The Globe-republican., 1891-02-04
CHAPTER XIV,
A loan CAYY.Rn "

| Russelrs campaign had cost Gilber,
Ray quite sum OF money. but he did
not take the result hardly. On tho 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 rich man, except that his interest
WAS q 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 the
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 Dor
rowing. His personal note was consid-
cred good BY those who knew-or
thought they knew-his connection
with the Motor Company.
Deering remained q 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 YVES on the point Of clam
ing possession for some violation of the
honesty contract. 1t 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.
Rejecting 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 mar
rage with Alice Ray, who was rich in
her own right without regard to her
fathers millions, would be to imagine
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 bust
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. If Brown at
tributes any part of that to me, |" thought
Russell, 'he will overwhelm mo with
mistaken gratitude"
In the last days of winter, when such
thoughts as these were often in Rus
sells mind, there came to him q start
ling piece of news. He took q 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 the large
type and screaming headlines It an
that Walter Brown, in the en-
ploy of the - company which had |
been engaged in operations in Central
Africa, had died of fever in Cape Town
On his way homo.
Within an hour, and before Russell |
had fairly come to realize what he had |