Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-05-09
cHAPTEE xvIII-coNrINupp.

engagement at Miss Van Brooks. He
had understood that Ormsby would be
The only other guest. But Portia
had a little surprise in store for him.
I1oring had dropped In, unannounced.
from the east: and Portia. having
first ascertalned that Mrs. Brentwood's
asthma was prohlbitiye OF late din
ings-out. had instructed Ormsby to
bring Elinor and Penelope.
Kent had been saving the results
of his deep-sea divings in the oil-held
investigation to spread them out be-
fore Miss Van Brock and Ormshy In
committee" 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 brazeniy
II the table talk. from the boullon 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 it as much as he could. striving
manfully to monopolize Elinor for his
own especial behoof; but finally Por-
tia laid her commands upon him.
you are not to be allowed to ma
room yourself with Miss Brentwood
any longer" she said dictstorially.
"Yor know more about the unpub-
lished part Of this BelmouEt conspir-
acy than anyone excepting the con-
spirators themselves, and you are to
tell us all about II"
Kent looked up rather helplessly.
"Really. I'm not sure that l know
anything worth repeating at your din
ner-table," he protested.
But Miss Van Brock made mock
of his caution.
''You needn't be afraid. I pledged
i everybody to secrecy before you came.
II Is understood that we are In 'execu-
tive session. And II you don't know
much, yon 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 1t
slowly"
Never mind" laughed Ormsby.
Miss Portia has 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 he?" Loring asked
"ua hadn't Yesterday"
"My-oh,u said Portia- "They. will
mob him II 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. I took him the first meal
he'd had in SO hours"
Portia ciapped her hands. The but
Ter came In with the coffee and she
dismissed him and bade him shut the
doors.
Now begin at the very tip end or
the beginning" she commanded.
Kent had a sharp little tussle with
his Unborn reticience. thrust 1t to the
wall and told a plain tale.
'Tt begins in a piece OF reckless
folly. Shortly after left Miss Brent
woods last Thursday evening had
I curious experience. The shortest way
downtown is diagonally through the
capitol grounds, but some undefnable
impulse led me to go around on the
Capitol avenue side. AS was passing
the right wing Of the building | saw
lights in the governors room. and In a
sudden fit Of desperation resolved to
go up and have 1t out with Bucks. II
was abnormally foolish, I'll confess.
I had nothing definite to go
on; but well, was keyed up to just
about the right pitch, and I thought 1
might bluff him."
Mercy me! You do need guardian
angel worse than anybody I know!"
Portia cut in. do go on"
Kent nodded.
II had one that night; angel or de-
fairly dragged into doing what | did.
When l reached the upper corridor
the door of the~public anteroom was
ajar, and | heard voices. The outer
room was not lighted, but the door
between 1t and the governors private
Office was open. / went in and stood
in that open doorway for as much as
FIVE minutes, think, and none Of the
four men sitting around the governors
writing-table saw me-"
He had his small audience we'll In
hand by this time, and Ormsbys Ques-
ton was almost mechanical.
Who were the four?"
after the newspaper 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 I became an onlooker
Rumford had withdrawn his applica-
tion for a charter, and another straw
company had been formed with Duvall
at its head. I saw at once what
fancy Duvall never suspected; that h"
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 heavens!" calculated Lor-
ing. What despicable lot OF scoun-
drels! But the bribe: did you learn
anything about that?"
Il saw it," said Kent. impassively.
ut was a slip of paper passed across
the table by Rumford to Bucks, face
down. Bucks glanced at it before he
thrust 1t into his pocket. and l had
my glimpse. too. 1t was a draft on
Chicago bank. but I could not read
the figures, and I doubt If either OF
the other conspirators knew the
amount. Then the governor tossed a
folded paper over to the oil man, say
ing. There is your deed to the choicest
piece of property in all CASTOR, and
you've got it dirt cheap came
away at that"