The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1913-04-18
JOHN RAWN
PROMINENT CITIZEN
By EMERSON HOUGH
AUTHOR Of THE MISSISSIPPI BUBBLE; $40 OR FIGHT
ILLUSTRATIONS by Ray Walters
COPYRIGHT 1912 BY ERfERsoGHoUGH

SSSSSNS
people that first got us locoed, any
how. Rawn, or rather his son-in-law,
got his first notion from his own pro-
fessor in his college,"
''The real trouble with business to-
day." interrupted the gray-bearded
man, reverting to his universal and
invariable grievance, ~is that things
are all going wrong with the American
people. These Progressives down
there at Washington have set this
whole country by the ears-not even
the Supreme Court can square things
any more. The suspiciousness OF the
average man is getting to be almost
criminal, that's what 1t Is. The pub
lie thinks every man with money is
a rascal The public is damnably un-
grateful. Look what we have done for
this country, this little set Of men sit.
ting right here-what we've built for
them, what we've paid out to them for
wages! What are we getting in re-
turn? They envy us our daily bread,
and by the Eternal! they'll come near
putting us where we can't get that
much longer! Look at the railway
rate cases-it's robbery Of the rail
ways. Capital hasn't any chance any
more! The public seems to be get.
ting ready for anarchy; that's ALL"
isn't it the truth?" remarked the
slender man sympathetically. "Still.
we have to handle men as we find
them, my friends. In my own case,
I've been fighting the devil with a
little of his own fire.
"How's that?"
''Well, for instance, went out to
see If I couldn't land that little secret
Of the receiving motor myself. as
just told you. If international doesn't
want to take me in, or If I can't break
in, maybe there can be another com.
pany formed-there's considerable cor
poration room left in New Jersey. You
folks on the international have been
having your own troubles With labor,
haven't you?''
"Well. rather!" growled Ackerman.
| *We put that up to old Colonel J. r.
Bonehead, our president! He seems
to have got in about as nearly wrong
as any one could with our esteemed
friends Of the labor unions!"
Naturally; well, I'll make a con.
fession, since we're all friends to-
gether-I've had men conferring with
your horny-handed citizens and sug-
gesting that the International Power
Company was unfair and bad outfit
to work for!"
'7That was nice of you!" growled
Alderman, getting red in the face.
Fine business, for you to come snoop-
ing around our works.
The slender man smiled at him
pleasantly. Glow else could I get in.
formation?" he inquired. 'You must
remember that I'm no longer on the
board! But you must remember, also,
that of late l have picked up an occa-
sional dollars worth of international.
1 wanted to know how about certain
things!"
"Well, how about them, then?" de-
manded Standley fercely. Where do
we stand?"
"You want me to incriminate my
self"
ooh, fddlesticks about incrimina-
ton! Cut out that part of it,"
Call right, I WILL" said the other
grimly. 'tWell, then, I've tried my
best to bribe your people, and I've got
little out of it. I've tried the fore
man, the night watchman, and every
body else. I've had dozen of your
workmen slugged for scabbing, and
four or FIVE of them shot, one or two
at least, for a good, permanent fu-
neral. And I paid the funeral expenses!
You didn't know that? Well, that's
the truth Of it,"
"Well, what do you know about
that!" gasped Standley, aghast
'I know good deal about, my Chris
tian friend" said the slender man re-
lentlessly. "I can tell you what you
already know, that your motors are
dismantled to-day. can tell you also
that there's very good chance that
the secret we've been after is in the
,.an<o of one man, and he's holding 1t
D Eor some reason best known to
himself We've got nothing On him!
/ can also tell you that if he won't
give up-though why he won't I can't
imagine-it's possible we can work
out a receiver of our own elsewhere,
without him"
"Well, what does he want?" This
from the old man.
"That's the everlasting mystery and
puzzle Of it. He doesn't want any
thing, so far as l can learn. There's
some factor in him that / can't get
my hands on, try the best that can.
Not that 1 don't expect to break you
wide open eventually, my friends"
Now why dc III want to do that?
asked the older dnancier. "Why not
join In with us and break the bone
head?"
Fine! But how can we do that?