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Show I Dtf DAVID GRAHAM MLLIR3,r c VSFCQSVMr CHAPTER XXXIII. Continued. 1 Issued a clear stntumont of tho I situation; I showed In mlnuto detail low the people standing togothcr under un-der the leadership of tho honest tnon of property could caBlly forco tho big bandits to consent to nn honest, Just, rock-founded, iron-built reconstruction. reconstruc-tion. My statement appeared In all the morning papers throughout the land. Turn hack to It; road It. You will say that I was right. Well Toward two o'clock Inspector Crawford Craw-ford canio Into my private office, escorted es-corted by Joe. I saw in Joo's seamed, green-gray faco that some new danger had Arisen. "You've got to get out of this," said he. "Tho mob in front of our place nils the threo streets, it's made up of crowds turned away from I tho suspended banks." I remembered tho sullen faces and the hisses as I entered tho ofllco that morning earlier than usual. My windows win-dows wero closed to keep out the street noises; but now that my mind was up from tho work In which I hnd jT been absorbed, 1 could hear tho sounds of many voices, ovon through tho thick plate glass. "We've got 200 policemen hero," said tho Inspector. "Five hundred more nre on the way. Hut really, Mr. Hlacklock, unless wo can get ou away, there'll bo serious trouble. Those damn newspapers! Every ono of them denounced you this morning, and tho peoplo are In a fjiry against i I 'wont townrd tho door. "Hold on, Matt," cried Joe, springing spring-ing at me nnd seizing mo. "Where nro yon going?" "To toll them what I think of them," replied I, sweeping hini asldo. For my blood wns up, and I was enraged against tho poor cowardly fools. "For (Jed's sako don't show yourself!" your-self!" ho begged. "If you don't care for your own life, think of the rest of us, Wo'vo fixed a routo through buildings and under streets up to Hroadwny. Your electric Is waiting for you there." "It won't do," I said. "I'll faco 'om it's tho only way." I went to tho window, nnd wns about . to throw up ono of the sunbllnds for a look nt them; Crawford stopped I me. "Thoy'll stono the building and I J then storm It." said ho. "You must go at once, by the routo wo'vo nr- j ranged." I "liven if you toll them I'm gone, they won't bellevo It," replied I. "Wo can look out for that." said Joe, eager to save nio, nnd caring nothing about consequences .to himself him-self . Hut I had unsettled the In- Superior. Send for m electric to conio down here." said 1. "I'll go out alono and get lit It ami drlvo away." That'll never do!" cried Joo. Hut the Inspector said: "You're right. Mr. Hlacklock. It's a bare chance. You may tako 'cm by surprise. sur-prise. Again, some follow may yoll nd throw n stono and " lie did not need to llnlsh. Joe looked wildly at mo. "You mustn't do It, Matt!" ho exclaimed. "You'll precipitate a riot, Crawford, If you permit this." Hut the Inspector wns telephoning for my electric. Then he wont into the adjoining room, where ho commanded com-manded n vlow of tho ontrance. Silence between Joo and mo until he returned. y "The electrln Is coming down tho I street." said he. I rose. "Good," said I. "I'm ready." "Walt until the other police get here," advised Crawford. "If the mob Is In the temper you describe," Bald 1, "the less that's done to Irritate It the better. I must go out as If I hadn't u suspicion of danger." The Inspector eyed mo with un Iexn-esslon that was highly Mattering to my vnnlty. "I'll go with you," said Joo, starting start-ing up from his stupor. "No," I replied. "You and tho other fellows can take tho underground route, If It's necessary." "It won't bo necessary," put In tho inspector. "As soon as I'm rid of you ami hnvo my additional force, I'll clear tho streets." Ho went to tho door. "Walt, Mr. Hlacklock, until I've had tlmo to got out to my num." I'erhnps ten seconds after ho disappeared disap-peared I, without further words, put on my hat, lit a cigar, shook Joe's wet, trembling hand, left In it my private keys -and the memorandum of tho combination of my private vault. Then I sallied forth. I hnd always had u ravenous appetite appe-tite for excitement, and I hnd been in many n tight placo; but for tho first tlmo thoro seemed to mo to bo an equilibrium hotweon my Intornal energy nnd tho outside sltuntlon. As I stopped from my street door nnd glanced about mu, I hnd no feeling of (lunger, Tho whole sltuntlon scorned so simple. Thoro stood tho electric, Just noross tho narrow stretch of sidewalk; thoro wero tho 200 police, undor Crawford's orders, scattered ovorywhere through tho crowd, and good-nnturodly Jostling nnd uushing to create distraction. With- out haBte, I got into my machine. I calmly met tho gnzo or thoso thousands, thou-sands, quiet ns so many barrels of gunpowder before the explosion. Tho chauffeur turned tho machine "Go slow," I called to him. "You might hurt somebody," Hut he hnd his orders from tho inspector. in-spector. He suddonly darted ahead at full speed. The mob scattered in every direction, nnd we wore In Hroad-way, Hroad-way, bound up town full-tilt, boforo I or the mob realised what ho was about. I called to him to slow down. He paid not the slightest attention. I leaned from tho window nnd looked up at him, It wns not my chauffeur; It wns a man who hnd tho unmistakable unmistak-able but indescribable mnrks of the plain-clothes policeman. "Where nro you going?" I shouted. "You'll llnd out when we arrive," he shouted back, grinning. I settled myself nnd waited what olso was there to do? Soon I guessed wo wore headed for tho pier off which my yacht was anchored. As wo dashed on to it, I saw that It was filled with police, both In uniform nnd In plain clothes. I descended. A detective de-tective sergeant stepped up to mo. "Wo nro here to help you to your yacht," ho explained. "You wouldn't bo safe anywhere In New York no " UO Hl.ONV I CALl.KLl TO HIM. YOU MIGHT I1UKT BOMKHODV.' " more would tho placo that harbored you." Ho had both common senso and forco on his side. I got Into the launch. Four detective sergeants accompanied ac-companied mo nnd wont aboard with me. "Go nliead," said ono of them to my captain. Ho looked at mo for orders. or-ders. "Wo aro In tho. hands of our gnosis," said 1. "Lot thorn have their way." Wo Bteamed down tho buy and out to sea. From Maine to Texas tho cry rose and swelled: "Hlacklock Is responsible! What does It matter whether ho Hod or told tho truth? Sco tho results of his crusado! Ho ought to bo pilloried! Ho ought to bo killed! Ho Is tho onomy of tho human rnco. Ho has almost plunged tho whole civilized world into bankruptcy nnd civil war." And they turned eugorly to tho very autocrats who had been oppressing them, "You hnvo tho gonitis for llnnnco and Industry. Snvo us!" If yon did not know, you could guess how thoso patriots with tho "Renins for llnnnco and Industry" responded. re-sponded. When thoy had done, when their programmo wns In effect, Lnng-don, Lnng-don, Molvlllo and Updegruff wore the threo richest men in tho country, and as powerful as Octavlus, Antony, and Lopldus after I'hllippl. rhoy hud saddled upon the reorganized flnauco and Industry of tho nation heavier taxes than ever, nnd n vaster and more expensive and more luxurious army of tholr parasites, Tho .people hnd risen for llnancl.il nnd industrial freedom; they had paid Its fearful price; then, in senseless i panic and terror, they Hung it away. 1 have read that ono of tho Inscrlp- ! Hons on Apollo's temple nt Delphi was: "Man, tho fool or tile farce." Truly, tho gods must hnvo created us for their amusement; nnd when Olympus pnlls, they ring up tho curtain cur-tain on some such screaming comedy as was that. It "makes tho fancy chuckle, whilst the heart doth acho." CHAPTER XXXI V. "BLACK MATT'S" TRIUMPH. My -enemies canned It to bo widely believed that "Wild Week" wns my dollborato contrivance for tho solo purposo of enriching myBolf. Thus they got mo a reputation for almost superhuman daring, for sntaulc astute-nesB astute-nesB at cold-blooded calculation. I do not deserve tho admiration nnd respect that my success-worshiping follow countrymen lay at my feet. Truo, I did greatly enrich myself; but not until tho Monday after Wild Weok. Not until I hnd pondered on mnn and events with tho asslstanco of the uowBpniors my detective protoctors and jailers permitted to bo brought aboard not until tho last hopo of turning Wild Weok to tho Immodlnto public advantage had sputtered out like a lost man's last match, did I think of.bonelltlng myself, or seizing tho opportunity to strengthen myself for tho future. On Monday morning I said to Sorgt. Mulholland; "I want to go ashore at once nnd send Homo telegrams." Tho sergeant Is one of tho detectlvo bureau's "dress-suit men." He Is by nature phlegmatic nnd cynical. Ills experience has put over that n veneer of weary politeness. Wo had become grent friends during our enforced In-soparablo In-soparablo companionship. For Joe. who looked on mo somoivhat ns a mother looks on n brilliant but erratic son, had, as I soon discovered, elaborated elab-orated a wonderful programmo for I me. It Included a watch on pie day I and night, lest, through rngo or despondency, de-spondency, 1 should try to do violence vio-lence to myself. A lino character, that Joo! Hut, to return, Mulholland uuswoied my request for shoro-leave wltfi a soothing smile. "Can't do It, Mr. Hlacklock," ho said. "Our ordors uio positive. Hut when wo put In at New Loudon nnd Bond nshoro for further fur-ther Instructions, nnd for tho papers, you can send in your messngos," "As you pleaso," said I. And I gave him a cipher tologrnm to Joo an order or-der to Invest my storo of ensh, which meant practically my whole fortune, In tho gllt-edgod securities that wero to bo had for cash at a small fraction of tholr valuo. This on tho Monday aftor Wild Week, pleaso note. 1 would hnvo helped tho people to deliver thorn-solves thorn-solves from the bondage of tho bandits, ban-dits, Thoy would not hnvo It. I would ovon have unci Weed my nil In trying to snvo them in spite of themselves. them-selves. Hut what Is ono sane man against a Btnmpcded multitude bf maniacs? mani-acs? For confirmation of my disinterestedness, disin-terestedness, I point to nil thoso weeks and months during which I waged costly warfare on "The Soven," who would gladly hnvo given mo more than I now have, could I hnvo boon bribed to desist. Hut, when I was compelled to admit that I had overestimated over-estimated my follow' men, that tho people wear the yoke because they havo not yet bean... Inte'llg.-iA competent enough to bo free, then nnd not until then did I abandon tho hocless struggle. And I did not go over to the bandits; ban-dits; I simply resumed my own nee lected personal affairs and inn.lo WHO Week nt least n porsnnnt triumph. There Is nothing of the spectacular In my make-up. I have no belief in the value of mai lyrs and martyrdom, Causes aro not won and In my humble hum-ble opinion never have been -won In tho graveyards. Alive and afoot and armed, and true to my cause, t am tho dreaded menace to systematic and rcspectnble robbery. What posslblo good could have come of mobs killing mo nnd tho bandits dividing my estate? Hut why should I seek to Justify myself? I enro not a rnp for tho opinion of my fellow men. Thoy sought my life when they should have been hailing me as a dollvoror; now, they look up to mo becauso thoy falsely false-ly bellevo mo guilty of an Infamy. My guards expected to bo rccallod on Tuesday. Hut Melville heard what Crawford had done about mo, nnd straightway used his Inllucnco to havo mo detained until the now grip of tho old gng was Bccurc. Saturday afternoon wo put In nt Newport for tho daily comunlcntlon with tho shore. When tho launch returned, Mulholland brought tho papers to me, lounging aft In n mass of cushions undor tho nwnlng. "Wo nre going nshoro," said ho. "Tho order has come." I had a sudden sonso of loneliness. "I'll take you down to Now York," said I. "I prefer to land my guests whero I shipped them." As wo steamed slowly westward I read tho papers. Tho country wns rapidly readjusting Itself, wns returning return-ing to the conditions boforo tho upheaval. up-heaval. Tho "financiers" tho snmo old gang, except for n fow of tho weaker brethren ruined nnd n few strong outsiders, who hnd slipped In during tho confusion wero employing all tho old, familiar devices Tor deceiving deceiv-ing nnd robbing tho people Tho upset up-set mllking-stool wns righted, nnd tho milker was seated again nil busy, tho good old cow standing without so much ns shako of horn or switch of tnll. "Mulholland." said I, "what do you think of this business of living?" "I'll tell you, Mr. Hlacklock," snld he. "I used to fuss nnd fret n good deal about it. Hut I don't any more. I've got n house up In tho Hronx.'nnd a bit of land round It. " And thcro's Mrs. Mulholland nnd four little Mulhol-lands Mulhol-lands nnd mc that's my country nnd my party nnd-my religion. Tho rest Is off my bent, and I don't give n damn for it. I don't enro which fakir gets to bo president, or which swindler swin-dler gets to bo rich. Everything works out somehow, nnd tho best any man cn do is to mind his own business." "Mulholland Mrs. Mulholland four llttlo Mulhollands," said I, reflectively. "That's about as much 'as ono man could attend to properly.- And you aro 'on tho lovel,' nron't you?" "Some say honesty's tho best policy," pol-icy," replied ho. "Somo say it Isn't. I don't know, nnd I don't enro, whoth-or whoth-or It is or it isn't. It's my policy. And wo six seem to havo got nlong on it so fur." I sent my "guests" ashoro tho noxt morning. "No, I'll stay aboard," said I to Mulholland, as ho stood usldo for mo to precodo him down tho gangway from tho launch. I wont Into the wntch-pockot of my trousers and drow out tho folded two $1.000-bllla I always carried It was n habit formed In my youthful, gambling days. I handod him ono of the bills. Ho hesitated. "For tho four llttlo Mulhollands," I urged. Ho put it In his pocket. I watched him nnd his men depart with a hoary heart. I folt alone, horribly alono, without a tlo or an intorest. Somo of tho morning papers spoke respectfully respect-fully of mo ns ono of the strong moti who had rlddon tho flood nnd hnd been landed by It on tho holghto of wenlth and power. Admiration nnd envy lurked oven in Hneers nt my "unscrupulous plotting." Slnco I had wealth, plenty of wealth, I did not need character. Of what uso was charactor In such a world except ns a commodity to exehnngo for wealth? "Any ordors, sir?" Interrupted my captain. 1 looked round that vnst and vivid scene of son and land activities. I looked nlong tho city's tltnnlc Bky-llno tho mighty fortresses of trndo and commorco plorclug tho heavens nnd flinging to tho wind their black ban-nors ban-nors of dollanco. I folt that I wns under tho walls of hell itsolf. "To got nway from this," ropllod I to tho waiting captain. "Go back down tho Sound to Dawn Hill." Yes, I would go to tho pencoful, soothing country, to my dogs and horses and thoso faithful servants bound to mo by our common lovo for tho snmo animals. "Men to cross swords with, to amuse oneself with," I mused: "but dogs and horses to llvo with." I pictured myself at tho konnols tho Joyful uproar tho Instant Instinct warned tho dogs of my coming; com-ing; how thoy would leap nnd bark and tromblo In a very ecstnsy of delight de-light as I stood among them; how JonloiiB nil tho others would bo, ns I solocted ono to caress. "Bond her ahead as fast as she'll go," I called to the captain. (To bo Contlnuod.) |