The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1908-04-17


ass as the Renwyck and Williams fac
tons supposed.
HAS the new company. in your opin-
| ion, any chance of successT he asked
his host.
"Chance" laughed Mr.. Renwyck.
"Not a ghost Of it! Now, listen. Here
comes the cream of the joke. The time
| for taking a vote on these deep water
harbor bills In the Texas legislature
had been set for two weeks from now.
but various circumstances have played
directly into my hands. Senator Frank
Kinwait, president of the Texas state
improvement committee Of the legis-
lature, was closeted with me for two
hours this morning. He is now on his
way to Austin, where my harbor bill
will be passed by both houses immedi-
ately upon his arrival, and the legisla-
ture will at once adjourn"
"You-you mean," stammered Rich
ard, chat you have bought Kinwait-
| that
"Tut, tutv' protested the crafty old
schemer "True, bought the gentle
man lunch at Sherry's, together with
a few cigars, a couple Of cold bottles,
and there were some incidental ex-
penses which ran the price Of the meal
up-well, up into six figures, but be-
yond this Mr.. Renwyck paused and
smiled. "No one in this enlightened
age would dream of buying an entire
legislature, my dear boy. Horriblew
Richard rose from his seat, took a
turn up and down the library, then
faced his exultant host.
"Mr. Renwyck," he asked, aren't
you losing sight of one important fac
tor in the game? From what l have
heard of him, Bill Williams is scarcely
the man to be lying around In ham,
mock while you are putting through
your deep water harbor bill. In my
humble opinion, you are going to have
q fight on your hands that will make
you sit up and get busy"
This was the most un-English Ian
guage which the supposed nobleman
had yet employed, but it did not at
tract the notice or awaken the suspi-
cion of Mr.. Renwyck at that time,
owing to his deep interest in the mat
ter Immediately In hand.
"Ah," he cried, NOW you've laid
your finger on beauty spot! OF
course Williams will fight me with
tooth and nail; but, by the Lord Harry,
he can'tw
"Why not?''
"Simply because he will not be in
Texas when my bill is passed"
Richard stared at his host In fear
and wonder, while Mr.. Renwyck con-
tinued jubilantly:
II could not have had matters turn
out better If had arranged it all my
self. 1t seems that Williams fool of a
son was up here in New York last
week and got himself badly smashed
up in an automobile accident"
"What, you don't mean
"Yes, it's true" added the specula-
| tor quickly without noticing Richards
| look of establishment. Michael show
ed me q greatly exaggerated newspa-
per account yesterday morning"
"Is he-er-m ortally or dangerously
| hurt?" began Richard, who had in
truth forgotten all about the condition
Of the real Croyland, and he now be-
gan to fear that the man who had as
sumed his name really might be more
seriously injured than any of them
had imagined. Richard was neither
heartless nor Indifferent; but. not sus-
pecting Croyland's injuries were seri-
Gus and being fully occupied with his
own engrossing situation, he had not
sven the wounded earl a thought for
lays.
mo. no; badly, but not fatally, of
course" answered Mr.. Renwyck. 81
sent around to the hospital to see If
there was anything I could do for the
boy. I'm sorry for him. I've got no
grudge against him. except his foolish
ness in selecting such father"
'I'm glad to hear it's no worse"
murmured Richard, much relieved.
Go on, SIR"
at struck me at once that things
might happen which would serve my
interests when the father heard of the
sad affair"
Richard glared ut his host and
ground his teeth In impotent rage at
this exhibition of hcartlessness that
would make capital for itself in bust
ness scheme out of such an accident.
'I'll steal his daughter now without
twinge of conscience" Aloud he ask
ed with as much control as his thump-
ing heart admitted, well, what Them
The host, who, 1t may be admitted,
had no feeling of hesitation at turning
the incident to his advantage, how
ever much he might and did deplore
it, rubbed his hands and laughed once
more in keen enjoyment of the unlock
ed for opportunity to get the better of
his enemy. Mr.. Renwyck was playing
the game cold bloodedly, mercilessly.
according to the rules of the street.
He would do nothing dishonorable or
underhand after the ethics of his kind,
but he would have considered himself
fool II he had not availed himself OF
every opportunity or assistance that
fate put at his disposal.
"What thenT he echoed. well,
Williams did a thing which surprised
even me. have in my pocket CT
pher report from one Of my agents
] whose sole business Is to watch the