River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-03-27

pathy in Stuart's heart as II often had
As he drove uptown the avenue fash
ed with swift. silent automobiles and
blooded horses. These uptown crowds
through whose rushing streams he
passed were all well dressed and car
ried bundles OF candy. flowers and
toys.
Stuart felt the contagious enthusi-
asm Of thousands of prosperous men
and women whose lives at the moment
flowed about and enveloped his own.
What was 1t that made the difference
between the sqIalid atmosphere below
Fourth street and the glowing. fash
ing. radiant. jeweled world uptownf
Money! 1t meant purple and fine
linen, delicacies of food and drink,
pulsing machines that could make
a mile minute. the mountain and
the sea. freedom from care, fear,
drudgery and slaveryl
After all In this modern passion for
money might there not be something
deeper than mere greed, perhaps the
regenerating power of the spirit press.
Ing man upward? Certainly he could
see only the bright side Of it tonight.
AS his cab swung into Riverside
drive from Seventy-second street the
sight which greeted him was one of
startling splendor Bivens' yacht lay
at anchor in the river just In front OF
his house. She was festooned with
electric lights from the water line to
the top of her towering steel masts.
The illumination of the exterior or
the Bivens house was remarkable.
The stone and iron fence surround
ing the block. which had been built at
cost Of a hundred thousand dollars.
was literally ablaze with lights. The
house was illumined from it's founda
tons to the top Of each towering
minaret with ruby colored lights.
Stuart passed up the grand stairs
through q row Of gorgeous dunkies
and greeted his hostess.
Nan grasped his hand with smile
of joy.
"You are to lead me In to dinner.
Jim, at the stroke Of g."
"I'll not forget" Stuart answered,
his face flushing with surprise at the
unexpected honor.
"Cal wishes to see you at once. You
will find him in the library"
Bivens met him at the door.
"Ah, there you arew he cried cor
daily. Come back downstairs with
me. l want you to see some people
as they come in tonight. I've a lot
of funny things to tell you about
them"
The house was crowded with an
army Of servants, attendants, must
clans, singers, entertainers and re-
porters.
The doctor had been recognized by
one of the buffers whom he had be-
friended on his arrival from the Old
out of the way to, make him at home,
and in his enthusiasm had put an al
cove which opened off the ball room
at his and Harriet's disposal. The
doctor was elated at this evidence of
Bivens' good feeling and again con
graduated himself on his common
sense in coming.
Bivens led Stuart to a position near
the grand stairway, from which he
could greet his guests as they re
turned from their formal presentation
to the hostess.
He kept up a running fire of bio
graphical comment which amused
Stuart beyond measure. 1t was a rev
elation of the crooked ways In which
Bivens' guests or their fathers or grand
fathers had amassed their millions.
many of them by robbing the govern
ment, the people.
1.-The world has never heard most
Of these stories-that's funnyv Stuart
exclaimed after a time.
"Not so funny, Jim. when you think
of the power of money to make the
world forget. God only knows how
many fortunes in America had their
origin in thefts from the nation during
the civil war. and the systematic
frauds that have been practised on our
government since. I've turned some
pretty sharp tricks. Jim, In stalking
my game in this big man hunt of Wall
street, but at least I've never robbed
the wounded or the dead on battle
field and I've never used a dark Ian
tern to get into the government vaults
at Washington. I'm not asking you
to stand for that"
IF you did
Eyes, know the answer, but speak
softly, his majesty the king approaches
long live the king"
Bivens spoke in low, half joking
tones, but the excitement of his voice
told Stuart only too plainly that he
fully appreciated the royal honor his
majesty was paying in this the first
social visit he had ever made to his
home. The king gave him pleasant
nod and grasped Stuart's hand with
a hearty cordial grip. He was man
of few words. but he always said ex-
actly what he thought
I'm glad to meet you, Mr.. Stuart.
You've done us a good turn In sending
some of our crooks to the penitentiary.
You've cleared the air and made 1t
possible for an old fashioned banker to
breathe in New York. It's pleasure
to shake hands with you"
The king passed on into the crowd.
the focus of a hundred admiring eyes.
Bivens could scarcely believe his ears
when he listened with open mouth
while his majesty spoke to Stuart.
Great Scott. Jimr' be gasped at last.
That's the longest speech l ever heard
him make | knew you had scored the
hirgeSt hit any LAWYER has made in