The San Francisco call., 1904-10-23

may want 10. lou may shape II
to that end"
''I'n stand by my figures" said Fra
zee. 1T will give me my little chance
to get back at the Governor. had it
assessed as unimprOved suburban prop
erty at so much the lot, but he made a
kick to the board of equalization and
got it put in as unimproved farm land
at fifty dollars an acre" Then, look
ing at his watch; WED better be get
ting back, if you have to catch the
Accommodation. Won't you stay over
and visit with us?"
Il can't, this time, much obliged,
said Kent; and they drove to the Build
ing and Loan office, where the joint let
ter OF appraisal was Written and signed
Kent caught his train with something
TO spare, and was back at the capital
in good time to keep a dinner engage
ment at Miss Van Brooks. He had un-
derstood that Ormsby would be the
only other guest. But Portia had a lit
tie surprise in store for him.
Loring had dropped in, unan-
nounced, from the East; and Por-
tia, having first ascertained that Mrs
Brentwood's asthma was prohibitive OF
late dining out. had instructed Orms-
by to bring Elinor and Penelope.
Kent had been saving the results OF
his deep sea divings In the oilfield in
vestigations to spread them out before
Miss Van Brock and Ormsby "in COM
mittee," but he put a paddock on his
lips when he saw the others.
Portia gave him Elinor to take out,
and he would have rejoiced brazenly
If the table talk, from the bouillon to
the Ices, had not been persistently gen.
eral, turning most naturally upon the
Universal Oil company's successful
coup in the Belmount field. Kent kept
out of 1t as much as he could, striving
manfully to monoDOlize ElinOr for his
own especial behoof, but finally Portia
laid her commands upon him.
You are not to be allowed to maroon
yourself with Miss Brentwood any
longer" she said dictatorially. You
know more about the unpublished part
of this Belmount conspiracy than any
one else excepting the conspiratOrs
themselves. and you are to tell US all
about it,
Kent looked up rather helplessly.
Really, I'm not sure that 1 know
anything worth repeating at your din
ner table, y he protested.
But Miss Van Brock made a mock OF
his caution.
You needn't be afraid. 1 pledged
everybody to secrecy before you came.
1t Is understood that we are in exec
utive session And If you don't know
much, you may tell us what you know
now more than you knew before you
knew so little as you know now"
Hold on" said Kent; will you
please say that over again and say It
slowly?"
Never mind" laughed Ormsby
Miss Portia has a copyright on that.
But before you begin. I'd like to know
II the newspapers have 1t straight as
far as they have. gone into it?''
They have. All but one small detail.
They are saying that Senator Duvall
has left the city and the State"
Hasn't hep" Loring asked.
He hadn't yesterday"
''My-oh." said Portia- They will
mob him if he shows himself"
Kent nodded assent.
He knows it; he is hiding out. But
I found him.
"Where?" from the three women in
chorus.
I'm his own house out in Pentland
place. The family has been away since
April and the place has been shut up.
] took him the first meal he'd had in
thirty-six hours"
Portia clapped her hands. The but
ler came in with the coffee and she
dismissed him and bade him shut the
doors.
Now begin at the very tip end Of
the beginning" she commanded
Kent had a sharp little tussle with
wall and told a plain tale.
1T begins in piece of reckless folly.
Shortly after left Mrs. Brentwood's 8
last Thursday evening 1 had a curious
experience. The shortest way down.
town is diagonally through the Capitol
grounds, but some undetinable impulse
led me to go around on the Capitol
avenue side AS 1 was passing the
right wing of the building 1 saw lights
In the Governors room and in q sud-
den fit of desperation resolved to go
up and have 1t out with Bucks. 1t
was abnormally foolish, Ill confess.
had nothing definite to go on; but l.
well. I was keyed up to just about the
right pitch and 1 thought might bluff
him.
Mercy mel You do need a guardian
angel worse than anybkdy l know!"
Portia cut in. DO so on"
Kent nodded.
"I had one that night; angel or de-
mon, whichever you please. / was
fairly dragged into doing what 1 did
When / reached the upper corridor the
door of the public anteroom was ajar
and l heard voices. The outer room
was not lighted, but the door between
it and the Governor private office
was open. l went in and stood in that
doorway for as much as five minutes,
I think, and none of the four men sit
IlnS dIOQuQ lAAC 0OhCAnOA Id
BILE saw me-
He had his small audience well in
hand by this time and Ormsbys ques-
ton was almost mechanical.
who were the four?"
After the newspapers rapid fire Of
this morning you might guess them ALL
They were his Excellency. Grafton
Hendricks, Rumford and Senator Du-
vail. They were in the act of closing
the deal as 1 became an onlooker
Rumford had withdrawn his applica-
tion for charter and another straw
company had been formed with Du-
vail at it's head. saw at once what
1 fancy Duvall never suspected; that
he was going to be made the scapegoat
for the ring. They all promised to
stand by him-and you see how that
promise has been kept
Good heavensl" CALCULATED Loring.
What despicable lot of scoundrelsl
But the bribe, did you learn anything
about that?">
II saw it," said Kent impressively.
''It was a slip of paper passed across