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Three…quarters　of　an　hour　later　Culver　returned；　half…carrying；　half…dragging　the　box。　　Dumont's　eyes　lighted　up　at　sight　of　it。　　〃Ah！〃　he　said；　in　a　sigh　of　satisfaction　and　relief。　　〃Put　it　under　the　head　of　the　bed　here。　　Thanks。　　That's　all。〃

The　nurse　came　as　Culver　left；　but　he　sent　her　away。　　He　supported　himself　to　the　door；　locked　it。　　He　took　his　keys　from　the　night…stand；　drew　out　the　box　and　opened　it。　　On　the　mass　of　stocks　and　bonds　lay　an　envelope　containing　two　listsone；　of　the　securities　in　the　box　that　were　the　property　of　Gladys　Dumont；　the　other；　of　the　securities　there　that　were　the　property　of　Laura　Dumont；　their　mother。

His　hands　shook　as　he　unfolded　these　lists；　and　a　creaking　in　the　walls　or　flooring　made　him　start　and　glance　round　with　the　look　of　a　surprised　thief。　　But　this　weakness　was　momentary。　　He　was　soon　absorbed　in　mentally　arranging　the　securities　to　the　best　advantage　for　distribution　among　the　money…lenders　as　collateral　for　the　cash　he　purposed　to　stake　in　his　game。

Such　thought　as　he　gave　to　the　moral　quality　of　what　he　was　doing　with　his　sister's　and　his　mother's　property　without　asking　their　consent　was　altogether　favorable　to　himself。　　His　was　a　well…trained；　〃practical〃　conscience。　　It　often　anticipated　his　drafts　upon　it　for　moral　support　in　acts　that　might　at　first　blush　seem　criminal；　or　for　soothing　apologies　for　acts　which　were　undeniably　〃not　QUITE　right。〃　　This　particular　act；　conscience　assured　him；　was　of　the　highest　moralityunder　his　own　code。　　For　the　code　enacted　by　ordinary　human　beings　to　guide　their　foolish　little　selves　he　had　no　more　respect　than　a　lion　would　have　for　a　moral　code　enacted　by　and　for　sheep。　　The　sheep　might　assert　that　their　code　was　for　lions　also；　but　why　should　that　move　the　lions　to　anything　but　amusement？　　He　had　made　his　own　codenot　by　special　revelation　from　the　Almighty；　as　did　some　of　his　fellow　practitioners　of　high　finance；　but　by　especial　command　of　his　imperial　〃destiny。〃　　And　it　was　a　strict　codeit　had　earned　him　his　unblemished　reputation　for　inflexible　commercial　honesty　and　commercial　truthfulness。　　The　foundation　principle　was　his　absolute　right　to　the　great　property　he　had　created。　　This　being　granted；　how　could　there　be　immorality　in　any　act　whatsoever　that　might　be　necessary　to　hold　or　regain　his　kingdom？　　As　well　debate　the　morality　of　a　mother　in　〃commandeering〃　bread　or　even　a　life　to　save　her　baby　from　death。

His　kingdom！　　His　by　discovery；　his　by　adroit　appropriation；　his　by　intelligent　development；　his　by　the　right　of　mental　mightHIS！　　Stake　his　sister's　and　his　mother's　possessions　for　it？　　Their　lives；　if　necessary！

Than　John　Dumont；　president　of　the　Woolens　Monopoly；　there　was　no　firmer　believer　in　the　gospel　of　divine　rightthe　divine　right　of　this　new　race　of　kings；　the　puissant　lords　of　trade。

When　he　had　finished　his　preparations　for　the　money…lenders　he　unlocked　the　door　and　sank　into　bed　exhausted。　　Hardly　had　he　settled　himself　when；　without　knocking；　Gladys　entered；　Pauline　just　behind　her。　　His　face　blanched　and　from　his　dry　throat　came　a　hoarse；　strange　cryit　certainly　sounded　like　fright。　　〃You　startled　methat　was　all；〃　he　hastened　to　explain；　as　much　to　himself　as　to　them。　　For；　a　something　inside　him　had　echoed　the　wondering　inquiry　in　the　two　women's　facesa　something　that　persisted　in　reverencing　the　moral　code　which　his　new　code　had　superseded。



XXVII。

THE　OTHER　MAN'S　MIGHT。


At　eleven　o'clock　on　Monday　morning　James；　head　of　the　Fanning…Smith　family；　president　of　Fanning…Smith　and　Company；　and　chairman　of　the　Great　Lakes　and　Gulf　railwayto　note　his　chief　titles　to　eminence　up…town　and　downwas　seated　in　his　grandfather's　office；　in　his　grandfather's　chair；　at　his　grandfather's　desk。　　Above　his　head　hung　his　grandfather's　portrait；　and　he　was　a　slightly　modernized　reproduction　of　it。　　As　he　was　thus　in　every　outward　essential　his　grandfather　over　again；　he　and　his　family　and　the　social　and　business　world　assumed　that　he　was　the　reincarnation　of　the　crafty　old　fox　who　first　saw　the　light　of　day　through　the　chinks　in　a　farm…hand's　cottage　in　Maine　and　last　saw　it　as　it　sifted　through　the　real…lace　curtains　of　his　gorgeous　bedroom　in　his　great　Madison　Avenue　mansion。　　But　in　fact　James　was　only　physically　and　titularly　the　representative　of　his　grandfather。　　Actually　he　was　typical　of　the　present　generation　of　Fanning…Smithsa　self…intoxicated；　stupid　and　pretentious　generation；　a　polo…playing　and　racing　and　hunting；　a　yachting　and　palace…dwelling　and　money…scattering　generation；　a　business…despising　and　business…neglecting；　an　old…world　aristocracy…imitating　generation。　　He　moved　pompously　through　his　two　worlds；　fashion　and　business；　deceiving　himself　completely；　every　one　else　except　his　wife　more　or　less；　her　not　at　allbut　that　was　the　one　secret　she　kept。

James　was　the　husband　of　Herron's　daughter　by　his　first　wife；　and　Herron　had　induced　him　to　finance　the　syndicate　that　had　raided　and　captured　National　Woolens。

James　was　bred　to　conservatism。　　His　timidity　was　of　that　wholesome　strength　which　so　often　saves　chuckle…heads　from　the　legitimate　consequences　of　their　vanity　and　folly。　　But　the　spectacle　of　huge　fortunes；　risen　overnight　before　the　wands　of　financial　magicians　whose　abilities　he　despised　when　he　compared　them　with　his　own；　was　too　much　for　timidity。　　He　had　been　born　with　a　large　vanity；　and　it　had　been　stuffed　from　his　babyhood　by　all　around　him　until　it　was　become　as　abnormal　as　the　liver　of　a　Strasburg　gooseand　as　supersensitive。　　It　suffered　acutely　as　these　Jacks　went　climbing　up　their　bean…stalk　wealth　to　heights　of　magnificence　from　which　the　establishments　and　equipages　of　the　Fanning…Smiths　must　seem　poor　to　shabbiness。　　He　sneered　at　them　as　〃vulgar　new…comers〃；　he　professed　abhorrence　of　their　ostentation。　　But　heand　Gertrude；　his　wifeenvied　them；　talked　of　them　constantly；　longed　to　imitate；　to　surpass　them。

In　the　fullness　of　time　his　temptation　came。　　He　shivered；　shrank；　leaped　headlonghis　wife　pushing。

About　ten　days　before　the　raid　on　National　Woolens　there　had　drifted　in　to　Dumont　through　one　of　his　many　subterranean　sources　of　information　a　rumor　that　the　Fanning…Smiths　had　stealthily　reduced　their　holdings　of　Great　Lakes　to　twenty…one　thousand　shares　and　that　the　property　was　not　so　good　as　it　had　once　been。　　He　never　permitted　any　Wall　Street　development　to　pass　unexplainedhe　thought　it　simple　prudence　for　a　man　with　the　care　of　a　great　financial　and　commercial　enterprise　to　look　into　every　dark　corner　of　the　Street　and　see　what　was　hatching　there。　　Accordingly；　he　sent　an　inquiry　back　along　his　secret　avenue。　　Soon　he　learned　that　Great　Lakes　was　sound；　but　the　Fanning…Smiths　had　gone　rotten；　that　they　were　gambling　in　the　stock　of　the　road　they　controlled　and　were　supposed　in　large　part　to　own；　that　they　were　secretly　selling　its　stock　〃short〃that　is；　were　betting　it　would　go　downwhen　there　was　nothing　in　the　condition　of　the　property　to　justify　a　fall。　　He　reflected　on　this　situation　and　reached　these　conclusions：　　〃James　Fanning…Smith　purposes　to　pass　the　autumn　dividend；　which　will　cause　the　stock　to　drop。　　Then　he　will　take　his　profits　from　the　shares　he　has　sold　short　and　will　buy　back　control　at　the　low　price。　　He　is　a　fool　and　a　knave。　　Only　an　imbecile　would　thus　trifle　with　an　established　property。　　A　chance　for　some　one　to　make　a　fortune　and　win　a　railroad　by　smashing　the　Fanning…Smiths。〃　　Having　recorded　in　his　indelible　memory　these　facts　and　conclusions　as　to　James　Fanning…Smith's　plunge　from　business　into　gambling；　Dumont　returned　to　his　own　exacting　affairs。

He　had　himself　begun　the　race　for　multi…millions　as　a　gambler　and　had　only　recently　become　ALMOST　altogether　a　business　man。　　But　he　thought　there　was　a　radical　difference　between　his　case　and　Fanning…Smith's。　　To　use　courageous　gambling　as　means　to　a　foothold　in　businesshe　regarded　that　as　wise　audacity。　　To　use　a　firm…established　foothold　in　business　as　a　means　to　gamblinghe　regarded　that　as　the　acme　of　reckless　folly。　　Besides；　when　he　marked　the　cards　or　loaded　the　dice　for　a　great　Wall　Street　game　of　〃high　finance；〃　he　did　it　with　skill　and　intelligence；　and　Fan