unning
force in human affairs, who could tell its possibilities?

He folded his arms and stood there lost in thought. Through his
imagination the old stories of the world's treasure-caves came
trooping. The Lamp of Aladdin and all the dreams of the Arabian Nights
seemed tame and passive before the incredible fact on which he gazed.
Back of that marvellous vision he saw the figure of a bare-footed boy
of the poor white trash of the South rising to a world empire. The very
mention of his name now sent a thrill of hate, of envy or of admiration
to the hearts of millions. Surely the age of the warrior, the priest,
and the law-giver had passed. 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 moment 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 angry resentment against Bivens and all his
tribe. The audacity and assurance with which he was presenting the
offer of a change in the whole bent of his character he felt to be a
personal insult. And yet he knew the deep, underlying, affectionate
loyalty in the man's heart on which the act was based. He couldn't
resent it. But when the little swarthy figure suddenly appeared in the
doorway, his soul was in arms for the struggle he knew coming.

"Well, you found I've not made a mistake?"

"No. To put it mildly, you will not be forced to apply to the Charity
Bureau for any outside help this year. Of course there's no telling
what may happen if hard times strike you."

"But at present I ought to be able to pay my debts and still have
enough to shuffle along somehow?"

"I think so. In fact I'll make oath to that effect if you need it to
stem the present tide of adversity."

"Well, I don't mind confessing to you, Jim, that I went into the recent
panic with only twenty-five millions. You have counted ninety there
without looking over the trash on that side table. As I told you a
while ago, I've just begun. 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 a mere detail--the thing is for us to get at the
differences between us. Now say the meanest and hardest things you can
think. I understand."

Stuart dropped into a seat beneath the pile of millions and a frown
darkened his face.