The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1902-05-09
CHAPTER vI--Continued.

"I want you to be witness OF what
have to say: / may as we'll say 1t now T;
it's been bound to come for long
while. You see that man there-that
foreigner, that German-that grinds
our Lancashire folk small under his
great clumsy boot, and that threatens
now to ruin me-that's what he means
by saving I'll repent this-I took him
into my office when he was a raw lad,
with no recommend but that he was
willing to work; | gave him a better
place in my print works; was his
friend; treated him like brother.
The dear old mans voice well nigh
broke; it was not pleasant to see the
unrelenting, uncompromising malignity
with which Steinhardt listened-M
gave him money to get him partner
ship with Paul"
(which l paid back" interrupted
Steinhardt.
Gay, lad," said Birley, "you paid
me back more than that; you paid me
back for all did in your own way
you took my print works from me-"
"Your own mad extravaganza did
that"
''You set my friend Paul against
me-" continued Birley, waving away
his interruption; you've got my
other shop now almost into your
hands"
"Your bad management bss done
that"
you've done with Paul's money as
If it we're your own; and you've pro-
posed to me that should agree to your
taking that 10000 pounds of the law
suit from his girls fortune"
"Soh!" growled Steinhardt, becom-
ing more German inhis rage. 1T is
now done! There is an end! We are
no more to each other!"
81 know that, Manuel, my lad,
And you're glad of it, and SO, l think,
am l. And now you may finish me OIL
but you Shall not beggar the orphan
girl. Now my say is done. You're
very proud tonight of having deceived
an English court of law; but don't you
holloa so loud till you're out OF the
wood; you haven't done yet with law
nor with Lancashire.
The old man turned and left the
room, looking ten years older; he
seemed to falter in his step, and the
usually ruddy tints in his face had died
out, leaving his cheeks and lips OF ar
ashy hue. followed him without
word. In the hall he took his hat;
did the same and accompanied him II
silence from the house and through th'
village; / would have seen him home
but he insisted on my leaving him wher
my lodgings were reached.
| went indoors, but could not stay
was in the widest perturbation o
feeling which, think, had ever ex
perienced. The close air of my littl
sitting room stifed me, and when lef
it the air of the village oppressed M
almost as much. / could not, strive a
| would to turn my attention to othe
things, get rid of the burning impres
sion of that painful scene in the dinin
room of Timperley Hall. My resent
ment of the brusque treatment | ha
myself experienced from Steinhard
was keen; but it was nothing compare
with the Indignation | felt at the ter
ribly pathetic tale of ingratitude re
vealed by old Birley's words; and tina
again had to give place to feeling c
horrible dread and loathing of that un
crupulous, overbearing German ruffiar
had watched him closely, even with
certain fascination of intentness, an
throughout the scene l had caught nc
SO much as the wink of an eyelid or tn
movement of single nerve or muscl
indicative of anything but the most ur
wayering determination to assert hin
self and his will, no matter what cam
in the way. / was appalled,, may sa
frankly, terrified at the exhibition {
such remorseless inhRmanity-all tn
more so that | did not find it out {
Keeping with anything had befor
known Of the man. ii another stoo
in his way, he would not merely trea
on his toes with crunch of his bi
boot; he would lift him in his stron
German arms and fling him aside. II
had "eaten up" his old friend Birley
from no small vindictiveness, it wa
evident, but from an all-devouring sci
aggrandizement. And what create
enormity would he hesitate to conmi
so long as it brought him nearer h
chief end? To what did all this vagU
dread and surmise tend? To my horrC
found that the suspicion OF what ha
been Lacroix's fate, which had hithert
been whirling and curling in my imas
ination like lurid vapor, was no
assuming definite shape and settlir
upon Steinhardt! Why should he hay
done to death his partner l could nt
tell; | could scarcely make a guei
worth the name. II he had, was Il
method of it such as had been indicate
in Dicks confession2 II he had-hov
where had he bestowed the traces
the crime2