The Washington herald., 1908-06-01
CHAPTER XVI-COntinued.


from the Indian ryot. az cents a day, TO
the American laborer at Il dollar and a
half They each get the existence to
which they are accustomed. and the
American laborer Is no unnappIer, on his
bacon and beefsteak. than the ryot on
his rice. As long as they set this exist
ence they will not revolt because StaIdish
Vandral1en is devoting his life and his
money to unconcealed dissipation 1t Is
nothing to them. They are the people to
whom is transferred all The results Of life
which the classes above Will not bear: the
being grimy, the being manned. the grow
ing calloUs and brutalized. The classes
above them get-cert2in good things out of
life; In fact. they are paid FOR their efforts
In the currency of life instead OF the cur
rency Of existence; they can afford 10 hire
class below them 70 cave grimy faces,
that they may have clean faces; u be, in
fact. their scapegoats. fkey never rec
ognize their own CRIME or the faces OF
their scapegOats-it Is too scattered for
Identification; so they do not recognize
any part Of themselves In class they
see as little OF as possible Above them
comes your class Of great capitalists, the
plutocrat class. who, in their turn. see as
little Of the middle class as possible In
your class. again, they cannot see the de-
fects OF their own lives reflected. because.
again, II is too much scattered Il IS a.
though man never saw himself reflected
as whole in ole mirror. but fragments
OF himself In fragments Of mirrors, and.
thus seeing. never realized there we're
SHUTS on his face. But imagine q state
OF affairs where a man has invented a
method Of passing on 10 some other man
all the defects Of his life. so that ne can
look with smile into any mirror, and
then, after years Of defective lifc unex-
pectedly meet his scapegOat. and see on
that wrecked visage the reflection Of his
own grimy soul. His impulse would be 10
stamp IL out Of existence-to break the
mirror"
Vandraken let the paper futte- 10 the
floor.
That's strange" he muttered Here's
a chap putting forward as q supposititious
case the very thing I have done! These
things must be in the air. unless Won Tar
senheim has been in the habit OF talking
about his invention. Perhaps he has He
picked up the paper and continued read
ing:
The danger, then, 70 the existing social
system Of America Is this, The great mid
die class. who are the real motive power
OF any country, may see themselves and
| the consequences Of themselves reflect d
in Standish Vandraken-of course. fright
| fully exaggerated. and carried 10 ex-
tremes, even caricatured-as IA a convey
mirror. but still a mirror II is thisfresulr
Of conscience which may start reform
wave. fury ~ egophobia among IN,
! American people. which Will sweep away
e everything in a mad rush TO get back tC
the sir. Pile wholesome atmosphere which
is their real ideal"
That psychological author has certain
y been making a study Of me-" muttered
Nandraken. "As far as I can see the life
! am leading makes me a benefactor. a
refoTmcr. a species of Martin Luther. But
that won't prevent BUipitt & Co. from
trying for my scalp. unless I get Bulp:tt's
| first"
| He rang the bell and sent for Ben. Thai
| faithful detective was watching at the
door OF the palace. and had noticed Bull
| pitt go out. He was aware that he haS
been calling on HIS master, therefor,
noted him thoroughly.
"Ab. Ben" said Vandraken to the de
| teCtive, genially, that was a dangerou.
man you admitted just now. I was il
terror OF my life"
Come. Mr.. Vandraken. you must b,
] Joking! That was Mr.. Bulpitt, the Amer
/ lean footwear king"
THAT king has sentenced me to death
Ben. He is going 20 have mo assasSinatet
| because won't go back TO America and
abandon my evil ways"
You win have your joke. won't you
Mr. Vandraken?'
But it's a fact Ben, He is going tC
turn my case over 10 the strong-arm de
| partment. You ought 70 know what tina
means"
Ben nodded and looked serious.
Il told him 7 would put a price on his
! head. What price would you suggest?
/ had thought Of getting you to arrange
the matter with one Of those anarchist
societies. AS head Of a sOulless corpora.
ton. they can condemn Bulpitt 10 death
and 1 would make a liberal contribution
10 the funds Of the society-say ten thou
sand pounds"
'Lor', Mr.. vandraken. you must b,
/ joklngT'
Joking be damned, I'm serious. Ben
/ That chap. Bulpitt. viii arrange for M
/ demise If I don't arrange for his first
/ But IL you don't think it's any bushes.
Of yours. I'll get somebody else to lool
after II for me-"
"Oh. Of course. If it's a case OF YOU,
/ life against his. I'm bound 10 help you
sir; but It do seem a little what you Nigh
call cold-blOoded," answered the detective
sulkily. Still. I know some Of these an
archists-a little crowd that used 10 be II
New Jersey-thcyN be glad OF the job
But they're a messy lot. these anarchists
Il -
ship just to get one man"
Il won't have that" said Vandraken
THE ten thousand will be contributed
only in case they get Bulpitt without
damaging whole families. You must in.
sist on that. Ben. Whyi-hello. Ancestor
Lord Ancestor had strolled into the
room.
Just back from Scotland ne observed
"That'n do. Ben" said vandrake1
You know what to do"
Yes. Mr. Vandraken. I'll see what
can do. Good afternoon. sir. Good after
noon, your lOrdshipr' and the detective
withdrew.
What's up nOw?" asked Lord Ancestor
and Vandrakeu told him. and explained
his plans for Bulr.tt's undoing.
you don't mean to say you are going
10 have the poor devil assassinated7 You
don't mean TO say you are going to have
his blood on your Oh. forgot. You
haven't one! Well. on my conscience!
won't have lido you hear? Dissipate
day and night IL you must, but murder
that's going too fart
Murder! What rot! The man will set
me IL 1 don't get him."
That's it," broke out Lord Ancestor
eontemptuously. 'Ths old story Each
afraid the other will shoot first. A cow
ard panic-the impulse that causes halt
the shootings. Call of that bloodhound
Of yours Do you hear? Send after hin
row."
Vandraken rang the bell sulklly and
issued the necessary orders. The detec-
tive came back into the room.
.aIlnr, - .nla l ord AncAslAr 60 $40 n 70