Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-10-10
me has, and I have toia her %, n 1

norse-SenSe OF u VIII nol make o
sit down on It."
Bob Brownley had got to his feet;
he was slipping the shackles of that
fiery, romantic, southern passion that
years in college and Wall street had
taught him to keep prisoner. His eyes
were flashing sparks. His nostrils
vibrated like a deer bucks in the au-
tumn woods. He faced me with his
hands clinched.
Jim Randolph" he went on, "as /
listened to that girls story of the ter
rible cruelty and devlish treachery
practiced by the human hyenas you
and / associate with, human hyenas
who, when in search of dirty dollars
the only thing they know anything
about-put to shame the real beasts
Of the wilds-when / listened, I tell
you that l felt it would not give me q
twinge Of conscience to put q bali
through that slick scoundrel Reinhart.
Yes, and that hired cur Of his, too,
who prostitutes a good family name
and position, and an inherited ability
the Almighty intended for more hon.
est uses than the trapping Of victims
on whose purses his gutter-born mas
ter has set lecherous eyes. And, Jim,
as l listened, a troop of old friends
invaded my memory-friendN whom /
have not seen since before l went to
Harvard, friends with whom / spent
many a happy hour in my old Virginia
home, friends born of my imagination,
stalwart, rugged crusaders, who car
ried the sword and the cross and the
banner inscribed For Honor and for
Cod Old friends who would troop
into my boyhood and trumpet, Bob,
don't forget, when you're a man, that
the goal is honor, and the code: Do
unto your neighbor as you would have
your neighbor do unto you. Don't for
get that millions Is the crest Of the
groundlings.' And, Jim, l thought my
friends looked at me with ~reproachful
eyes, as they said. You are well on the
road, Bob BROMLEY; and in time your
heart and soul will bear the hallmark
Of the snaky S on the two upright
bars, and you will be but a frenzied
fellow in the Dirty Dollar army Jim,
Jim Randolph, as 1 listened to that
agonizing tale of the changing Of that
girls heaven to hell, l did not see that
halo you and l have thought surround
ed the sign Of Randolph & Randolph.
l did not see it, Jim, but l did see my
self, and ! didn't feel proud of the
picture. Ny God, Jim, is it possible
you and / have, Joined the nobility OF
Dirty Dollars? Is it possible we are
leaving trails along our life's path like
that Reinhart left through the homo
Of these Virginians, such trails as this
girl has shown me?"
Bob had worked himself into a state
Of frenzy. I had eve seen him so ex-
cited as when he stood in front of me
and almost shouted this fierce self
denunciation.
For heavens sake, Bob, pull your
self together urged. "The captain
on the bridge there is staring at you
wild-eyed, and Katherine will be up
here to see what has happened. Now,
be a good fellow, and let us talk this
thing over in a sensible way. At the
gait you are going we can do nothing
to help out your friends. Besides,
what is there for you and me to take
ourselves to task for? We are no
wreckers and none of our dollars Is
stained with Frenzied Finance. My
father, as you know, despised Reinhart
and his sort as much as we do. Be
yourself. What does this girl want
you to do? If 1t is anything in reason,
call it done, for you know there is
nothing I won't do for you at the ask
ing"
Bob's hysteria oozed. He dropped
on the rail seat at my side.
II know it, Jim, l know it, and you
must forgive me. The fact is, Beulah
Sands story has aroused a lot Of
thoughts I have been a-sticking down
cellar late years, for, to-tell the truth,
| have some nasty twinges of con-
science every now and then when l
get to thinking of this dollar game Of
ours"
I saw that the impulsive blood was
fast cooling, and that it would only be
a question Of minutes until Bob would
be his clear-headed self.
NOW, what Is it she wants you to
do?" l persisted. rs 1t a case of
money, of trying to tide her father
over?'
Nothing Of the kind, Jim. You
don't know the proud Virginia blood.
Neither that girl nor her father would
accept money help from any one. They
would go to smash and the grave
first"
He paused and thens continued i'm
pressively:
This is how she puts it. She and
her father have raked together her
different legacies and turned them
into cash, a matter Of $4,000; and
she got him to consent to let her
come up here to see if during the next
six months she might not, in a few
desperate plunges in the market, run
it up to enough to at least regain the
trust funds. Yes, l know it is a wild
idea. | told her SO at the beginning
but there was no need; she knew IT.
for she is not only bright, but she
has the best idea of business l ever
knew a woman to. have. But it is
their only chance, Jim, and while !
listened to her argument l came
around to her way Of thinking"
But how did she happen to come
to you with this extraordinary