eople could get their breath and make money
enough to buy them back at a profit. In due time he knew that his name
would be enrolled with the king's as a patriot and public benefactor.

Bivens lingered a moment as if reluctant to give up dissuading Stuart,
waved him a friendly adieu at last, stepped into the elevator and left
by the roof.

It was yet fifteen minutes to ten, the hour for opening the bank's
doors, and Stuart decided to address the crowd immediately.

In accordance with Bivens's instructions the cashier opened the bronze
doors and squeezed through, admitting Stuart and two detectives. At the
sight of the cashier a thrill of horror swept the crowd--half-groan,
half-sigh, half-cry, inarticulate, inhuman, beastly in its grovelling
fear.

"Great God!"

"They're going to suspend!"

"It's all over!"

The groans melted into broken curses and exclamations and died into
silence as the cashier lifted his hand.

"I have the honour, gentlemen, of presenting this morning a
distinguished servant of the people who has a message for you, the man
whose unselfish devotion to the cause of Justice has earned him the
right to a hearing, the Honourable James Stuart, your District
Attorney."

The young lawyer stepped from the doorway in front of the cashier, who
retired.

A roar of rage swept the crowd. Howls, curses, catcalls, hisses, hoots
and yells were hurled into his face. It was a new experience in
Stuart's life. He flushed red, stood for a moment surveying the mob
with growing anger, and lifted his hand for silence.

The answer was a storm of hisses. Apparently he hadn't a friend in all
the swaying mass of howling maniacs. He drew his heavy brows down over
his eyes and the square jaws ground together with sullen determination.
He folded his arms deliberately and waited for silence. Evidently these
people had swallowed every lie his enemies had printed. It was
incredible that rational human beings should be such fools, but it was
true.

For a moment the hideous thought forced itself into his soul that a
life of unselfish public service was futile. In all this babel of
jangling cries and cat-calls not one voice was lifted in decent
protest. He felt that his work was a failure and he had been pitching
straws against the wind.

As wave after wave of idiotic hissing rose and fell only to swell again
into greater fury a feeling of blind rage filled his being. He
understood at last the persistence in the human