Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1912-12-05

0A0 pIiSSIcSS luiHS we possess, ID TOO
short. ! can see you shoveling coal
through all eternity
But ! happen to be going to the
other place." Bivens broke in good ma
turedly.
Stuart looked at the pile of gold a
moment and then at Bivens and said
slowly:
well, If you do get there, Cal,
there's n thing certain, the angels
will all have to sleep with their pocket
books under their pillows"
Bivens' eyes sparkled and a smile
played about the hard lines Of his
mouth. In spite of It's doubtful ma
ture he enjoyed the tribute to his
financial genius beneath the banter of
his friends joke. With a gesture Of
conscious dignity he turned to the
table and quietly said:
you will find on this table exactly
$9O,OO0,00O. Within an hour you can
examine each division Of coin, stocks
and bonds and bear witness to the
truth OF my assertions. Pm going to
close that door and leave you here for
an hour"
"Alone with all that?'
oh. there's only one way out" Biv.
n laughed-'through my little recep.
ton room, and I'll be there. I'll meet
some of the gentlemen who are wait
ing. When you are satisfied or the ac-
curacy of my account, just tap on my
door and I'll join you Immediately. Do
the inspection carefully. It's Of grave
Importance, | shall call on you as q
witness by and by before that group
of newspaper men
When Stuart had satisfied himself of
the accuracy OF the count, he stood
gazing at the queer looking piles OF
yellow metal and richly tinted paper,
stunned by the attempt to realize the
enormous power over men which ii
represented. When the huge pile
should thrill with life at the touch OF
the deft fingers Of the master who
could grasp it's stunning force in hu5
man affairs, who could tell it's posi-.
bilities?
The age of materialism had dawned,
and the new age knew but one god,
whose temple was the market place.
A wave of bitterness swept his spirit,
and for the first time he questioned for
the briefest momen whether he had
missed the way in life. Only for a
moment. and then the feeling passed,
and in its place slowly rose a sense of
Qnrru racnrtro0nf oroirck pSroro orI
all his tribe. When the little swarthy
figure suddenly appeared in the door.
way his soul was in arms for the
struggle he knew coming.
well, you found I've not made a
mistaken"
mo To put 1t mildly. you will NJ.
be forced to apply to the charity bu
for any outside help this year..
"You have counted $9O,OO0,OO0 there
As l told you awhile ago. I've just be.
gun. I've schemes on foot that circle
the globe. I've made up my mind to
have you with me-. We won't discuss
terms now-that's q mere detail-the
thing is for us to get at the differences
between us. Now say the meanest and
hardest things you can think. l under,
stand"
my opinion, Cal, Of your business
methods are known to every one. They
say that the warriors of the Dakota
Indians used to eat the heart of a
fallen foe to increase their courage.
Your business methods haven't made
much progress beyond this stage, so far
as I can see."
Bivens stroked his silken beard with
a nervous, puzzled movement and said:
1.-THE passion for money, money for
its W sake. right or wrong, is the
motive power Of the modern world.
That's why l laugh at my critics and
sheer at threats. I am secure because
I've built my career on the biggest fact
Of the century,"
But" Stuart broke in. you don't
live. You are engaged in an endless
fight, desperate. cruel, mercenary-for
what?"
1.-THE game. man, the camel"
"Game? What game? To crush and
kill for the mere sake Of doing it, as a
sheep killing dog strangles fifty lambs
in a night for the fun Of hearing them
bleat?"
But, JIM" the little fnancier pro-
tested. 81 don't make men as they are,
nor did l make conditions"
you are a wrecker and not a
builder"
But is that true?" Bivens inter-
rupted eagerly. "Im organizing the
Industries of the world. l have
furthered the progress Of humanity"
eyes, in a way you have. And If
the price Of goods continues to rise
for another ten years as it has during
the past ten under your organizing the
human race will be compelled to make
still further progress. They will have
to move to another planet. Nobody
but a millionaire can live on this me
A day Of reckoning is bound to come.
But a millionaire dies every day. No
body knows. Nobody cares. Is such
a life at its best worth living? And
yours is never at its best. You can't
eat much. You don't sleep we'll and