Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-01-15
CHAPTER XIV. AIoAN CALLED IN,


 Russelrs campaign had cost Gilbert Ray quite sum of money, but he did not take the result hardly. On the con- trary, he declared that he had had fun enough out of the affair to more than compensate him. And he proceeded to get as much more as he could by making game of Russell, who was exceedingly sensitive on the subject.
 Motor stock was booming by his time, and Russell could have considered him. self a rich man, except that his interest was a mere loan payable to Deering, the inventor, on demand. This fact was known only to the two parties to the agreement, and so Russell could take what comfort he could get out of tho knowledge that he was generally sup posed to be on the highway to prosper ity. In reality it made his position doubly dangerous. Living constantly beyond his means, he now saw himself surrounded by opportunities for bor- rowing. His personal note was consid- cred good by those who knew-or thought they knew-his connection with the Motor Company.
 Deering remained mystery to Russell. In their conversations, which were not frequent, the inventor expressed no gratitude for what Russell had done in developing the motor. He seemed to think that all the credit was due to the machine, and to be continually suspi- cious lest justice might not be done to this creature of wheels and pinions. Russell believed more than once that the inventor was on the point of claim ing possession for some violation of the honesty contract. It would have been useless to resist such claim, for the two years during which their agreement was to run were now drawing rapidly to- ward their end.
 Reflecting upon the approach of that time, Russell became more deeply de- spondent than ever. He could form no plans. He had made no valuable con- nections except his acquaintance with Ray, and he was resolved not to seek any more favors at his hands. To sup pose that he was never tempted to end his financial troubles by seeking a mar riage with Alice Ray, who was rich in her own right without regard to her fathers millions, would be to imagine 8 better man than Russell. He was sur rounded by men who would have re- garded such an alliance as the last pos sibility in the way of good fortune, who talked of marrying for money as busi- ness against which nothing could be said except that it was too difficult. But Russell had never ceased to regard such thought as treachery to his friend. He could not help thinking now and then that Alice had improved wonder fully during the two years since Brown went away. She had developed more rapidly than even the man who loved her could have hoped. '1f Brown at tributes any part of that to me" thought Russell, ''he will overwhelm me with mistaken gratitude"
 In the last days of winter, when such thoughts as these were often in Rus sells mind, there came to him start ling piece of news. He took morning paper from his desk one day with no in- tention of reading it; he was thinking only to lay it aside and make room for something else. But as he held it in his hand dispatch not four lines long seemed to stare at him ont of the page more conspicuously than all tho largo type and screaming headlines. It an- nounced that Walter Brown, in the em- | ploy of the - company which had been engaged in operations in Central Africa, had died of fever in Cape Town on his way home.
 Within an hour, and before Russell aad fairly come to realize what he had