The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-10-16

state library. lie stage Oh past the
luncheon hour, feeding on d dry diet
OF digests; and it was not until hunger
began to sharpen his faculties that he
thought of going back IF the statutory
law to the fOuntainhead i'll the con-
stitution of the State. Here, after he
had read carefully section by section
almost through the entire instrument,
his eye lighted upon a clause which
gradually grew luminous as he read
and re-read it.
That is what Marston meant; it
must be what he meant" he unused.
and returning the book to its niche in
the alcove he sat down to put his face
in his hands and sum up the status in
logical sequence.
The conclusion must have been con-
vincing since he presently sprang up
and left the room quickly to have him
self shot down the elevator shaft to
the street level. The telegraph Office
in the capitol was closed, but there was
another in the Hotel Brunswick, two
squares distant. and thither he went.
Hold the pool in fighting trim at
all hazards. Think l have found a weak
link in the chain" was his wire to Lor-
ing at Boston; and having sent it, he
went around to Cassatti's and astonish-
ed the waiter by ordering a hearty
luncheon at half-past ) o'clock in the
afternoon
1t was late in the evening before he
left the tiny office on the fifth floor of
the Quintard building where one of his
former stenographers had set up in
business for herself. Since o'clock
the young woman had been steadily
driving the typewriter to Kent's die
tation. When the final sheet came out
with a whirring rasp of the ratchet.
he suddenly remembered that he had
promised Miss Van Brock to dine with
her. 1t was too late for the dinner,
but not too late to go and apologize,
and he did the thing that he could,
stopping at his rooms on the way to
dress while his cab driver waited.
He found Portia alone, for which he
was glad; but her greeting was dis
tinctly accusive.
If 1 should pretend to be deeply Of
Tended and tell Thomas to show you
the door, what could you say for your
self?" she began, before he could say
a word in eXculpaton.
Il should say every sort of excuseful
thing 1 could think of, knowing very
well that the most ingenious lie would
fall far short of atoning for the Of
fense," he replied humoIy.
Possibly it would be better to tell
the truth-had you thought of that?'
she suggested. quite without malice.
Yes, I had, and 1 shall, if you II
let lie DGklu bdCh a Dll. I1E ul6W up
a chair to face her and sat on the edge
of it. You know 1 told you I was
going to CASTOR to sell my six lots
while Major Guilford's little boom is
on?"
I'm trying to remember; go on
well, ] went yesterday morning and
returned late last night Do you know,
it's positively marvelousi"
"Which-the six lots, the boom, or
the CELEBRITY Of NO11r O1OVpn1pOfS2 she
asked, with a stimulation Of the deep
est interest.
"All three, if you please. But meant
the miraculous revival of things along
the Transwestern. But that is neither
here nor there
Il think it is very much here and
there" she interrupted.
Il see you want me to tell the truth
the whole truth: but I am determined
The first man 1 met after dinner was
Hunnicott, and when L had made
him my broker in the real es-
tate affair we fell TO talking about
the railroad steal. Speaking of Mac
Farlane's continued absence, Hunnicott
said jokingly that it was a pity we
couldn't go back TO the methods of {
few hundred years ago and hire the
Hot Springs doctor to 'obliterate' him
The word stuck in my mind, and
broke away and took the train chiefly
to have a chance to think out the new
line. In the smoking-room of the sleep
er I found-whom do you suppose?"
"Oh, / don't know. Judge MacFar-
lane, perhaps, coming, back to give yoU
chance to poison him at short ranger
NO it was Marston."
And he talked so long and so fast
that you couldn't get here in time fol
dinner this evening? That would be
the most picturesque of the little ffc-
tions you spoke off,
Kent laughed.
For the first hour he wouldn't talk
at adjust sat there wooden-faced
smoking vile little cigars that made me
think ! was getting hay fever. But
wouldn't give up, and after / had worn
out all of the commonplaces 1 began
on the Transwestern muddle. At that
he woke I'D all at once, and before
knew it he was giving me an expert
legal opinion on the case, meaty and
sound and judicial. Miss Van Brock
that man is a lawyer, and an exceed
ingly able one at that"
"Of course" she said coolly. He was
one of the Justices of the Supreme
Court of his own State at AZ; that was
before he came West for his health. ]
found that out a long time ago"
And you never told mel" said Kent
reproachfully. well, no matter;
found out for myself that he is a man
to tie to-. After we had canvassed the
purely legal side of the affair he want
ed to know more. and went in for the
details, telling him all the differences
which involve Bucks, Meigs, Hendricks
MacFarlane and the lot of them
Miss Portals eyes were flashing.
Good, good, good" she said. David
I'm proud of you. That took courage
heaps of it."
Il did have to forget pretty hard that
he was the Lieutenant Governor and
nominally one of the gang. But if he is
not with US, neither is he against us
He took it all in quietly, and when ]
was through he said: You have told
me some things that I know, and some
others that 1 only suspected"
WAS that all?' asked Miss Van
Brock. eagerly.
No; I took good long breath and
asked his advice"
Did he give it?"
He did. He said in sober earnest just
what Hunnicott had said in joke-'If
1 had your case to fight 1 should try to
obliterate Judge MacFarlane.' 1 began
IN eau that