Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-17


something very big: II he was not. then q
smaller sum would do. -Wisernan found
comfort in refusing to believe that he was
Eustace; SO therefore. OF course. the smaller
sum would do
What Is your Hgure?" he asked affably.
as he took up his own glass Of liquor and
pushed the bottle toward the young man.
Eustace made a slight movement of Inn
patience. He had already found the dis
tilier somewhat tedious on this theme.
I'VE needn't reopen that discussion, he
said stiff1y. I'm fact. don't know tn 1T
we need reopen any discussion. / said just
now that I had . question or two to ask
you: but perhaps my meaning will be clear
er IL put them On the form of statements.
Statements Of amount? Harvey cut IN.
Yes, that's what I'm waiting to hear
I'll agree to anything in reason. you know
Eustace disregarded the Interruption and
went on:
give you. reasonable number OF days
grace before 1 formally take over the dis
tillery. There need be no examination OF
the premises until 1 choose"
Come. man. you needn't take this line! l
know your position Is strong one. and
am prepared to allow for the fact in ar
ranging terms; but I'm too old a BARN TO
be frightened by big words! The bounce
Is pretty but as 1 know it's only bounce.
and you know I know it. what's the good
of it?"
None: If you persist In regarding 1t as
bounce"
well. what else can 1t be? I'm not a
simple fooli''
Eustace smiled, and the distiller went sn:
"Of course it's bounce! 1t isn't as IL you
were even on decently firm ground yourself.
You're not Eustace. If you were, after that
business in the tunnel, you wouldn't have
waited for more-you'd have had the police
here by this time. You daren't do that,
because your own position Is just about as
rocky as 1t can be. The things plain
enough! Come, you're on the make, just
as much as any of us! What are your
terms?"
Eustace rose and stood by the table. He
was growing distinctly weary of Harvey
Wiseman.
my terms are" he said firmly, your i'm
mediate departure. as l said; also your
departure under such circumstances that
your return to annoy Miss Holland may be
impossible"
Harvey answered him by chuckle.
THE claimant is sentimental he said
with sneer "a thief shouldn't indulge
in luxuries! But l understand your feeling.
I've had something like it myself, you
know. and for the same person?
The young man curbed a fierce desire to
close the distiller's sneering lips with a
blow. He clenched his fingers and went on:
For the sake of the family honor L
would keep the reason for your departure
quiet If 1 could. l would even allow yon,
before you went. to destroy all the evl-
dences of that side of your business which
is fraudulent; but that is impossible. There
the only way / can make certain of that
is by bringing the police iu after you are
gone
Harvey went to a safe and brought out
. ledger.
Man" he said pleasantly, you bluff like
a Yankee cowpuncher! l almost admire
you,"
you will be safer when you can manage
to realize that / am serious
The distiller put the ledger on the table,
found the page he wanted and signed to
Eustace to come and look
You understand figures, he said quietly.
Here are some that the revenue author
tiles would like to see! That column is the
summary of several years work, and 1t
gives the number of gallons OF stuff which
have maturing in a safe place. The duty
on proof spirits is, as you probably know,
eleven ~shillings a gallon. Just reckon up
what that means! Bigger thing than you
thought. Ell? Well now. I'll tell you a Sc
c1et or two. If we can have eight months
clear to do 1t in, we can sell the whole of
that stuff-and at market prices, mind you!
l won't tell you our scheme of distribution,
but 1t has been working without a hitch
for two or three months now, and l have
cleared expenses already; the rest will be
clear profit. Big, isn't it? No, don't speak
yet; / haven't finished! According to our
present arrangement, take go per cent for
my share, and Black takes forty. And the
game isn't half so risky as it sounds. III
you go round the Holland Abbey distiliery
you will find nothing suspicious; all the
vessels are supplied with the regulation
revenue locks and measured by the
revenue officials; quantities are registered;
everything is above board; If an inspection
is made by Blacks superiors-and of course
1t is made frequently-there is nothing they
can object to. But, of course, as you have
found out, the business which is above
board-above- ground, If you think the term
more approprate-is not the only business;
and 1t Is of the rest, the portion that the
revenue knows nothing about, that l am
showing you the figures now. I have dis
titled every gill of 1t myself, and 1 have
made the apparatus with my own hands;
my workmen even know nothing about it.
Butt couldn't sell It in the same way. And
that Is where Black comes in; and that is
how he earns his 40 per cent. Am 1 making
myself clear?"
Eyes. In every point except one. I fail to
understand your reason for telling me all
this"
Wiseman watched the young mans face
narrowly as he answered:
IT thinking of cutting Blacks per-
centage down from forty to thirty
He stopped. Eustace waited. The dis
tiller went
"And at the same time I shall cut my
own down from sixty to forty. Now do you
understand"
Eustace started The bride was an enor-
nous onel He could realize that Wlseman
was not likely to credit the possibility of its
being refused.
YES" he said in wonder. You are Of
fering me the other 30 per cent. What
for?'
For eight months of silence, that is ALL
And l have already said that meanwhile L
would openly recognize you Sir Eustace
Holland"
and If 1 refuse?"
The distiller laughed
"Why should you refuse?" he asked
''You are working one big fraud yourself
offer to help you and at the same time
give you a share in, he pointed to the
ledger-"the figures yos see there. No, you
won't refuse!'
>"I think said Eustace quietly, that
there is one possibility which you leave out
of count. Suppose, for the sake of argu-
ment, that / am not in need of money. and
that consequently your bribe does not tempt
me. What them"
Harvey grinned, and shook his head.
You must be very rich man then" he
said incredulously.
IT am asking you to make the SUPPOSE
ton"
"Humbug!' was the distiller's confident
retort. IF you were a rich man, you would
not be making a fraudulent claim to the
Holland estates. which are not rich in
heritance."
You seem to be very sure that my claim
is fraudulent
Yes said Wiseman simply.