The leader-enterprise. [volume] (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1912-1915, 1912-12-10
The Root
OF Evil
By THOMAS DIXON
Copyright. 1911. by Thomas
Dixon
By THOMAS DIXON
SYNOPSIS


ems methods and refuses. Btvens calls
on him.
Woodman will not Yield and sues Bivens'
company. The promoter tells the doctor
he and Nan are engaged. Harriet Wood
man II studying music. Stuart takes Nan
for q day In the country.
stuart pleads with Nan to give up Biv-
ems. but the spell Of millions Is on her and
she yields to 1t.
Nan becomes Mrs. Bivens. Harriet
loves Stuart, but he does not know 1t.
Nine years pass. Stuart becomes district
attorney. He investigates criminal trusts.
Nan asks him to call.
Stuart wants Woodman to end his suit
against BiVens. but the doctor stands
Arm. Bivens aids Stuart in his inYesti-
cation Of crooked fiDanciers.
stuart's revelations aid in bringing on a
crisis Bivens promises to aid the Van
Dam Trust company. which Is Ill trouble
Woodman needs money badly.
In the stock market slump engineered
nv Bvens Woodman and many others
lose all. The trust company fails because
Bivens at command OF the money King,
Breaks his word. Stuart faces his critics
IN front of Bjyens' bank
aster about to hefall the gentlemen
who have been conducting the present
campaign In Wall street. Ii your sec
retary will report to me ut once with
the four millions you have set aside
f0r 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 | have thus honored are noW
iV.v ffN,, Iva hn a
They represent banking power TINT
is resistless mt the present moment.
when the Van Dam Trust closes Its
doors today n temporary panic viii
follow. We will give the gentlemen
who started this excitement a taste of
their own medicine, render a service
fo the nation and incidentally, OF
course, earn an honest dollar or tw"
for ourselves trust | have your
hearty support in this program"
Bivens again bowed low.
MY hearty support and my pro
foundest gratitude"
I'm expect your secretary with your
check for four millions within thirty
minutes
The king waved friendly gesture
Of dismissal. and the little dark figure
tremblingly withdrew. He had been
ordered to stab his associates.
Without moments hesitation he
gave the cruel orders that sent them
hurting over the precipice.
When the president OF the Van Dam
Trust company failed to receive the
promised millions from Bivens he call
ed his telephone and. receiving no an.
Swer, sprang into his automobile and
dashed downtown to the little main
office.
When the clerk at the door informed
him that Mr. Bivens cOnld not be seen
by any one. he drove back to the pala-
HAL house of his bank. smiled sadly
at the mob IN front Of Its huge pillars.
ordered its bronze doors closed, walked
around the corner to his home. locked
himself in his room and blew his brains
out.
For week the panic held the tinan
cial world in the grip of death. A doz
Gu banks had closed their doors and Il
scOre of men who had long boosted
their courage among men had died the
death OF towards when put TO the test.
One of the most curious results Of
the panic was the revulSi0n Of pop
llar feeling against the daring and
honest young officer of the law who
had rendered the greatest service to the
people wrought by any public servant
in generation He was hailed as the
arch traitor of the people the man who
had used his high office TO produce a
panic and carve Il fortune out of the
ruin OF millions whose deposits were
tied up in banks that might never again
open their doors.
Stuart. stung to deSpera ton by their
infamous charges, attempted at first
to repel them. He stopped at last in
disgust and maintained afterward
dignified silence.
From the first day OF the run BivenS
had laughed in the face of the crowd
that beSieged the door OF his big Broad
way bank. He stood on top of the
granite steps and shouted In their
faces: /
Come on, you dirty towards! I've
got your money inside waiting for you.
every dollar Of it-100 cents on the dol
larv-
The crowd made no reply. They
merely moved up in line In stoiid ST
lence a little closer to the door, Each
day this line had grown longer. Div
ens was not worrying The king had
spoken. The folly of these people in
their insane efforts to wreck Biven'S
bank was making impossible return
20 normal business
Stuart determined to face this crowd
aud have it out with them. He be
lieved that a bold appeal to their rea-
Son would silence his critics and :ilay
their insane fears lie told EiVens OF