The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1907-07-03

smile playing around the corners OF
the plutocrat's mouth as he picked up q
book lying on his desk and replied:
''Yes, she wrote you, but WANTED
to see you about this"
Shlrley's pulse throbbed faster, but
she tried hard to appear unconcerned
as she answered.
"Oh. my book Have YOU read itg"
81 have" replied Ryder slowly, and,
fixing her with a stare that was begin
ming to make her uncomfortable, he
went on: "No doubt your time is vnl-
liable, SO III come right to tie point.
| want to ask you Miss Green, where
you got the character of your central
figure the Octopus, as you call him
John BrodericlxT'
'From imagination, of COURSE" an
swered Shirley.
Ryder opened the book, and Shirley
noticed that there were several pas
sages marked. He turned the leaves
over I'm silence for minute or two.
and then he said
You've sketched a pretty big man
here"
Yes assented Shirley; che has big
possibilities, but think he makes very
small use of them"
Ryder appeared not to notice her
commentary, and, stlll reading the
book he continued;
"On page % you call him the worlds
greatest individunlized potentiality a
giant combination of materiallty, men
tally and money-the greatest exem-
plar of individual human will in ex-
istence. today And you make Indom-
table viii and energy the keystone OF
his marvellous success. Am rghtT
He looked at her questioningly
quite right" answered Shirley.
Ryder proceeded:
"On page 20 you say the machinery
OF his money making mind typlfes the
laws of perpetual unrest. 1t must go
on releutlessly, resistlessly. ruthlessly
making money, making money. and
continuing to make money. u cannot
stop until the machinery crlSSbes'
Laying the book down aud turning
SHARPLY on Shirley, he asked her blunt
ly:
"Do you mean to say that couldn't
stop tomorrow IL wanted top
She affected TO not understaad him.
"You?" she inquired in tone of sur
prise.
"Well, it's a natural question" STAN
mered Ryder, with nervous little
laugh. Every man sees himself in
the hero of novel just as every wo-
man sees herself in the heroine We
are all heroes and heroines in our own
eyes. But tell me what's your private
opinion of this man. You drew the
character What do you think of him
as a type-how would you classify
himfp
"As the greatest criminal the world
has yet produced" replied Shirley
without moments hesitation.
The finaneier looked at the girl in
unfeigned astonshment.
"CrlminalI" he echoed.
yes, criminal" repeated Shirley de.
cislvely "He is avarice, egotlsm and
ambition incarnate. He loves money
because he loves power, and he loves
power more than his fellow man."
Ryder laughed uneasily. Decidedly
this girl had opinions.Qf hey own which
she was not backward to express.
Isn't that rather strongf' he asked.
81 don't think SO. replied Shirley.
Then quickly she asked: "But what
does IL matter? No such man exists"
no, of course not" said Ryder, and
he relapsed into sile,ice.
Yet while he said nothing the pluto
crat was watching his visitor closely
from under his thick eyebrows She
seemed supremeg unconscious Of his
scrutiny Her aristocratic, thoughtful
face gave no sign that any uterior mo.
tive had actuated her evidently very
hostile attitude against him. That he
was in her mind when she drew the
character of John Broderlck there was
no doaht possible. No matter how she
might wade the identification, he was
convinced he was the hero OF her book.
Why had she attacked him so bitterly2
At first 1t occurred 10 him that black
mail might be her object She might
be going 70 ask for money as the price
OF future silence. Yet II needed but
glance at her refined and modest de-
meanor 10 dlspel that idea as absurd
Then he remembered. too, that II was
not she who had sought this Interview,
but himself No, she was no black
mailer More probably she was a
dreumer- one OF those meddling sociol-
ogists who, under pretense OF betterIng
the conditions Of the working classes,
stir up discomfort and bitterness Of
feeling AS such she might prove more
20 be feared than mere blackmaller
whom he cenld buy OF with money.
He knew ne was not popular. but he
was no worse than The other captains
OF industry II was a cutthroat game
at best. Competition was the soul OF
commercial life, and IL he had 0utwit-
ted his competitors and made himself
richer than ali Of them be was not q
criminal for that But az these at
sacks in newspapers aud books did not
do him any good. One day the people
might take these demagogic writings
seriously, and then there would be the
devil 10 pay. He took up the book again
and ran over the pages. This certain
lr was no cr4IfnotrV e,irl ch. i-......,