Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1908-01-23
CHAPTER vIII.-continued.

VIII ~ w ~ DOb ? AAoAN AOHa a
hate to do 1t, but there is no other
hope"
| dropped the receiver and started
for Bob's Office. AS I went through
his c~ounting-room one Of the clerks
said, "They have just broken Anti.
Peoples to 80 on a bulletin that Tom
Reinhart's wife and only daughter
have been killed In ar automobile &C
cident at their place in Virginia. They
first had it that Reinhart himself was
killed. That has been corrected, al
though the latest word is that he is
FRUSTRATED"
l raped on Bob's private-offlce
door. l felt the coming struggle as /
heard his hoarse below, Come in"
He stood at the ticker, with the tape
in one hand, while with the other he
held the telephone receiver to his ear.
My God, what a picture for a stage!
His magnificent form was erect, his
feet were as firmly planted as if he
were made Of bronze, his shoulders
thrown back as If he were withstand
ing the rush of the Stock Exchange
hordes, his eyes afire with a sullen,
s%mouldering blaze, his jaw was set in
a way that brought into terrible relief
the new hard lines of desperation
that had recently come into his face.
His great chest was rising and falling
as though he were engaged in a physi-
cal struggle; his perfect-ftting, heavy
black Melton cutaway coat, thrown
back from the chest, and a low,
rundown white collar formed the
setting for a throat and head that re-
minded one of a forest monarch at
bay on the mountain crag awaiting
the coming of the hounds and hunters.
hesitated at the threshold to catch
my breath, as | took in the terrific
figure. Had Bob BROMLEY been an
enemy of mine l should have backed
more than my fair share of cowardice.
Inwardly | thanked God that Bob was
in his office instead of on the floor Of
the Exchange. His whole appearance
was frightful. He showed in every
line and lineament that he was a man
who would hesitate at nothing, even
at killing, if he should find O human
obstacle in his road ard his mind
should suggest murder. He was the
personification of the most awful mad
ness. Even when he caught sight Of
me, he hardly moved, although my
coming must have been a surprise.
$50 it is you, Jim Randolph, is it?
What brings you here?" His voice
was hoarse, but it had a metallic ring
that went to my marrow. Bob Brown
ley in all the years Of our friendship
had never spoken to me except in
kind and loving regard. / looked at
him, stunned. l must have shown
gave no sign His eyes, looking
straight into mine, changed no more
than if he had been addressing his
deadliest enemy.
Again his voice rang out, What
brings you here? Do you come to
plead again for that bastard Reinhart
after the warning l gave your"
I clenched both hands until / felt
the nails cut the flesh of my palms. l
loved Bob BROMLEY. I would have
done anything to make him happy,
would willingly have sacrificed my
own life to protect his from himself
or others, but this mailman, this wild
brute, was no more Bob BROMLEY as
j had known him than the bowling
northeast gale Of December is the
gentle, welcome zephyr of August;
and | felt a resentment at his brutal
speech that / could hardly suppress.
With a mighty effort I crushed it
back, trying to think of nothing but
his awful misery and the Bob of our
college days.
| said in a firm voice, Bob, is this
The way to talk to me in your own Of
fice?" At any time before, my words
and tone would have touched his all
generous southern chivalry, but now
me said harshly-"To hell with senti-
ment. What" He did not take his
eyes from mine, but they told me that
he was listening to a voice in the re-
ceiver. Only for a second; then he
1et loose a wild laugh, which must
have penetrated to the outer office.
Eighty and coming like a spring
freshet," he said into the mouthpiece,
-'and the boys want to know if / won't
let up now that Reinhart is down?sGo
back and smother them with all they
will take down to 60. That's my an
swer. Tell them If Reinhart had ten
more wives and daughters and they
were all killed, I'd rend his damned
trust to help him dull his sorrow. Give
the word at every pole that I will
have Reinhart where he will curse
his luck that he wal not in the auto
1lobile with the rest of his tribe
"To hell with sentiment" He was
speaking to me again. what do you
want? II you are here to beg for
Reinhart and his pack Of yellow ours,
you've got your answer. / wouldn't
let up on that iendish hyena, not II
his wife and daughter and all the
dead wives and daughters Of every
System man came back in their
grave clothes and begged. I wouldn't
Het up a share" I gasped in horror.
When did these robbers Of men
and despoilers Of women and children
ever let up because Of death? When
were they ever known to wait even
till the corpse stiffened to pluck out
the hearts OF the victims? 1t is my
turn now, and If I let up a hair may /
yes, and Beulah, too, be damned,
eternally damned"
I could not stand 1t. If I stayed, J.