Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1908-10-29
before he could reach for and regain the

before he could reach for and regain tn,
bar.
Kane glided to the side of one of his
captors-trusted detectives ia the employ
OF the company, men who knew how tc
fulfill n rsisSion given to the letter.
He whispered command--they drag,
ged the prisoner away to sure obscurity
and silence.
you've downed me.' raved the man
-'hut when you come to deal with her
. with Elita-have a care of yourself.
Percy Kane you are doomed !"
Kane sank into a chair, left to himself.
| The double excitement of the hour had
Slightly unnerved him.
1t was not in his nature to be daunted,
/ however. Inside of five minutes he had
/ summed up the situation complete, had
counted the possible results of the present
| complication, believed he could handle it.,
and coolly dismissed it from his mind.
His thoughts composed fortified, he set
at work to face the serious situation of
the company's concerns. Plan after plan
| he turned over in his mind. He was a
past grand master at Juggling finance
he fancied he saw his way clear before
him to offset the stock market stampede
of the day
He planned his campaign of procedure
About to arise and set the same in mo-
ton. he was disturbed by the entrance of
an usher. He presented a card; Kane
glanced at it. He read 'Dunstreets.
so soon. ~ he muttered-so soon the
swarming of the harpies about the prey !.
The great clearing house of commercial
information was on his track, already!
Kane was his blaudest-suave, polite,
ingenious, as he met this representative
of the great agency.
Perhaps a thought thrilled his mind,
memory of that other visit of a Dun
street man, when the rotten silver com.
pany went to pieces
The agency reporter had his say; the
great trust was "open for rating; :" that
is, information had been received at vari-
ance with the last subscribed statement
of the company, and until the same was
explained, the high commercial rating of
the corporation would stand at blank
Tomorrow morning" said Kane to
the agency representative, this company
will furnish you with a statement show
ing three dollars in tangible assets for
every dollar Of Indebtedness. | shall ex-
pect you here at ten o'clock, and will
verify the statement with you at the local
banks
The reporter withdrew. Kane's pose
was now that of the startled hare with
the hunters keen on the trail.
He hurried from room to room until
he found the president. He cornered him
in private.
There is just one thing to do" he
declared-"we must shift the duplicate
securities and make up a solid three mill
ions within the next twelve hours, Or go
under"
you talk of impossibiites !" e1clam-
ed the president.
"No-whisper.
What words stole sinister and awe
some into the presidents ear must have
been weighted with ominoups import, for
he drew back with a sharp shiver.
"Oh, never." he gasped. Kane, you
can not mean it ~
Yes do mean it," calmly, decisively,
retorted the other.
ITO apply the trust funds left in our
charge sacredly-man! should they be
engulfed, then for you, for myself, 1t is
the convict garb, and prison bars p
1T must be done-there is no other
way. We must turn back the storm of
distrust beating at our threshold, at all
cost or risks ~
He prevailed upon his confrere at last
They laid their plans for the morrow.
They spoke of the impending election
o-morrow-the day that would see them
masters of the industrial world-or pau
pers.
About two hours later Percy Kane en-
tered his private office. He paused gent
ly ere he approached the trim, little figure
at q desk-his private secretary.
He was the lover-rapt, reverent-as
he spoke softly to beautiful Claire Tre-
maine of their approaching marriage. In |
his ardor and JOY at the near possession
Of this rare treasure, he did not note how
chilling was her set, stony face, that she |
shuddered every time her eyes met his |
own.
He was buoyed up by love when he
left her. The future seemed golden He
felt he could overcome all obstacles, for |
with the morrow his grasp on fortune
and power would tighten-must tighten |
And she-this peerless being-had con-
sented to be his wife-life bore a new
motive, a new and mighty happiness
Alone, Claire Tremane stood like ono
stricken, but borne irresistibly forward |
by STERN somber fate.
She drew from a pocket a small photo
graph-it was a secretly treasured por-
trait of Gideon Hope.
She tore it across, once twice, tears
falling upon the fragments. She dropped |
them like sacred relics into the fireplace. |
1t was too late to draw back now. and |
she had pledged her word to Percy Kane
that in two days she would become his |
wife!
(To be continued)
Spirit Land Messages.