Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-10-08

The result was worse than failure
He was wild with himself. wild will
Grenier and reached higher pitch OF
fury when Mason surlIly refused to say
what grievance he harbored against
Anson.
"a nice muddle I've made Of every
thingw cried the disappointed youth
"And a precious lot of friends I've dis
covered. / tell you everything. place
myself unrescrvedly in your power
and you not only let me drift into q
stupid blunder. but decline to share
your condolences with me-"
He rose to go, but Grenler. firmly
pushed him back into chair.
Don't be bigger fool than you are
Jimmie. and leave those who will help
you. told you the cab adventure was
a mistake. II might go wrong In TWEEN
ty ways and right only in one. And
you must admit that I never heard OF
Anson from you until tonight
"I may be to blame" was the sulky
admission. "but who Is your friend
Hunter. and why does he not be as
outspoken as II"
"rhere are reasons. Hunter was
cleaned out In Africa OH account OF
Anson's manipulation Of diamond
mine. He wants to get even with
him. That should be enough for you.
Mason smiled sourly ut his leaders
ready explanation. and Langdon saw
only the venom In the mans face.
"He ought to have said 80" he NUT
tered. II am In no mood to be denied
the confidence Of those who act with
me in this matter. In any case. what
can we do?"
Grenier procured decanter Of brandy
and passed his cigarette case.
1--WE can accomplish nothing with
out money"
Money! What avail Is money
against a mIllionaire2"
"None directly. You would be
swamped instantly. But we must
know more about Anson. He has
servants. They can be made to talk
He has susceptible cooks and house
maids In Park lane and at whatever
place he owns In the country. l an
great with cooks and hOusemaids
There Is a mystery, an unfathomable
mystery. about his supply Of diamonds
1t must be probed'-
mo mystery at ALL" snarled JOcky
Mason. "IIe found meteor In Il
slum called Johnson's News. 1t was
cram full Of diamonds. I saw some
of 'em."
"You saw themw
His hearers allowed all other emo
tons to yield to the interest Of this
astounding statement.
eyes don't say much; act
You'll get no more out Of me. want
none Of your girls or property. want
Philip Anson's life. and I'll have II II
I swing for It,"
"My dear Hunter, you are talking
| wildly. Have another drink"
Grenier, cool as an icicle, saw unex
pected vistas opening before him. he
must be wary and collected. Here was
the man who would pay and the man
who would dare all things.
MasOn's truculent determination gave
hope even to Langdon. He, too. gifted
with a certain power Of vicious rea
soning, saw that this new ally might
prove useful. But he was afraid OF
such bold utterances and hoped to
achieve his purposes without binding
himself even tacitly to the commission
of a crime. for Mason not only looked
but talked, murder.
~ think l had better co." he said
suddenly. "Your brandy is too strong
for my head, Grenier. Call and see
me in the morning."
The astute rogue whom he address
ed raised no objection to his departure
He instantly embraced Langdon's atti.
tude in his wider horizon.
"Yes," he agreed, "let US sleep on It.
We will all be better able to discuss
matters more clearly tomorrow"
Thenceforth the fat In Shaftesbury
avenue became q spiders web into
which the flies that buzzed around
Philips life were drawn one by one,
| squeezed dry Of their store Of infOrma.
| ton and cast forth again unconscious
of the plot being woven against their
! master.