Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-04-02
CHAPTER XVIII.
DOWN, BRUNO!

For six days after the night or rev. elations Kent dived deep, personally and by paid proxy, in sea of secrecy which, for the five pregnant minutes in the doorway of the governors once, might easily have proved fathomless.
 On the seventh day the conhagration broke out. The editor of the Belmount Refiner was the first to smell the smoke and to raise the cry of "Fire!" but by midnight the wires were hummins with the news and the entire state was ablaze. -
 The story as it appeared under the scare headlines the next morning was crisply told. An oil company had been formed with Senator Duvall at it's head. After its incorporation 1t was ascertained that 1t not only held options on all the most valuable wells in the Belmount region, but that It's charter gave 1t immunity from the laws requiring all corporations to have their organizations, officers, and op- erating headquarters in the state. By the time the new company was three days old it had quietly taken up it's options and was the single big fish in the pool by virtue of its having swallowed all the little ones.
 Then came the finishing strok' which had set the wires to hummins On the sixth day 1t was noised abou' that Senator Duvall had transferred his controlling interest to Rumford- otherwise to the Universal Oil com pany; that he had served only as 3 figurehead in the transaction, using his standing, social and political, to secure the charter which had been de. nied Rumford and his associates.
 It had been managed very skill fully; the capping of the wells by the Universal's agent, the practical seal ing up of the entire district, being the first public intimation of the result of Duvall's treachery and the complete triumph of a foreign monopoly.
 The storm that swept the state when the facts came out were cyclonic, and it was reported, as 1t needed to be, that Senator Duvall had disappeared Never in the history of the state had public feeling risen so high; and there were not lacking those who said that if Duvall showed himself his life would not be safe in the streets of the cap ital.
 It was after the Argus had gone to press on the night of explosions that Editor Hndreth sought and found David Kent in his rooms at the Clar- endon, and poured out the vials of his wrath.
 Say, I'd like to know if you cuc-call this giving me fair show!" he de- manded, finging into Rents sitting room and dropping into chair. Did I, or did not understand that l was to have the age on this oil business when there was anything fit to print?''
 Kent gave the night editor cigar and was otherwise exasperatingly per turbable.
 Keep your clothes on, and don't accuse man of disloyalty until you have all the documents in the case, he said. "I didn't know. until I saw your bulletin a few hours ago. that the thing had been pulled of. Ir fact, I've been too busy with othel things to pay much attention to the Belmount end of it."
 "The ded-devil you have!" sputteret Hildreth, chewing savagely on thu gift cigar. "T'd like to know wha business you had to mix up in othel things to the detriment of my news column. You were the one man wht knew all about it: or at leastyou dic a week or two ago."
 "Yes: but other and more importan things have intervened. I have beer desperately busy, as I say"
 Well. you've lost your chance tC get your grip on the capitol gang anyway: that is one comfort, growled the editor. getting what con soIation he could out of Rents appar ent failure. They played it too fuf fine for you"
 Did they7" said Kent.
 Tt looks pretty much that way doesn't it? Duvall is the scapegoat and the only one. About day afte tomorrow Bucks organ, the Tribune will come out with an inspired edi toriaI whitewashing the entire capito outfit. It will show how Rumford' application for the charter was re fused. and how a truly good and bench cent state government has been hood winked and betrayed by one of it most trusted supporters"
 Kent threw sff his street coat am yent to get his dressing-goEn iron the wardrobe in the bedroom. Whel l he came back he said: "Hildreth. yo have taken me at my word thus far and you haven't had occasion to cal { me either a knave or a fool Do 1t
 little longer and I'll put you in tn [ way of setting of a set-piece of pyro technics that vflI double discount thi 1 mild little snap-craeker of the Bel mount business"
 Cant you do it nou7"
 NO. the time isn't ripe yet "
 must let the Tribune's coat of white
 wash dry first"
 Hildreth vr1gsIsd In his chair.
 Kent. if thought 1t would do an good. I'd cue-eurse you out: voal
 for s fact You are too blamed eloss
 mogthed for any newspaper use B1t Kent only laughed al him
 Tn spite of vesrinsss. Kent vas U
 betfrses the next morning He had
 wire appo5ntnsnt with Bisshfsld Hun
 nfcott and two others h Gaston. an
 he took an early train to keep it- n
 er-JorsI attorney mel hin st the sts