The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-12-07

Other men saw a desperate phase Of
firm rivalry; he saw struggle to the
uttermost. Other men cheerel a rescue;
he thrilled over the magnificent gesture
OF the gambler scattering his stake in
larSesse to Death.
1t was the simple turning OF the hand
from full breathed prosperity to life
less failure
His view was the inverse Of his mas
ters. To Thorpe it had suddenly be-
come a very little thing In contrast to
the great, sweet. elemental truth that the
dream girl enunciated. To Collins the
affair was miles vaster than the widest
scope Of his own narrow life.
The firm could not take up its notes
when they came due; Ii could not pay
the interest on the mortgages which
would now be toreclosed; it could not
even pay in full the men who had worked
I for it-ihat would come under a courts
adjudication.
He had. therefore. watched Thorpe's
desperate sally to mend the weakened
chain, In all the suspense Of a man
whose entire universe Is in the keeping
| of the chance moment. 1t must be re-
membered that at bottom. below the
outer consciousness. Thorpe's final dsc's-
ion had already grown to maturity On
the other hand, no other thought than
that of accom- lishmenr had even en-
tered the little bookkeeper's head. The
rescue and all that it had meant had
hit him like stoke of apoplexy. and
his thin emotions lad curled to hysteria.
Full of the Idea ne appeared before
the men.
With rapid. almost incoherent speech
he poured 1t out to them. Professional
caution and secrecy were forgotten. Wal
/ lace Carpenter attempted to push through
the ring for the purpose OF stopping him.
A gigantic riveInnan kindly. but firmly
held him back
Il guess It's Just as we'll We hears
this. said the latter.
1t all came out-the loan to Carpenter,
with hint at the motive: the machi-
nations of the rival firm on the Board
I OF Trade: the notes. the mortgages. the
necessity Of big seasons cut; the rea-
sons the rival firm had for wishing to
prevent that GU, from arriving at the
market; the desperate and varied means
they had employed. The men listened
silent. Hamilton. his eyes glowing like
Goals. drank in every word. Here was
the master motive he had sought; here
was the story great TO his hand!
That's what we ought to get cried
Collins. almost weeping. and now we're
gone and bust. just because that Internal
river-hog had to fall off boom. By
| God. It's g shame! Those scalawags
have done US after all
Out from the shadows Of the woods
stole Iniin Charley. The whole bearing
and aspect of the man had changed. His
/ eye cleaned with a distant far-seeing
fire of his own. which took no account
of anything but some remote vision. He
stole along most furtivey. but with a
proud upright carriage OF his neck. a
backward tilt Of his fine head. q dis
tention of his nostrils that lent to his
appearance a panther-lke pride and
! stealthiness No one sd " him. Suddenly
he broke through the group and mounted
I the steps beside Collins.
The enemy OF my brother Is gone"
said he simply in his native tongue. and
! with a sudden gesture held out before
/ them-a scalp.
| The medieval barbarity Of the thing
| appalled, them for a moment. The days
/ OF scaIping were long since past. had
| been closed away between the pages Of
! forgotten histories. and yet here again
/ before them was the thing in all its
! living horror Then a growl arose. The
/ human animal had tasted blood.
| All at once Ike wine their wrongs
] mounted to their head. They remen-
bered their dead comrades. They re-
n,embered the heart-broken days and
/ nights OF toll they had endured on ac-
| count OF this man and his associates.
/ They remembered the words OF Collins.
| the little book keeper They halted. They
! shook their fists across the skies. Trey
! turned and with one accord struck back
fo. the railroad right-ofway which led
to Chingleville. the town controlled by
| Morrison & Daily.
The railroads lay for mile straight