Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1912-11-13

WOrlO VINO q ul0 kS ne Cdu 90 as u0
tpleases In this town will wake some
morning with a decided jolt. The war
tor financial supremacy has developed
a secret service which approaches per-
lection. Not only do systematically
watch my employees until l know ev-.
cry crook and turn Of their lives. but
I watch with even greater care the
heads Of every rival Arm In every de-
partment of the Industrial world where
my interests touch theirs. .s.s-
II not only watch the heads Of firms;
I watch their trusted assistants and
confidential men, In that big safe .
thousand secrets lie locked whose rev.
citation would furnish matter enough to
run the yellow journals for the next
I've years. Modern business Is war.
the fercest and most cruel the world
has ever known. 1t Is of greater i'm
portance to a modern captain of in
dustry to know the plans Of his enemy
than it ever was to the commanding
general of an opposing army"
II see." Stuart responded thought
fully.
'"rhere are men down there in the
street now" Bivens went on drea mily.
who are wearing silk hats today for
whom the prison tailor is cutting suit
l have their records In that silent little
steel clad room, It's pitiful thing
bnt it's life.
1.-THE scarcest thing in New York to-
day. Jim. is the man who can't be
bought and sold. The thing that's he
yond price in the business world Is
character combined with brains
That's why I made you the offer l did
There are positions today in New York
with a salary of half a million a year
waiting for men who can ill them. II
l could find one man Of the highest or
der of creative and executive ability
who would stand by me in my enter
prises could be the richest man In
the world in ten years."
| Stuart lifted his eyes from the rec
ord he was casually scanning and
smiled into Rtvens' dark. serious face
The look silenced the speaker. TIL
little man knew instinctively that Stu
art was at that moment weighing bis
own life and character by the merciless
standard he bad set up for others
Judged by conventional laws. he had
nothing to fear. He was faithful.
member of his church. He gave lib
orally to its work and gave generous
~ to a hundred worthy charities. Ht
loved his wife with old fashioned 10y
atty and tenderness and grieved that
she was childless. He stood by his
friends and fought his enemies, asking
no quarter and giving none.
| Yet in his heart of hearts he knew
that. however loftily he might dis
course at present about character
"honor.' Integrity" and "fair deal
ing" he had stolen the formula from
his big hearted employer. Woodman
! of his fortune. 1t was the first half
million that came hard 1t was this
first half million that bore the stain OF
| shame.
His other questiOnab bile acts on which
| the fate Of millions had often hung be
had no difficulty in justifyfng. Bust
ness was war. -
Bivens waited for Stuart to speak.
The moment was one big with fate.
, Stuart was about to reach 4 decision
that would make history. No one
knew so well its Importance as the
keen intellect that cleaned behind the
little black eyes watching with tire.
less patience. Below he could hear
the roar Of the city's life Men bought
and sold with no fear Of tomorrow.
Yet single word from the lips of the
tall. clean shaved young officer of the
law and storm would break which
might tear from the foundations insti-
tutions on whose solidity modern civ
tliZation seemed to rest.
"Well, JIM" Bivens said at length.
you are going to act?'
Stuart rose abruptly, his reply sharp
and clear:
Eyes, I'm going to act.''
"At once?"
''1t's my duty"
blVenS graSped MS nanQ.
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 80 pain
full thing. But my business is the
enforcement of justice. There's one
thing 1 still can't Enthusiastically
you Of all men on earth should have
put this Information in my hands. The
honor of the achievement, IL 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?"
Blvens' black eyes twinkled.
mot by the widest leap Of my imag-
nation"
The twinkle broadened into q smile
as the lawyer continues: ,
"Your code Is simple, Cal. There's
no provision in it for dfsinterested ef-
fort for others. This time you've got
me up 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