The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-16
CHAPTER XIV

It was into the buzzing question: asking, astonished world of Kirktown that Vic Morris looked on the morrow. He had put Grinding under pains and penalties not to reveal his pres ence-till the time should come. What that precise moment was to be, he did not deign to explain. It had some connection with certain visits he was going to pay. He had come a long way to do 1t. The business must not now be "mulled."
 Going to apply for the late MT. Kahn's positionY' broke in. not un- kindly, Walter Grinding. They were now alone, for the baffled Inspector had been off by the first train.
 "Purissimal" cried the engineer, "but that's not at all a bad idea. Only it would be on conditions"
 Getting your own way-a free hand, and so on." said Grinding; well, the four directors are to be here tomor- row afternoon. If I were you l should at least see tn em"
 Cant" said Vic decidedly. i've an appointment for that dayw
 An appointmentw Walter Grinding was mystified; and you might be the acting boss of Incubus and give us all the sack"
 "Oh." said Vic, lightly, "ther's a
  come from. I'm not aching to be back in Kirktown."
 "Quarrelled?" said Grinding, arch ing his eyebrows with the ghost of a wink.
 Vic Morris bent his brows upon him. His strong nose seemed to hook more broadly and fiercely than ever.
 "No," he said, q haven't quarrelled- yeti But you and I will-if you talk like thatr
 q meant no harm, I'm sure" said Grinding; q tell you what, Mirris- if you really mean that you won't ap- ply for the management of the ln- cubus properties-well then, l will do it for youl I can quite understand that you mightn't like to do 1t when on a holiday-getting pay, and so On
 Not a centw said Vic sharply. I'm lookin' round a bit on my own as our friend, lately departed, would have said Thank you very much, but l would rather
 Look here" said Grinding sudden ly." you don't want AlcKill to get the running of all these hundreds of men a pretty thing that would be! He would stop every mprovement-an-7-
 NO, I should not want that, said Vic slowly, but why not yourself?"
 "Oh," said Grinding, with a sigh T know my limitations and the name I ge,. I'm quite content. I could work with you though 1 can stand booting as well as the next man-that is, if the booter tells me what he is bootng me for! But not McKill That would break my heart. I say, Morris-suppose that the thing is offered to you-your Spanish people can t complain!-What would you do?'
 T should consider it' said Vic, knit ting his brows.
 Well, that's enough for me--see there!' Grinding swept his hand across all the red brick blocks of houses all marked out as on plan down on the panorama of Kirktown spread below, q don't savvy myself much in the way of goodness, but it's a plump up-and-down fact that I've hadto fight for every improvement, every shilling of outlay on the pits, on tht houses, on-ah, well. there! You'll say I'm a queer specimen to be talking
 goody' like tins, when-what is it they call my character? = so frivolous! That keeps me out of the berth they would give to McKiu-good name for him, too htat is, if you don't let me sticK up for you tomorrow with thise four director fellows!
 Humph!'' said Vic; you act lot bet CT tran you talk! It's not common, Grin- dling!'
 He held out his hand:
 'Shakei" he said.
 And quite gravely they shook hands, gripping hard.
 Now, said Vic Morris, kindly put your head in bag, Grinding. Just tc obligel I'm going to pay a visit, and, if you are asked, I want you to be able to say that you don't know where! q could say that anyway!' grinned Walter Grinding.
 But not with the same conviction. It's bor fa n htQ hnnqp ' Vic went on, but here's the smoking room that looks right on a red brick wal with ivy on it. In with you, Grinding | and don't set your nose out for twenty good minutes! You hear mt?" | Again Walter Grinding smiled, H' | thought that he knew exceedingly wei where Vic Morris was going. But as the ! wise reader, of course, knows, he was ntver more mistaken in his life. Still there was a mystery surrounding | the movements of Vic Morris. In face oi | a certain correspondence, he might have | been expected to -betake himself directly | to the manse of the valley. Quite to the contrary, he borrowed 6 l trap from the stables of the long suffer | ing Grinding and drove over to the little village which nestled in the cove of Por I togarten--hiding some few hundreds O. I yards round the rugged coast and out O. | sight of the promontory of Rough Island | and the cottage of the two veteran anna | teurs in ighthouse-science, pharology, ol | whatever might be the name given to tht | common hobby of Billy and Dick. l True, Vic had been ready early, ant | there was no chance of seeing Jane 1 under any circumstances favorable to pri | vate conversation before the afternoon | Still, with all his desire for secrecy. an, his wish to arrive unknown in the villag | of Kirktown, it was somewhat strang | that he should go all the way to Por | togarten Cove without having seen agail the sapphire eyes with the sparks ii them, about which he had written S
 much and often.
 But Vic always had reason for every
 thing, though it was but seldom h
 troubled anybody else with that reason
 Still, it sometimes appeared in the after
 course of circumstances.
 Yes, MT. Ludovic Morris was going t
 call on Vida. He might have said t.
 his host that he was going over to SC
 the new lighthouse, and Walter Grindlin
 would have believed as much of that a he liked. But 1t was characteristic o
 Vic that he said nothing at all, mad
 no apologies, not even to himself-whicl
 Is the rarest thing of all many mel
 and most women passing their time fl
 nothing else than explaining themselve
 to themselves. Vic was less complicated
 He had something to say to Vida. H
 therefore went and said 1t. To anyon else 1t would have been difficult. but no