The Nevada County picayune. (Prescott, Ark.) 190?-current, 1907-12-19
Copyright, 1907, Doubleday, Page & Coz
CHAPTER Vlll.-Continued.

CHAPTER Vlll.-Continued
Jim you gave me an awful scare,
he said brokenly. Don't ever do 1t
again l have little left to live for.
To be sure | have some feeling for
mother, Fred, and sisters. But for you
! have a love second only to that |
should have felt for Beulah had been
allowed to have her The thought,
Jim, that l had wrecked your life,
with all you have to live for, would
have been the last straw. My life is
purgatory. Beulah is only an ever
present curse to me-a ghost that
rends my heart and soul, one minute
with blind frenzy to revenge her
wrongs, the next with an icy remorse
that | have not already done so. If
I did not have her, perhaps in time
could forget; perhaps | might lay
out some scheme to help poor devils
whose poverty makes life unendur-
able, and with the millions | have
taken from the main shaft of hell |
might do things that would at least
bring quiet to my soul; but it is i'm
possible with the living corpse of
Beulah Sands before me every minute
and that devil machinery whirling in
my brain all the time the song Re
venge her and her father, revenge
yourself 1t is impossible to give it
up, Jim. | must have revenge. | must
stop this machinery that is smashing
up more American hearts and souls
each year than all the rest of earth's
grinders combined. Every day l de-
lay become more flendsh in my de-
sires. Jim, don't think | do not know
that have literally turned into a
fiend. Whenever of late | see myself
in the mirror. I shudder. When
think of what was when your father
stood us up in his office and started
us in this heart-shrivelling, soul-cal-
Housing business. and what | am now,
/ cannot keep the madness down ex-
cept with rum. You know what it
means for me to say this, me who
started with all the pride of a Brown
ley; but it is so, Jim. The other night
went home with my soul frozen with
thoughts of the past and with my
brain ablaze with rum, intending to
end it all. | got out my revolver, and
woke Beulah. but as | said, Bob is
going to kill Beulah and himself she
laughed that sweet child's laugh and
tlapping her hands said, Bob is so
good TO play with Beulah,' and then
r thought of that devil Reinhart and
the other fiends of the System be-
ing left 10 continue their work unhin-
dered and ! could not do it, I must
have revenge; | must smash that
heart-crushing machinery. Then
can 60 and take Beulah with me-
Now. Jim, let us have it clearly under
stood once and for all"
Remorse and softness were past;
he was the Indian again. Il am going
10 wreck that hellannex some day,
and that some day will be the next
time start in. Don't argue. with me,
don't misunderstood me. To-day you
stopped me. | don't know whether
you meant what YOU threatened;
don't care now 1t Is just as well that
i stopped. for the Systems machine
will be there whenever | start in
again. It loses nothing of It's fiend-
fshness, none of its destructive powers
by grinding, but on the contrary, as
YOU know, il increases its speed every
tiay 1t runs Now, Jim Randolph, |
want to tell YOU that you must get
yours and the houses affairs in such
shape that you won't be hurt when |
go into that human ratpit the next
time. for when | come from ii the
New York Stock Exchange and the
system Will have had their spines
unjointed Yes, and I'll have their
hearts out too Neither viii ever be
able to take from the American people
their savings and their manhood and
womanhood and give them in ex-
change unadulterated torment | am
going to be fair with you, Jim; this
is the last time l will discuss the sub
tect. After this You must take your
chance with the rest of those who
have to do with the cursed business
When | strike again, none will be
spared | Will wreck the Street and
the innocent will go down with the
guilty, if they have any stocks on
hand at that time.
my power, Jim, is unlimited; moth
ing can stay it, ! am not going L
explain any further. You have seer
me work. You must know that my
power is greater than the Systems S,
and you and l and the Street have al
ways known that the System is more
powerful than the government, more
powerful than are the courts. legisla
lures, congress, and the president o
haf
absolutely controls the foundation oil
which they rest-the money of thu