Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-06-16

vaguely What was IN the nina OF the
tall, quiet man that provoked smile
at such a serious moment.
AI He wondered particularly whether
the lawyer could have suspected his
hobby, for he had one of the most GU
rious-a collection of historic material
on the origin Of American fortunes.
The origin of his own had early made
Bivens suspect that all great fortunes
which had mounted into millions, like
his own, may have been built in their
first foundations on fraud. He on
ldered if Stuart had by any accident
stumbled on this information. Even
If he had he could not understand his
/. real motive in such an investigation,
. and yet the lazy smile with which he
looked up from that record was dis
concerting.
Bivens waited for him to speak. The
moment was one big with fate. Stuart
was about to reach a decision that
would make history. No one knew so
we'll its Importance as the keen in
tellect that cleaned behind the little
black eyes watching with tireless pa
tience.
Bivens was the one odd man in a
thousand who knew that big events
were not to be found in earthquakes,
tornadoes and battles. He had long
since learned that the events which
shake the world are always found in
the silent hours when the soul of a
single man says, y will"
Below he could hear the roar Of the
city's life. On the Curb brokers were
shouting their wares with their ac-
customed gusto. On the floor Of the
| Exchange the tide of business ebbed
and flowed with the fierce pulse of an
apparently exhaustless strength. Men
bought and sold with no fear, of to-
morrow. Yet a single word from the
lips of the tall, clean -shaven young
officer of the law and a storm would
break which might tear from the foun-
dations institutions on whose solidity
modern civilization seemed to rest
The silence at length became suf-
i locating to Bivens. He moistened his
lips and drew his smooth fingers softly
over his silky beard.
well, Jim," he said at legth. You
are going to act?"
In the moments pause the little
swarthy body never moved, his breath
ceased and every nerve quivered with
the strain and yet he betrayed nothing
to the man who sat before him, ST.
lent, thoughtful.
Stuart rose abruptly, his reply sharp
and clear.
Yes, I'm going to act"
AT once?"
It's my duty
Bivens grasped his hand.
II congratulate you, Jim. You are
going to do a big thing, one of the
biggest things in our history. You
are going to teach the mighty that the
law is mightier. 1t ought to land you
at the very top in politics or any other
old place you'd like to climb"
That's something which doesn't in
terest me yet, Cal. The thing that
stuns me Is that I've got to do so
painful a thing. But my business is
the enforcement of justice. There's
one thing still can't understand"
i He paused and looked at Bivens Gu
riously.
What's that?" the financier softly
asked.
why you of all men on earth
/ u "a, inf in INV
hands The honor of the achievement,
If good shall come to the country, is
really yours. not mine"
And you can't conceive of my act
ing for the country's good"
Bivens's black eyes twinkled.
Not by the widest leap of my i'm
agination."
The twinkle broadened into a smile
as the lawyer continued:
i Your code is simple, Cal. There's
no provision in it for disinterested ef-
fort for others. Few financiers of
modern times can conceive of sane
man deliberately working for the
good of the people as against his own.
In your face, there has never been
any doubling, any perpleXity, since
YOU made your first strike in New
York. Behind your black eyes there
has always glowed the steady, deadly
purpose of the man who knows eX-
actly what he wants and how he is
, got me up a tree. You have rendered
|. the people a great service. You have
placed me under personal obligations.
But how you are going to get anything
out of it is beyond me-"
| "Oh, I'll have my reward, my boy, "
; Bivens answered jovially, as his dain-
ty fingers again stroked his beard,
pressing his mustache back from the
thin lips, "and l assure you it will
not he purely spiritual"
The door had scarcely closed on
Stuart when Bivens pressed the but
ton which called his confidential sec
retary.
In a moment the man stood at his
, elbow with the tense erect bearing of
: an orderly on the field of battle. The
quick nervous touch of the masters
I hand on that button had told to his
> sensitive ears the story of coming
? life and death struggle. His words
came with sharp nervous energy:
' Yes, sir?"
t The financier slowly drew the big
l cigar from his mouth and spoke in low
! tones:
I "A meeting of the Allied Bankers
) here i'm 80 minutes. No telephone mes
4 sages A personal summons to each.
3 They enter one at time that no one
on the outside sees them come. You
$ understand"
/ Il understand"
Bivens raised his finger in warning.
I Your life on the issue"
Trembling with excitement the sec
= retarv turned and quickly left the