The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-03

l and ne rubbed up his haclSle furiously, as if his very fingers were electric with | spite A pair of remote poreine eyes snapped and scintillated, and he put all the terse vigor of the master of many thousand workmen into the pendulum to- and-fro of his walk. A scared man-ser- want peeped carefully round the corner of the door.
 "Go away" shouted his master. bend ing suddenly as if seeking something to l throw at him. But another idea struck MT. Romer at the moment, and he called 1 out, Where is Kahn? Send Kahn to mel"
 i The man appeared roupd the door, ob- viousy holding himself teady to dodge, and faltering his belief that MT. Kahn had gone to the office"
 well send for him, can't you,8 shout ed MT. Jacob Romer. And. see here, II you don't have him up within five min l utes-rll--i"
 But the man-servant Gregson, who l knew his master, was already assisting l the page-boy upon his cycle, with orders to ride for his life and beg MT. Kahn to hurry-that the master wanted him-lm- 1 mediately--and indeed very much sooner.
 Scenes like this were all in the days 1 work at Gorm House, and, as Gregson l truly said, it was not every self-respect- | ing man-servant who would stand it. But the pay and the place had their advan- 1 tages, therefore Gregson remained-and Tdid his grumblng out of business hours. MT Kahn-James Kahn-was known 1 both at the house and at the company l pits as "The Confidential" He was It. l tle fairish man of indefinite age, indeiln- | ite everything, in fact-any- where, that is, between 20 and 40. He had | a brisk, hateful look, as if the people 1 about amused him, and he was thinking | at the same time what ill-trick he could | safely play them. His small, gray, deep set eyes dwelt instant on your face l and then swerved aside. Had Kahn worn | poor clothes instead of being always fash ionably attired he would at once have been arrested for vagabond He had i false, pleasant smile, thick neck, and | such broad shoulders on such a snort body that they gave, him the look of being slightly deformed. He hid extreme bodily force under the faccid languor of | a used-up man-abont-town.
 1 When he entered the morning-room at l the house, MT. Romer motioned him to 1 shut the door. Then without the slight est salutation or introduction, he demand ed, (Which boat lying just now at Port 1 Incubus can be got ready for sea the quickest?'
 "Ore or cargo?" inquired James Kahn, with equally little surprise.
 Cargo" said his master impatientiy, and belonging to the firm
 | The little thclS-set man with the gray l eyes that so consistently fled the regard, i appeared to ponder moment.
 tThe Good Intent. he said at last.
 And her master?'
 Captain Warner"
 ! Put Warner on the Golden Swan, said MT Romer shift Captain Helstone 1 to The Good Intent and let him choose his own crew. You are to be supercargo, l and to do as I tell you''
 Very we'll sir" said James Kahn. He | knew very much better than to ask l question or even to smile. He was on hs | promotion, though he pursued knowledge rather than minted gold. Afterwards we'll, James Kahn would see Knowledge 1 was power--also money. He bowed and withdrew with his orders for the day. He was to go on a cruise--a little private ex cursion, with Captain Hestone as mas ter and the crew specially chosen
 "Ah!" thought James Kahn there should be something worth knowing in this I wonder what is the old mans l game? I would wager there is not much cargo and good deal of premium on The Good Intent. It is a blessing l can swim. and l shall certainly have cork jacket by my bunk when l turn ln."
 But he resolved that if there were any risk in the matter, he would make MT. l Jacob Romer pay dearly for the dan | gers he might have to encounter.
 And within the morning room of Corn House the master of the great Incubus pits continued his beat as upon quarter deck, with knitted brow and his brothers letter crushed more tightly in his hand.
 MT. Jacob Romer was hurt in his ten derest domestic affections His wife had | disappointed, his daughter outraged him. His fool of brother was good for nothing but prescribing for old wives. If | only-ah, if only he could have done ev- erything for himself-but to be compelled to trust to idiots-to a quack! Pshawl And pshaw And pshaw,