t at once getting up daily
articles attacking the Express. I want you to dig up every move ever
made by Hitt, Haynerd, that girl, Waite, Morton, and the whole
miserable, sneaking outfit! Rake up every scandal, every fact, or
rumor, that is in any way associated with any of them. I want them
literally cannonaded by the Budget! Hitt's a renegade preacher!
Haynerd was a bum before he got the Social Era! Waite is an unfrocked
priest! Miss Wall's father was a distiller! That girl--that girl is
a--Did you know that she used to be in a brothel down in the red-light
district? Well, she did! Great record the publishers of the Express
have, eh? Now, by God! I want you and Jayne to bury that whole outfit
under a mountain of mud! I'm ready to spend ten millions to do it!
Kill 'em! Kill 'em all!"

"I think we can do it, Mr. Ames," returned the lawyer confidently.

"You've got to! Now, another matter: I'm out to get the President's
scalp! He's got to go down! Begin with those New York papers which we
can influence. I'll get Fallom and Adams over here for a conference.
Meanwhile, think over what we'd better say to them. Our attacks upon
the President must begin at once! I've already bought up a Washington
daily for that purpose. They have a few facts now that will discredit
his administration!"

"Very well, Mr. Ames. Ah--a--there is a matter that I must mention as
soon as you are ready to hear it, Mr. Ames--regarding Avon. It seems
that the reports which that girl has made have been translated into
several languages, and are being used by labor agitators down there to
stir up trouble. The mill hands, you know, never really understood
what your profits were, and--well, they have always been quite
ignorant, you know, regarding any details of the business. But now
they think they have been enlightened--they think they see how the
tariff has benefited you at their expense--and they are extremely
bitter against you. That priest, Father Danny, has been doing a lot of
talking since the girl was down there."

"By God!" cried Ames, rising from his chair, then sinking back again.

"You see, Mr. Ames," the lawyer continued, "the situation is fast
becoming acute. The mill hands don't believe now that you were ever
justified in shutting down, or putting them on half time. And, whether
you reduce wages or not, they are going to make very radical demands
upon you in the near future, unless I am misinformed. These demands
include better working