The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1908-05-29
CHAPTER x,,-icontinued>.

But in one of the many huge build
,ngs in which the cement was manu-
factured was an old man whose lungs
mad defied the deadly dust. He was
foreman, and was the only man in all
those great works who had been with
the slste7sons since the cement was
made. Indeed, he went back to the
time when Sir Johns firm was Sister
son & Forde, builders, Wandsworth.
He had been enc of the two men to
whom ct the start had been confided
the secret process by which the &C.
Ment was made-for John Sisterson
could not do everything by himself,
and he took c"re that the patent
should not disclose everything to his
competitors.
he was now somewhat slack, dod-
dering, incompetent old man, whom
Maxwell had wished to dismiss, but
whom Sir John had permitted to re-
tain his pest in spite of Maxwells pro-
tests. Maxwell had often wondered
at the mans being kept on by Sir
John, and had uggested-though it
was contrary to his business princi-
ples-that he should be pensioned off;
but to this his father would not con-
sent. And the name of this man was
William Cross.
If there was any man living who
might know whether Sir Johns So
called delusion was not delusion,
William Cross was the man, and Max
well was very anxious to know, as the
thing gave him no rest.
A sort Of malevolent curiosity pos
sessed Maxwell Sisterson, for he had
a mean little soul. And he argued
that il his father spoke the truth it
was better to know it, and so to be
able to take precautions against that
knowledge getting out into the world.
1t never occurred to him to imagine
his father of SO honest and upright a
character that theft and murder were
quite impossible to him; honesty and
uprightness were what Maxwell would.
have contemptuously called shop-win-
dow qualities-meant for outside dis
play only.
To William Cross then, Maxwell
went, and by means of threats. prom
ises and cajoleries learned from him
that Thomas Forde had in reality in
vented the cement, and that his father
had stolen the formula-this was why
Cross had been kept on in the works.
But he was unable to induce the old
man to say anything about the death
of 'Forde, except that "the accident to
Tom Forde was wonderful piece of
good luck for John Sisterson-provi
Dental, you might say it was" Cross
knew nothing of the murder, but
changed his mind when, just before
his departure, the old man told him
that he never wished to leave the
works
81 know you wants me to go, Mr..
MAXWELL he said, "but here am and
here stops-or it may be the worse
for you. You threatened me, and per-
haps you thought that you daunted
NE, but l wanted to let you see that
knew something, because I wish to
stay on here. Your fathers dying,
and I know you'd like to turn me off.
But You won't do that now. will you,
Mr.. MAXWELL? If you do, look out
ooh, you may stop on, Cross" said
Maxwell.
81 reckon so,'' said William Gross.
'I'l! take my regular holiday soon. and
then back comes and here stops"
Then Maxwell Sisterson. having
gained the information he sought,
went with extraordinary cruelty and
cal!ousness and impaired it to his
mother and stepsisteI, justifying his
action by saying that it was best they
should understand the case and be at
pains to keep it concealed from the
rest of the world.