Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-08-21
CHAPTER x.
THE HEART OF A VILLAIN.

Mcleod had developed into a man of
untold power. He was but thirty-two
years old, and the dictator of his party in
the state.
He had the fighting temperament which
southern people demand in their leaders.
With this temperament he combined the
skill of the subtle diplomatic tact. He
had no moral scruples of any kind. The
problem of expediency alone interested
him in ethics.
McLeod's pet aversion was a preacher.
especially a Baptist or a Methodist. His
choicest oaths he reserved for them. He
made a study of their weaknesses. and
could tell dozens of stories to their dis
credit. many of them true. He had an
instinct for finding their weak spots and
holding them up TO ridicule. He bought
every book of militant infidelity he could
find and memorize the bitterest Of 1t. He
took special pride in scoffing at religion
before the young converts OF Durham's
church.
He was endowed with a personal mag
netism that fascinated the young as the
kiss of a snake holds a bird. His serious
work was politics and sensualism. In
politics he was at his best Here he was
cunning. plausible, careful, brilliant and
daring He never lost his head in defeat
or victory. He never forgot a friend, or
forgave an enemy. or his foe he asked
no quarter and gave none.
His ambitions were purely selfish. He
meant TO climb to the top. AS to the
means, the end would justify them. He
preferred to associate with white people.
But when IL was necessary to win a negro,
he never hesitated to go any length. The
center of the universe to his mind was A.
Mcleod.
He was fond of saying to a crowd of
youngsters whom he taught to play poker
and drink whisky:
Boys, know the world. The great man
is the man who gets there"
He was generous with his money, and
the boys called him a jolly good fellow.
He used to say in explanation Of this care
less habit:
1T won't do for an ordinary fool to
throw away money as / do. / play for
big stakes. I'm not a spendthrift. I'm
simply sowing seed. I can wait for the
harvest"
And when they would admire this over
much he would warn them:
AS a rule my advice is get money. Get
1t fairly and sqarely IL you can. but what
ever you do-get 1t. When you come right
down to 1t moneys your first, last. best
and only friend. Others promise well but
when the scratch comes, they fail. Money
never falls"
A boy fifteen asked him one day when
he was mellow with liquor:
Mcleod. which would you rather be.
president of the United States or a big
millionaire?'
Boys" he replied. smacking his lips.
and running his tongue around his cheeks
inside and softly caressing them with one
hand while he half closed his eyes,
''1ney say old Simon Legree is worth
fifty millions of dollars, and that his ac-
tual income is 20 per cent on that. They
say he stole most of 1t. and that every
dollar represents a broken life and every
Of 2 GOULD ha INF cd rod with the
blood of his victims. Even So would
rather be in Legree's SHOES and have
those millions a year than to be Almighty
God with hosts of angels singing psalms
to me through all eternity.
And the shalow-poted satellites cheer
ed this blasphecny with open-eyed wonder.
The weakest side of his nature was that
turned toward women. He was vain as
a peacock. and the darling wish of his soul
was to be successful libertine. This was
the secret of the cruelty back of his desire
of boundless wealth.
He had the intellectual forehead of his
Scotch father. large. handsomely modell-
ed features. nostrils that dilated and con-
tracted widely and the thick sensuous
lips of his mother. His eyebrows were
straight. thick. ard suggested undoubted
force OF intellect. His hair was a deep
red thick and coarse. but his moustache
was finer and IL was his special pride to
point fits delicately curved tips.
His vanity was being stimulated Just
now by two opposite forces. He was in
love. as deeply as such a nature could
love. with Sallie Worth. Her continued
rejection of his suit had wounded his van
fly, but had reused all the pugnacity of
his nature to strengthen this apparent
weakness.
He had discovered recently that he ex-
erclsed a potent influence over Mrs. Dur
ham. The moment he was repulsed, his
vanity turned for renewed strength to-
ward her. He saw Instantly the immense
power even the slightest indiscretion on
her part would give In over the preach
| er's life. He knew that while he was
/ not a demonstrative man he loved his
wife with intense devotion. He knew too,
| that here was the preachers weakest spot