to whether I shall remain
in your city, l will say that / have al
ready made arrangements to invest large
ly in property here, and expect to make
still greater investments in the near fu-
ture"
And while he went on to say that,
while he felt gratifed at his cordial recep-
ton. and for the Invitation to the ban
quet, business matters were so pressing
at present that it precluded his having
the pleasure of accepting their invitation.
The committee left, highly impressed
with the millionaire's evident good inten-
tons toward the city, and congratulated
themselves on having disposed of an ugly
matter in so neat and harmonious man
ner.
Hinton Dock, who had thought it I'M
wise to be too much in evidence in the af
fair rubbed his fat, chubby hands in in
tense satisfaction as he listened to the
news, declaring that Ruggles was moth
ing short Of a genius.
That mans very stubbornness con-
WINGED me long ago that there was some
thing more in him than appeared on the
surface" he declared, land L have no
doubt that he is too much of Christian
to cherish any resentment FOR the past"
For the next few days Ruggles and his
assistants were kept very busy, and it
was evident by the number of people who
visited the Office that something of i'm
portance was in the wind. The bust
ness was kept secret for the most part,
but it gradually leaked out that Ruggles
was investing heavily in city real estate.
This news filed Dock with the keenest
delight. Having invested his all in the
enterprises of the town, he realized that
its fall meant his ruin, but now that
man of unlimited resources had began in
vesting in city property, he felt that moth
ing short Of a miracle could prevent his
success.
Meantime Ruggles was never idle.
Scores of strangers came and went in
most mysterious manner, and all kinds OF
reports were set afiOat as to their mission
in the town. Some had it that the mil
iionaire was about to establish great
college in the place, and others put it
that some valuable mines had been dis
covered near the town and they would
be speedily opened and a large force of
men put to work.
But whatever the truth of these reports
might be, it was soon learned that Rug
giles had purchased all the land adjacent
to the city for a league around. These
bold manuyers amazed and bewildered
Hinton Dock, and there were times when
his fat, sallow face was moist with the
clammy sweat OF vague fear. Devoid
of pity himself, he could hardly under
stand how others could possess such
quality.
Time and again he sought to gain the
confidence of Ruggles, but was adroitly
baffled at every turn, and in diplomatic
way that left him further than ever from
the truth. Once the autocrat Of the town,
he was now reduced to the level of the
most fawning dependent; tyrant when
he held the power, he was a coward, cring
ing and servile, when the scepter was
sratched from his hands.
One morning, as Hinton Dock sat in
his office. a note was brought him from
Ruggles. Dock read it with feverish
haste and with visible agitation. The
note, which was brief, requested that he
should drive out with the millionaire on
the next morning to inspect some land
which the latter had bought recently, and
of which the merchants opinion was de-
sired.
This was the first indication OF friendli-
ness that had come from Ruggles, and
Dock hailed it as a sort of flag of truce,
which he made great haste TO give re-
spect.
At daylight the next morning the mil |
lionaires hanson carriage drew up at |
Docks door, and the two who had been
The tract of land lay some 20 miles from
the city, and after they had spent the
day looking over it they put up for the
night at a little roadside tavern. The
next morning Ruggles asked Dock to &C
company him to the railroad station,
matter Of some five miles to the east, and
Mt the station Ruggles took the train for
the East, leaving Dock to return to the
city with the millionaire's carriage.
1t was 10 O'Clock when Dock reached |
the little hill overlooking Alkah City. AS
he glanced toward the town a look of ut
ter ama2ement came over his face. He
brought the team to a sudden halt and
looked again. Then he rubbed his eyes, |
looked again and sunk back in his seat
weak and agitated. Alkah City had van
shed from the plain as if by magici Only |
the few buildings belonging to Dock re-
mained 10 mark the site where the once |
fourishing city had stood.
Half believing that he was losing his |
senses, Dock dashed the horses into a
gallop, and went dashing down the slope |
in the direction of the town. He reached |
his office and rushed in to find his book |
keeper gone. Then he went to his store, !
TO find it locked and every clerk gone. |
No one was to be seen in the town, and |
il was as silent as if it had been a city !
Of the dead. He re-entered the carriage |
and drove like one mad to his own home |
truth. The hand of Ruggles had fallen |
on the city and it had disappeared at his
touch.
Early on the morning of his departure
with Ruggles the town had been the |
scene of a strange incident. Wagons, |
vans, aud other vehicles began pouring |
into the town from every direction, while |
with these came a great army of carpen-
tiers. Within an hour 1000 wagons and |
teams and 80 house-mOying crews had en-
tered the city, and the work of tearing |
down and removing the buildings was be-
gun. By night every vestige of a house or |
hahitation, excepting those owned by !
Dock, had vanished from the town. The
best of the houses had been removed to
Napoleon City, while the lesser ones had |
been tom down, hauled from the town |
and burned. Teams were furnished to re-
move the families living in town to Ma
poleon City. Even the employees in |
Docks store and elsewhere had been
taken away by the millionaire and given |
employment at higher salaries in Napo-
leon City. So liberal had Ruggles been
i'll dealing with the inhabitants, and so
lavish had been his employment of money
to accomplish his end, that the inhab-
itants had not only aided him in the en-
terprise, but were gratifed TO find an OPP
portunity to repay the former autocrat
of the town for his past tyranny.
So utterly crushed was Dock that he
sat looking at the ruin of the city like
one stupefed. a single glance at the
devastation told him that his ruin was