Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1907-10-14

Rossmore- Suit after suit lad been
decided against him and the interests
he represented. and each time Ii was
Judge Rossmore who had handed down
the decision. So for years these two
men had foughta silent but bitter duel
In which principle on the one side and
attempted corruption on the other
were the gage Of battle. Judge Ross
more fought with the weapons which
his oath and the law directed him to
use, Ryder with the only weapons he
understood-bribery and triCkery. And
each time it had been Rossmore who
had emerged triumphant Despite ev-
cry maneuver Ryder's experience could
suggest, Notwithstanding every card
that could be played to undermine his
credit and reputation, Judge Rossmore
stood higher in the countrys conf
dence than when he was first appoint
ed.
So when Ryder found he could not
corrupt this honest judge with gold
he decided to destroy him with calum-
ny. No scruples embarrassed Ryder
in arriving at this determination.
From his point of view he was fully
justified. Business is business He
hurts my interests; therefore remove
him." So he argued, and he consid-
cred it no more wrong to wreck the
happiness of this honorable man than
he would TO have shot burglar In
self defense. So having thus tran
quilted his conscience he had gone to
work in his usually thorough manner,
and his success had surpassed the
most sanguine expectations.
This is what he had done.
Like many of our public servants
whose labors are compensated only In
niggardly fashion by an inconsiderate
country. Judge Rossmore was a man
of but moderate means. His income
as justice of the supreme court was
$4,000 year. but for man in his
| position, having a certain appearance
| to keep up, 1t little more than kept the
wolf from the door. He lived quietly,
| but comfortably, In New York with his
| wife and his daughter Shirley, an at
| tractive young woman who had grad
uated from Vassar and had shown
marked taste for literature. The daugh-
| ter's education had cost good deal OF
money, and this, together with life in
surance and other incidentals of keep
| ing house IN New York, had about TAX
en- all he had. Yet he had managed to
save little, and those years when he
could put by fifth of his salary the
/ Judge considered himself lucky. Sc
cretly he was proud of his compare
| tive poverty. At least the world could
never ask him where he got it"
Ryder was well acquainted with
| Judge Rossmore's private means. The
two men had met at dinner, and, al
though Ryder had tried to cultivate
| the acquaintance, he never received
much encouragement. Ryder's son
Jefferson, too had met Miss Shirley
Rossmore and been much attracted to
her, but the father having more am
bilious plans for his heir quickly dis
| couraged all attentions in that direc-
ton. He himself, however, continued
to meet the Judge casually, and one
evening he contrived to breach the
subject of profitable investments The
Judge admitted that by careful hoard
ing and much stintfng he had managed
to save few thousand dollars which
he was anxious to invest in something
good.
Quick as the keen eyed vulture
swoops down on its prey the willy
fnancier seized the opportunity thus
presented. And he took SO much trou-
BILE in answering the judges inexperi-
enced questions and generally made
himself so agreeable that the judge
found himself regretting that he and
Ryder had by force of circumstances
been opposed to each other in public
life so long. Ryder strongly recon-
mended the purchase Of Alaskan Min
ing stock, a new and booming enter.
prise which had lately become very
active in the market. Ryder said he
had reasons to believe that the stock
would soon advance, and now there
was an opportunity to get it cheap.
, TO BE CONTINUED