The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1911-04-08

Why had she attacked him 50 bitterly
At first it occurred to him that black.
Elail might be her object. She might
be going to ask for money as the price
Of future silence. Yet it needed but
glance at her refined and modest de-,
meanor to dispel that idea as absurd.
Then he remembered, too, that it was
not she who had sought this interview,
but himself. No, she was no black
mailer. More probably she was
dreamer-one of those meddling sociol-
ogists who, under pretense Of bettering
the conditions Of the working classes,
stir up discomfort and bitterness of
feeling. As such she might prove more
to be feared than mere blackmailer
whom he could buy off with money.
He knew he was not popular, but he
was no worse than the other captains
Of industry. 1t was a cutthroat game
at best. Competition was the soul of
commercial life, and If he had outwit-
ted his competitors and made himself
richer than all Of them he was not q
criminal for that. But all these at
tacks in newspapers and books did not
do him any good. One day tho people
might take these demasogic writings
seriously, and then there would be the
devil to pay. He took up the book again
and ran over the pages. This certain
~ was no ordinary girl. She knew
more and had more direct way Of
saying things than any woman he had
ever met. And as he watched her
furtively across the desk he wondered
how he could use her-how instead of
being his enemy he could make her his
friend. II he did not, she would go
away and write more such books, and
literature of this kind might become a
real peril to his interests. Money could
do anything. 1t could secure the serv-
ices Of this woman and prevent her do
ing further mischief. But how could
he employ her? Suddenly an inspira-
ton came to him. For some years he
had been collecting material for his
tory Of the Empire Trading company.
She could write it. It would practical
~ be his own biography. Would she
undertake it?
Embarrassed by the long silence.
Shirley finally broke in by saying:
But you didn't ask me to call mere
~ to find out what I thought Of my
own work.
NO." replied Ryder slowly, II want
you to do some work for me-"
He opened a drawer at the lefthand
side of his desk and took out several
sheets of foolscap and number Of let
tiers. Shirley's heart beat faster as
she caught sight Of the letters. Were
her fathers among them? She
wondered what kind of work John
Burkett Ryder had for her to do and
II she would do 1t whatever it was.
Some literary work probably, compI-
ing or something Of that kind. II It
was we'll paid, why should she not
accept? There would be nothing hui
initiating in it; it would not tie her
hands in any way. She was a profess
sional writer in the market to be en-
ployed by whoever could pay the price.
Besides, such work might give her bet
ter opportunities to secure the letters
of which she was in search. Gather
ing In one pile all the papers he had
removed from the drawer, Mr.. Ryder
said:
II want you to put my biography to-
gether from this material. But first"
he added, taking UP 1.-THE American
Octopus II want to know where you
got the details of this mans life"
"Oh, for the most part-imagination,
newspapers, magazines" replied Shir-
ley carelessly, "You know the Amer
lean millionaire is very overworked
topic just now-and naturally I've
read
Eyes, understand" he said, "but
refer to what you haven't read-what
you couldn't have read For example,
here" He turned to page marked
in the book and read aloud: AS an ev1-
dence Of his petty vanity, when a
youth he had beautiful Indian girl
tattooed just above the forearm" Ry.
der leaned eagerly forward as he asked
her searchingly, "Now who told you
that had my arm tattooed when
was a boyT'
"Have you?" laughed Shirley nerv.
ously. "What curious coincidencev'
"Let me read you another coinci-
dence," said Ryder meaningly. He
turned to another part Of the book and
read, "the same eternal long black
cigar always between his lips
General Grant smoked, too," inter-
rupted Shirley. "All men who think
deeply along material lines seem to
smoke
well, We'll let that go. But how
about this?" He turned back q few
pages and read: John Broderick had
loved when a young man a girl who
lived in Vermont, but circumstances
separated them" He stopped and
stared at Shirley moment, and then
he said: Il loved girl when I was
q lad and she came from Vermont, and
circumstances separated US. That isn't
coincidence, for presently you make
John Broderick marry young woman
who had money. married girl with
money" -. e.