By Sunday, four days after the opening story, all the material for the
second big spread was ready except for one complication. Some involution
of trusteeship in the case of two freeholds in Sadler's Shacks, at the
heart of the Rookeries, had delayed access to the records. These two
were Number 3 and Number 9 Sperry Street, the latter dubbed "the
Pest-Egg" by the "Clarion," as being the tenement in which the
pestilence was supposed to have originated. These two last clues, Wayne
was sure, would be run down before evening. Already the net of publicity
had dragged in, among other owners of the dangerous property, a high
city official, an important merchant, a lady much given to blatant
platform philanthropies, and the Reverend Dr. Wales's fashionable
church. It was, indeed, a noble company of which the "Clarion" proposed
to make martyrs on the morrow.
One man quite unconnected with any twelve per cent ownership, however,
had sworn within his ravaged soul that there should be no morrow's
"Clarion." Max Veltman, four days previously, had crawled home to his
apartment after a visit to the drug store where he had purchased
certain acids. With these he worked cunningly and with complete
absorption in his pursuit, neither stirring out of his own place nor
communicating with any fellow being. Consequently he knew nothing of the
sensation which had convulsed Worthington, nor of the "Clarion's" change
of policy. To his inflamed mind the Surtaine organ was a noxious thing,
and Harrington Surtaine the guilty partner in the profits of Milly's
death who had rejected the one chance to make amends.
Carrying a carefully wrapped bundle, he went forth into the streets on
Sunday evening, and wandered into the Rookeries district. A red-necked
man, standing on a barrel, was making a speech to a big crowd gathered
at one of the corners. Dimly-heard, the word "Clarion" came to Veltman's
ears.
"What's he saying?" he asked a neighbor.
"He's roastin' the ---- ---- 'Clarion,'" replied the man. "We ought to go
up there an' tear the buildin' down."
To Veltman it seemed quite natural that popular rage should be directed
toward the object of his hatred. He sat down weakly upon the curb and
waited to see what would happen.
Another chance auditor of that speech did not wait. McGuire Ellis stayed
just long enough to scent danger, and hurried back to the office.
"Trouble brewing down in the Rookeries," he told Hal.
"More than usual?"
"Different from the usual. There's a mob considering paying us a visit."
"The new press!" exclaimed Hal.
"Just what I was thinking. A rock or a bullet in its pretty little
insides would cost money."
"We'd better notify Police Headquarters."
"I have. They gave me the laugh. Told me it was a pipe-dream. They're
sore on us because of our attack on the department for dodging saloon
law enforcement."
"I don't like this, Mac," said Hal. "What a fool I was to put the press
in the most exposed place."
"Fortify it."
"With what?"
"The rolls."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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