The Tupelo journal., 1909-04-30
CHAPTER x.-continued.

HE isn't a very COnnQ1nS man. l.
didn't see him often. My dealings
were with Atkins. He didn't know
that | had found him out; he thought
that he had only to explain his two
names, and expected gratitude for his
warning, as he called it. He is Shiny;
but / was able to repay a little of my
score with him. l was employed by
more than Keatcham, and / saw a
good many industrial b~ack-yards. Just
chance, l came on a clew, and Endy
Tracy and l worked it up together.
Atkins was selling information to
Keatcham's enemies. We did not
make out a complete case, but enough
of one to make Keatcham suspect him,
and at the right time. But that hap
uened later-you see, | don't know
how to tell a story wen with SO much
at stake" He pulled out his handker-
chief, and Winter caught the CLEAN of
the beads on his sallow forehead. 1T
was this way" he went on. cat first
l was only looking about for a safe
chance to kill him, and to kill that
snake of an Atkins; but then it grew
on me; it was all too easy a punish
ment-just a quick death, when his
victims had years of misery. / wanted
him to wade through the hell l had
to wade through. / wanted him to
know why he was condemned. Then
it was | began to collect just the cases
| knew about-just one little section
of the horrible swath of agony and hui
initiation and poverty and sin he and
his crowd had made-the n l knew
every foot of, because I'd gone over
it every night | wasn't so dead tired /
had to sleep. God! do you know what
it is to have the people who used to
be running out of their houses just to
say howdy to you, curse you for a
swindler or a fool or turn out of one
street and down the other not to pass
you? Did you eve have a little wom-
an who used to give you frosted cake
when you were a boy push her Grape
veil off aer gray hair and hand you the
envelope with her stock, with your
handwriting On the envelope, and beg
you--trying so hard not to cry, twas
worse than if she had-beg you to lend
her Just half her interest money-and
you couldn't do it? Did you-never
mind. l said l waded through hell.
/ did! Not l alone-that was the
worst-all the people that had trusted
me! And just that some rich men
have the lions share? The lions
share belongs to the lion. They are
nothing but ~jackals. They're meaner
than jackals, for the jackals take what
the lion leaves, and these fellows steal
the lions meat away from him. We
made honest money; we paid honest
wages; folks had more paint on their
houses and more meat in their store
houses, and wore better clothes Sun
day, and there were more schoolhouses
and fewer saloons, and the negroes
were learning a trade instead of loaf
ing. The whole county was the better
off for our prosperity, and there isn't a
mill in the outit-and / know what
Tn talking about-there isn't a shop
or a mine that's as well run or makes
as big an output now as it did when
the old crowd was in. You find it that
way everywhere; and that's what is
going to break things down. We saw
to all the little affairs; they were our
affairs, don't you know? But Keatch-
ANS new men draw their salaries and
let things slide. Yet Keatcham is a
great manager il he would only take
the time; only he's too busy stealing
to develop his businesses; there's more
money in stealing a railway than in
building one up. Oh, he isn't a fool;
if / could once get him where he would
have to listen, / know I could make
him understand. He's pretty cold
blooded, and he doesn't realize. He
only sees straight ahead. not all
around, like all these superhumanly |
clever thieves; they have mighty stu
pid streaks. Well, I've got him now,
and 1t is kill or cure for him. He cant
make a rifle. / knew | couldn't do
anything alone; ! had to wait. had