Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-18
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to BeakbaneS hab1tual seat, and drove Oft with the
which by long the latter had almost come
to regard as his private property. a furlong or SO
of cautious avoidance of cabs and vans, and he
drew up in front of the Courlander Building
Standing for instant the broad foot
path, Maurice glanced up at the pile in front of
him. 1t was not immense, size is counted in
the newer erections of the city; but it was GER
tanlv the most SumptuOuS and by tar the most
beautiful, office building between Temple Bar and
Aldgate. On the left of the main portal was curved
brass plate bearing in quite small characters the
sole word "Courlander, and on the right was an
other plate exactly similar. There was no other
indication of ownership.
Maurice climbed the seven marble steps leading
to the level of the central hall On side the
underwriting department. on the other the South
American department; the whole of the first floor
was devoted to the bill discountng department.
perhaps the most lucrative of the Courlander
activities. He traversed the hall, and took the
elevator to the second floor, where Carl's private
and invioable office was located.
He went suddenly it with brutal
saught, into his fathers massive Office. Good
afternoon, gentlemen he said at
Three old grouped at the large oval
table under the central window. They were Isidore
Antonio, manager of the bill dscounting depart
ment; Augustine London manager of the under
writing department; and Jabez Harris manager
of the South American department. Each seemed
to wait for his companions to speak The Queen
Anne clock over the wide arch of the chimney
piece struck six.
Il am half an hour late said Maurice, who had
shut the door behind him, but had not advanced
beyond the edge of the Persian carpet into the
apartment He looked excessively young he
faced the aged trio.
Not at all, Mr. Maurice" said one of his audi
ence lamey.
And l cannot stop now / have to return to
the country instantly" he proceeded. Il had
meant to talk with you at length, doubt you
gathered from my telephone message. But l must
my fathers will l the sole proprietor and
director of this house, and that intend to retire
at once. The business is to be wound up with the
least possible delay Kindly take the necessary steps
l shall be with you tomorrow to arrange details
lit is to be sold?" Antonio tremblingly in
quired
No; wound up" said Maurice
Il will show you tomorrow that my dictionary,
being an expurgated edition, does not contain the
About the Morocco loan Mr.. Courlander?" haz-
arded Augustine London. The papers are ready
to be-
above all things replied Maurice quickly II
have communicated with Berlin"
Does Mr.. Beakbane know? asked Harris
Mr.. Beakbane does not know Mr.. Beakbane
has left my service.
And Maurice quilted them as abruptly as he had
Quilted Beakbane
He sat silent and contemplative in the tonneau
Dubois guided and urged the rapid car through
the northern skirts of London past Barnet into
Bedfordshire. In somewhat less than hour they
were within a mile of the east lodge of Tudor
Hundreds. He tried to arrange his thoughts;
but he could not. The truth was that he had
not yet begun to act from reason; he still
acting in obedience to profound and imperious in
stincts. The terrific issues involved by his fathers
DEATH the manner and the horror of that death,
the manifold ordeals of the inquest the secret and
disturbing appearances and disappearance of Sib-
thorpe and Carfax, the enigma of the threatening
statue, the suspicious, the mysteries, and the perls
of the situation-these things mingled together in
his mind like morose and heaving slate colored
sea at twilight of a winters day.
And afoat on the insure surface of the
pale, Intangible wralth-the wrath of NOTah S love
for him This it that had brought him back
with such swiftness from London. He had not seen
Norah. She had escaped him, had baffed every
effort on his part to meet her He had fled to Lon
don persuaded himself that he hated her, at