Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-06-20

II hear that you are about to aid
the Van Dam Trust with four millions
in cash?"
Bivens smiled with pride.
MY secretary will deliver the mon
ey to the bank within an hour"
The king suddenly wheeled in his big
arm chair, raised his eyebrows and fix
ed the little man with stare that
froze the blood in his veins. When he
spoke at length his tones were smooth
as velvet.
IF l may give you a suggestion, Mr..
Bivens, l would venture to say that
the Van Dam Trust Company is be-
yond aid. The larger interests Of the
nation require the elimination of this
institution and its associates.
Il have heard good reports of you
and 1 wish to save you from the dis
aster about to befall the gentlemen
who have been conducting the present
in Wall street. If your Sec
retary will report to me at once with
the four millions you have set aside
for the Van Dam Company shall be
pleased to place your name on my ex-
ecutive council in the big movement
we begin today. The other gentlemen
whom l have thus honored are now
waiting for. me in the adjoining room.
They represent a banking power that
is resistless at the present moment.
when the Van Dam Trust closes its
doors today, a temporary panic will
follow. We will give the gentlemen
who started this excitement a taste
OF their own medicine, render a SER
vice to the nation, and, incidentally Of
course, earn an honest dollar or two
for ourselves. l trust l have your
hearty support in this programmed"
Bivens again bowed low.
MY hearty support and my pro-
foundest gratitude
"Ill expect your secretary with your
check for four millions within thirty
minutes"
The king waved a friendly gesture
of dismissal and the little dark figure
withdrew.
1t was not until he had reached the
seclusion of his own office that the
of the crisis through which
he had passed fully dawned on Bivens.
One Of the dreams of his life had been
to touch elbows with this mighty ruler
at whose name he had often trembled.
Today he had Joined the magic circle
of those about the throne. The place
had been bought at a fearful price.
But the end would justify the means.
No one knew with clearer perception
than he what the king meant by his
suggestions" They were orders. He
had been ordered to stab his asso-
ciates.
At first he had ragged in silent fury,
but as the king continued his wonder
full speech and revealed his generous
his anger had melted into
glowing gratitude.
After all, business means war;" he
exclaimed, "a war in which dog eat
dog and devil take the hindmost be-
comes sooner or later the supreme
law"
1t hurt to break his word-the pledge
he had made the president of the Van
Dam Company-but it was unavoid-
able. Their death warrant had already
been signed. His money would only be
sunk in the bottomless pit the king
had dug beneath them. He felt him
self for the moment in the grip Of
forces beyond human control, blind,
inevitable, overwhelming. The only
thing for a sane man to do was to
ride the storm and take care of him
self. He had found a place of safety.
And such a place-at the right hand
of the king himself.
He had dreamed of making a paltry
five millions when the raid on the
market had ended. Now his very soul
stood blinded by the splendor of the
vision before him. Beyond a doubt in
the holocaust which would follow the
days work he would more than treble
his entire fortune, perhaps multiply 1t
by four He could see 1t all before 1t
His slender hands trem-
bled as he fumbled his beard and his
bead eyes became two scintllating
points of light. The thirst for gold
was now a raging fever and his blood
molten fire. The lust for gain had
ceased to be human passion-it was
the hunger of a beast
Without a moments hesitation he
gave the cruel orders that sent his as
the day progressed he stood with one
hand on the tape of his private ticker
and the other holding the receiver of
the telephone which connected him
He received no word from friend or roe
without. Only the kings messenger
could reach him. He paused not a
moment for food or drink, and at 3
o'clock when the market closed he
stood with a hundred yards of tape
from the ticker coiled serpent like
about his legs, the wreck of empires
of wealth beneath his feet, his heart
still beating a single wild cry-"more,
more, more!"
What a day! In all the annals Of
mans inhumanity to his fellow-man
never were there more opportunities
for generosity, for kindly deeds and
noble acts of kingly heroism. Never
were so few recorded.
Martial war at least has for its JUS
tfication the flag and the life of a
nation for which 1t stands the gleam-
ing symbol in the sky, and in real war
they do not kill the wounded or fire on
women and children. Even the Turk
does not fire on a hospital. But in
this war which maniacs waged for
gold, they fire on women and children
without mercy and when night had
fallen they searched the field, dragged
out and stabbed to death the wound
ed,
When the president of the Van Dam
Il