Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-10-27

| at last was ready to be sprung.
The financier for the first time In his
nine year close association with the
secretary met the younger mans gaze
without seeing the latter droop In def
erential submission. Now he received
back look for look from his former alb
iect slave. and 1t was his own glance
| that wavered before that concentrated
glare Of hate.
"Thompsonr' he cried, and his voice
bore world of incredulous reproach.
Before him stood the one man on
earth In whom Wainwright had ever
placed implicit trust; to whom he had
rontided his gravest business secrets;
the man whom he had so shrewdly
tested in countless ways and who had
proved stanchly incorruptible and 10y
HI, and now Thompson apparently con-
fronted him In the role Of traitor-of
.xultant spy.
Thompson he exclaimed once
more, almost with a groan, as the sec,
retary advanced into the room until
only the width Of the table separated
employer and employee.
Then the newcomer spoke for the
Hrst time, In an oddly mufied voice, as
though fighting desperately for self re,
straint.
"Now he contradlcted. Thompson
no longer. Henceforth am Garrison. v
Wainwrlght's face grew gray. Breath
less, unbelIeving he peered across al
the pallid features Of his new foe, trac'
Ing In them the likeness to the old
friend whose ruin and death he had
caused. The haunting resemblance thai
had often vaguely occurred to him
when watching Thompson at work now
returned In double force. But now. as
In fash, 1t was explained, and he
knew that his secretary spoke the
truth.
"Yes," went on Thompson In the
same choked. struggling lntonation, u
nm Harry Garrison. You wrecked my
fathers life. You drove him to suicide.
You blasted bis memory. You beg
CARED his children. am bis son-Har-
ry Garrison. Now do you begin to
| understand"
"You see, Mr.. Wainwright" inter-
t,ned Bennett as the secretary's pent-
up. rage strangled the words in his
throat, my guesswork has fairly re-
liable backing"
But Wainwright did not hear. He
still stared, as one hypnotlzed, into the
blazing eyes Of the man he had trusted.
"You've-you've played me false" he
managed to gasp at length. "You
have
"Sure he hasw cut In Horrigan.
"What'd I tell you last summer, VAIN
wright? I said then you were foolish
to trust him so. said he'd stand
watching. The minute set eyes on
that lantern jawed. glum face Of his
played me false!" muttered VAIN
wright again, dazed and doubling the
evidence Of bis own senses.
played you falseT jeered Thomp-
son. "Played you false? Why else
did I become your servant7 What else
have I been waiting all these horrible
years for? I've sat at your desk and
listened to your orders, never venturing
to say my soul was my own. Now
you'll listen to me-"
"Why do you bother with the little
traitor. WainwrightY scoffed Horrlgan.
But the flnancier was standing mo-
tionless, leaning on the table. his fin
gers spasmodically gripping Its edge till
the knuckles grew white. Ridiculously
like cowed prisoner before the bar OF
justice, he faced his fiery eyed young
Judge.
"They sent for me-" went on Thomp-
son brokenly, jerkily. scarce intel!isi
BILE as the suppressed hatred Of dec
ade battled for expression. They sent
for me. My father had killed himself
My mother lay dead, struck down by
grief. Our honored old name was de
filed. My sister was pauper. Who
had done all this? You! Oh. they