by A. Stone
CHAPTER XXVIII
History has been made so rapidly that those in the midst of it willnot realize its speed for many years.
Unmasking the ambitious operations of Bulow and Company in the Southled to swift investigation of other suspicious concerns. Every one hada well-worn path to the Transatlantic Banking Company. A monsterserpent had boldly come out of the sea and coiled itself up in WallStreet, emitting foul, stuporous fumes as well as distilled poisonthrough financial channels. The fatally faulty psychology of the Hunand cohorts misled him as usual.
One morning the country was electrified by the announcement that theTransatlantic Banking Company was taken over as alien enemy property,and a little swift work on their books revealed hundreds of millionsmore property, mostly manufacturing. The serpent lacked brains asusual.
Frequent announcements were made that sales of such property wouldtake place either by auction or private arrangement, every timescotching a snake. The department wanted to convict Ramund, who was adirector in the Transatlantic Banking Company, and it was my work toprocure every bit of evidence bearing on his case, especially as itestablished that in Mexico Germans traded in everything fromtwelve-year-old virgins to highest executives.
I was taking some memoranda in the office of the custodian of alienenemy property and paying little attention to the auctioneer, who wasselling widely scattered properties to a big crowd of buyers outsidethe rail.
However, I was instantly at attention when I heard the name Byng &Potter, Incorporated. The whole history of how the bank haddeliberately robbed Howard Byng of his life's work, offered the appleto his wife and wrecked his home, instantly flashed through my mind.
The first bid was two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, but in lessthan ten seconds the auctioneer was calling five hundred thousand.There was no more excitement than if he was auctioning a Bowery suitof clothes or fake jewelry.
A clerk who was working near me, well back from the rail, said it wasa little connecting railroad that sent it up so high, as the otherproperty was about nil in value. I kept on working where I sat butlistened.
"Why is a jerkwater railroad exciting the bidders?" I asked the clerk.
"Well, it's leased and incorporated now into a big system."
"U-m!" I could understand now why the bidding had gradually crawled upto nine hundred thousand, where it hung again, when a bid of ninehundred and twenty-five was made, to be promptly raised by someone tonine-fifty. There was something in the tone of the last bidder thatmade me rise instantly and go to the rail that separated the buyersfrom the office.
I was not mistaken. It was Howard Byng, wonderful, powerful, greatHoward, now of New York. He did not notice me at first. A man againamong men, the clean-cut, prosperous Howard Byng, his masterlyaquiline nose and acumen coping with bankers where he belonged. Theone I left in the Waldorf fifteen years ago, just before they stolehis property and made him a lowly fisherman. I knew, though outwardlystoical, it was a glorious moment for him. Nine-fifty was the last bidand the property was his. As he came out of a corner near the clerk'sdesk he made no effort to conceal his triumph and deposited with thecashier a certified check for two hundred and fifty thousand, balanceto be paid when conveyance was completed.
His eyes filled with delight and eagerness when he saw me. Thegreeting of a big man is never noisy. His eyes were dancing as hecarefully folded his receipt. I knew how he felt by the way hecontinued to grip my arm when leaving, there being a warmth and firmmagnetism in it that delighted me--of a real man who does things, whoremoves obstacles with a punch and a bang.
"Meeting you finishes it. I am satisfied. Let's go to the Waldorf. Iwant to sit in the same seat where I talked with you the last time. Iam going to take up life from that point, where I started astray bynot following your advice," he said, just as though our meeting hadbeen arranged as part of that day's duties.
"Have you seen little Jim?" he now questioned, after we were seated inthe same quiet corner.
"No; not since she left the Keys, but I know she is all right."
"Yes; she is safe and happy and learning fast. A teacher has taken afancy to her and treats her like a daughter. No doubt, that is yourwork and I certainly appreciate it. I had to go back to the Keys todispose of everything there, my store and tannery interests. Shewrites me the most delightful letters, one every day; in every one shementions this teacher. She is a great girl, Wood," he addeddelightedly.
"You may well be proud of her, Howard."
"Have I got time to go down to Georgia with Don to get things startedagain where they left off fifteen years ago, before this case goes totrial?"
"Yes, I think so. Anyhow, I can reach you easily."
"That's one of the things that remains to be done; that man must bepunished," he said savagely. "Fifteen years have changed me a greatdeal but I do not hate him one bit less. Killing is not enough forsuch vermin," he said with that deadly gleam in his eyes and thegrinding of that wonderful jaw. His clean-shaven skin had a pinkishfreshness and forceful virility. "And, Wood, another difficulty,strange as it may seem, presents itself--a great difficulty. I am acoward, Wood, a downright, craven coward." His fierceness softenedand finally gave way to grave concern.
"What is it?"
"When I really came to myself--after five or six years on the Keys Iwas yet very bitter; I had envenomed acid bitterness against--well,about everybody. Little Jim was old enough to ask questions. She askedme about her mother. I told her she was dead--dead to me as a fact.But lately, likely suggested by her association with this teacher andother girls, she has asked about her mother again and wants to seewhere she is buried. How am I going to meet it? And, moreover, how amI going to tell her that my name is not Canby? And how am I going totell her--what led to it? Her mind is like a steel trap. Silence onlyemphasizes. What shall I do? I love the child so much I have acowardly fear that she will not understand."
"Howard, I realize your feelings and have foreseen your difficulties.I believe I can help you--possibly at the expense of yourfriendship--for a time----"
"That's impossible, Wood; you are one person to whom I must listen."
"All right, then brace yourself, for I am going to give it to you inallopathic doses. Howard, can you recall, when we last sat in thiscorner fifteen years ago, why I counseled caution, to 'play close' andlet good enough alone?"
"Yes, just as though it was yesterday. You said I was due for acrisis, and I was weak enough to be convinced otherwise."
"Well--it so happened that I hit the nail on the head. You have beenthrough fifteen years of fire and tribulations. I believe you have notonly been fashioned into a splendid, valuable tool, but have beenpretty well tempered, ground and whetted to a fine cutting edge. Butit may be possible a little more fire is necessary to draw the temperto a point where it won't nick or crumble when it strikes somethingvery hard. Do you understand me, Howard?"
"Yes, perfectly. I have made and tempered steel-cutting tools and knowexactly what you mean," he replied eagerly.
"Well, you were about thirty then; you are forty-five now, and it maybe you are in for another little time, through which your natural andacquired bigness will carry you safely, but not without seriouseffort."
"I understand; go ahead," he urged, moving uneasily.
"Howard, no really big, useful man can afford to harbor even thoughtsof revenge or bear malice or hatred toward anyone. But you have aright, in fact it is a duty, to hate the hellish or the evil inanyone."
"I see the distinction--go ahead." His eyelids twitched nervously.
"Now I'm going to put to the test your Southern blood--the vitalGeorgia Cracker blood that has carried you through and brought you outon top. You have just told me you still hate, fiercely hate, this manRamund?"
"Yes--yes--he destroyed my home, he ruined me--he----"
"Howard," I interrupted, "I know he violated every law of thedecalog--but can't you think he has been pretty well punished?Everything now indicates that he will forfeit his hund
red thousandbail and never return. You and I know a suitable, fearful punishmenthas been inflicted, and I glory with you, but what I am getting at isthat you ought to hate his acts and everything he represents, but notthe man himself. To hate any man is distinctly corroding andexceedingly harmful."
Howard did not reply but struggled with the fire within.
"And now that leads to a more important subject: Have you evertried--have you ever thought of trying to find little Jim's mother?" Iasked slowly, looking straight in his eyes, in fierce combat with theman's colossal will.
He did not reply at once, but slowly it came to him that he mustreply.
"I--I--no!" he hesitated, I believe for the moment burning withresentment at the question. "I have closed the book in which it iswritten and locked it forever. I can see no possible good in evenrecalling it," he added, softening slightly.
"Howard, that's the point. This is going to be the crucial testbetween you and me, even after all these years. Now, let us think fora moment to see if you have not yet duties to perform--to yourself,duties to her, and, more, to little Jim. Howard, as far as money goes,I know you are well fixed--again. I saw you pay nearly a milliondollars for your old property, and get it for about half-price, withno more effort than for me to buy a half dozen collars, and thatbrings----"
"But, Wood," he interrupted, and without resentment, "I don't believeyou fully understand. I saw--waking and sane--I saw her unresisting inthat man's arms receiving his lascivious caresses and kisses. Wood, atthat moment I would give all I paid for that property this morning, ifI could recall the slightest gesture of resentment, and for a sign orgroan of agony at the ravishing insult and indignity. I would giveevery cent I have or shall ever earn in my life. But my ears, whettedto the keenness of the hearing of fifty men combined, detected not theslightest protest," he ended, his powerful body trembling and shockedat even recalling the distressing incident of fifteen years ago.
"But--dismissing that phase of it, can you still escaperesponsibility? When you sat here with me the last time, you wereintensely happy in the possession of her love and tender care, and hadbeen for some time. Then she bore your child, she is the mother oflittle Jim. As a common debt of gratitude for this are you not boundnow to find her and see that she is made comfortable and not in want?You owe, actually owe her in money value this much, as the mother oflittle Jim."
I halted in order that my words might sink deep before speaking again.
"And, Howard, something more important, you give me credit forstarting you out of the pine woods. Maybe I did, but during the timeyou loved and was happy with her, she did more to develop the man inyou than I could do in a thousand years. To overlook this isungrateful; plain, simple ingratitude."
It was the first time I ever saw tears in Howard Byng's eyes, bigtears. His mouth twitched and he swallowed hard.
"Wood," he finally began, struggling manfully to control himself, "itmay be you are right. I think you are. I should provide for her, but Idon't know how to go about it. And--and there have been times latelywhen I have thought I was too harsh and uncompromising, but facts arepungent, bristling things no matter how much you might wishotherwise." This came in such manner from the bigness of the man thatI grasped his hand eagerly.
"God bless you, Howard! I am busy, every man with red blood in ournation is busy, but I will undertake to learn something about her. Yougo back to Georgia. Our nation needs every ounce of turpentine androsin you can make and needs them badly, as well as the paper andcotton. Go down there and make things hum for Uncle Sam and I will seewhat can be done. Also I will see little Jim. I believe I can overcomeyour difficulties there."