Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-03-26
A Secret Of the Heart.
By HOWARD FIELDING.
|fCopyright, 1896 by Bachelor. johnson and
Bacheller.1
PART l.

building some one touched me on the
orm: and | turned to face George Stall
bridge. knew it was Stalbridge be-
fore / saw him. before l heard
his voice. The creature had an
atmosphere such as is said to sur.
round an evil spirit. If it had been
consistent with my creed, l should have
crossed myself when perceived him.
My hatred of him had always been
quite undisguised. l shook off his
hand roughly and would have walked
away, but he detained me. There was
a snaky fascination about the man
which had long been included In my
mental catalogue Of his offenses.
"You walk very fast" he said. II
bhave had hard work to overtake YOU
"Let me know you're behind me next
time" said l, "if you're interested in my
Professionalism. Now, don't detain me.
l am going upstairs TO see Mr.. Davis,
and have no time to waste upon his
evil genius"
"Why do you speak so to me?" he
asked, not at oil in anger. Come, let's
have it out to-day. What have you
against me?"
"Do you want me to go over all that
again?" 1 demanded. well, so be it.
There Is a new count in the Indictment
to-day, and / have a curiosity to hear
how you will answer it,"
We still stood in the main hall of the
great building. 1t was eleven o'clock
in the forenoon, busy hour there, and
scores of persons were passing in and
out.
NO said he, reading my thought;
ait won't do to talk here. Let us go
.somewhere else"
He put his hand upon my arm again,
in q most friendly fashion, and led me
toward the street.
1t is positively painful to entertain
for any human being the feeling which
/ had for him. The eye of stranger
lit upon us walking thus together, and
/ cowed as one detected in q shameful
action. 1t WINS not for his reputation,
because that was good, as regulations
go in New York. He was called n first
rate business man, and truly, for he
succeeded, and that is the recognized
test.
pearance that set me against him. He
was tall, thin and high shouldered,
having the look of one who had drawn
| himself up to the uttermost that hs
may pounce down the harder upon
something lying before him. His face
was bony, and the upper part was n
skin over skull. He had most dis
tressing habit of lifting his matted
and seemingly abundant hair with his
the top of his head was really quite
bald. The long hair rooted at the back
merely lay upon it in n mass.
On the occasion in question there was
something to be gained by talking with
this man, and so 1 stifed my disgust
of him. He had been for many years
the close business associate of my
uncle, Mr.. Willard Davis, uron whom it
had been my intention to call when
visited the bank building.
"My uncle has read the papers this
morning. suppose" said |.
Stalbridge brought his jaws together
with a snap, and grinned like n skull.
"They are rather hard upon u.s." he
said. 1T is, perhaps, unfortunate that
the negotiations between the union
Surface lines and the Twcnty-seventh
Street company have been divulged.
The public never understands such
things"
"The public understands them per-
fectly," / replied, angrily "The pub
! lie knows that the Union has got its
grip upon the smaller company and has
squeezed it 10 DEATH that every man
who has put a dollar into the Twenty
seventh street road will lose it-has
lost 1t, in fact--and that the whole
transaction is a mass of political brib-
cry, commercial dishonesty and eva
sion OF law. l am not yet sure that the
law has been successfully cvaded; but
whether it has or not, l certainly be-
lieve that if my uncle does not shake
you off within year, he will ovcrstep
the mark ard disgrace the family name.
6talbrdge, you reptile, what is the Sc
cret of your influence over him?"
~ have no influence" he replied. IL
am only his employe. You know very
well that am really no more than a
confdentia clerk"
II know the contrary" said l. "Can
you deny that this whole surface road
conspiracy was devised and executed
Ny yourself?"
"Some matters of detail were, in
deed, left to me-" he began; but l inter
rupted him, angrily:
"The truth is not in you!" cried. II
know very well what your part in this
has been. 1t is the last of fifty such
schemes. every one of which"
"Made your uncle richer" he said,
breaking in upon me. lie is now
many times millionaire"
I'm not so sure of that" returned
SIT would interest me great deal
to know how much of these dishonest
gains stands in his name and how much
in yours. | mistake you most seriously
il you have not taken the lions share. -
He mas been generous with me-" said
6talbridge; but l EN- not rich-yet."
There has been one conspicuous in
stance in this city" said |, lin which a
rascal like yourself, who started with
nothing but rich mans favor, in TWEEN.
ty years absorbed almost all his pa
irons vast fortune. If my uncle lives
five years longer YOU will have him at
your mercy, and his wealth will lie in
the hollow of your hand"
LET lis hope that he will live much
longer than that" rejoined Stalbridge,
with unwonted feeling, TT would be