The Washington herald., 1908-06-11
CHAPTER XVIII.

Nandraken had completely forgotten
Bulpitt and the Analgamated Society OF.
Corporation Presidents. but they had not
forgotten him. Bulpitt. on his return
made a complete report on Vandraker.
and the threats he had made that be
would use the money he had received
from the American people 10 buy back
America for them. The matter was laid
before their psychological expert. who
had made the Arst report on the young
millionaire, and he mad written an ex-
haustlve treatise on the subject. showing
that the reactionary tendencies cropping
out IN Nandraken were exactly what
might have been expected. and that he
was extremely likely, should his brain
survive the life he was leading. 10 use
1t IN combination with his vast wealth
along the lines he had threatened.
He showed that the young man was the
pendulum Of concentrated wealth swung
! In one direction as far as it would go.
and that IL be failed 10 dissipate that
/ wealth-which was extremely probable.
owing TO its tremendous buIk-the usual
safety valve having failed TO work. the
/ pendulum would swing back destructive
/ ly over the space II had covered in its
] upward movement.
} The logic OF this was plain Ia Bulpltr
/ and company. the rebel millionaire must
+ be dispossessed OF his millions and thus
/ rendered harmless
/ Fierce competition. vast resources Of
raw material To be handled for q giant
/ and exUberant young nation, have Great
! ed in America brains TO match. Compe-
\ ution having been organized out Of exist
/ ence, raw materials running in ordered
/ channels. which work Ike syphons. must.
] IN another generation. do away with the
giant brains which this one has called
I Into existence. but the men who were
/ AT the head Of the Amalgamated Society
/ Of Corporation Presidents were Of the
/ giant type. In a very few weeks a Won
derfully devised system was in fun work
/ ing order for the destruction of the reb-
/ els fortune.
Curious movements IN the stock mar
ket shook the equauimity Of operator
. who were playing the game on the good
/ Old lines. Unexpected rushes. I'D and
. down. OF certain stocks. more particularly
those in the metal group. had made con-
/ Nersation very interesting to spectators.
and increased the custom Of the Walled
/ off PaS-oria bar. A bull movement in in
. dustrials seemed 70 be willing on the
stem. Rumors began to leak out ac-
counting and discounung the gradual de-
cline in metal stocks and bonds which
/ followed the puzzling rushes The ma
/ chinery, for instance, on which the bill
lions Of capitalization were based was
worn out and a vast bond issue. at high
rates Of interest, was contemplated. 70
I replace the said useless plants. It leaked
/ out that the supposed inexhaustible
mines were in sight Of hard pan The
( labor leaders were holding 4 conference.
I the object OF which. IL was rumOred. was
/ 20 demand q rise IN wages which would
/ absorb all earnings except 6 per cent on
! the real value OF the plants on the very
| best authority ii became known that
I dividends were about % be suspended
! The lower the price. the more ominous
the rumors, till the CHASTITY suggestion of
nonpayment Of interest on bonds, and a
receivership, was referred TO in hoarse
whispers.
Nandralen never even looked at stock
market quotations. All he knew was
| that his income came in faster than he
/ could spend IL; and as for the integrity Of
his agents, were they not among the most
respected business men In New York?
But shortly after his arrival az DOnoyle
he was shocked TO hear that his most
/ trusted man Of business had committed
I suicide, as the result Of bankruptcy.
| caused by the tremendous shrinkage in
l values of metal stocks. BY the same post
he learned that the dividend on the COM
mon. stock had ceased, and an anony-
nous letter informed him that he had
better look into his affairs and recall
certain powers Of attorney. He consulted
Dashmore. who tghtened his lips and
looked very thoughtful when ne had mas
tered the contents Of the letters
There's something doing. Van. Some
body is trying 10 do you dirt: and what s
more. they have got you on the run. II
don't matter how big a wall is. II YOU
pull the right bricks from under Il. down
comes the wall. Now you thought that
was all a joke about Bulpitt. but I ex-
pect you'll find some connection between
that joke and this tapping the letter re-
ferring 20 the bankrupts suicide. They
got the poor devil all snarled up, and he
woke up one morning TO find ne was a
rogue. The writer of this anonymous let
ter knew what he was talking about
when he advised you TO look into your
affairs. II l were you, I'd certainly 70
10 New York"
THE fact is" rejoined Vandraken. iu
a troubled voice I'm afraid 70 leave. ]
feel l am losing my grip. as 1t is. It may
be only Imagination, but Kitty hasn't
been the same since we came here In
stead Of looking at newell, you know
how n girl does look when everything
all right-she looks at me as II 1 was a
bridge problem. and something is troub-
ling her.
Seen toe much OF you. old man. They
can, you know. It's not complimentary 70
Us, but they can. Give her a rest. You