Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1908-03-20
ICONTINUED.

Richard smoked in silence for a
time. then presently said. with affect |
ed carelessness:
"Mr. Renwyck, what you say - no
doubt based on sound judgment and
business and - er - legislative expert
ence; yet, on the other hand, 1t strikes
me that you are taking rather heavy
risk for the sake of mere money"
"Ah," cried the old financier. with a
snap of his heavy jaw, now you've
struck it! And don't mind telling you
the real reason 1t isn't the money.
Hang the money. I'm doing this TO
get even with one man-one man
who represents the Houston. Mata-
gorda City and Gulf Railroad and I'm
provement company. just as | repre-
sent the Longmatt Development and
Construction company He isn't
friend of nine-at least no longer-and,
by George. I've got him! And. what's
more. I'm going to squeeze hlm till his
body is as dry rs the state of Texas.
think you told me that you knew his
son. The old mans name is Bill VII
liams."
Richards brain was in Il whirl. The
Houston. Matagorda City and Gulf
Railroad and improvement company
was his fathers pet. the darling of his
heart. He had worked over it, shaved
over it and owned the controlling inter
est in which he had invested an enOr-
nous sum. If what Mr.. Renwyck
said was true the coming crash would
overwhelm his father completely. Not
only had that gentleman invested his
own money in the company. but he had
induced mis- friends TO join with him,
and well Richard knew that his father
would feel responsible for their loss.
Again, the young man was not the
kind of man who could stand meekly
by and see his dear old dad bested by
an enemy. With Il mental gasp he re-
allied that he stood in possession of
information by which he could turn
the tables on Jacob Renwyck and
watch Bill Williams do the squeezing.
"Jerusalem. how dad will laugh" he
unused, then bit his tongue at a sud
den thought which came to him.
He could not tell his father.
To pose as an English nobleman for
the sake of a joke or even to win a
girl was one thing; to receive a mans
confidence in that capacity and by
means of it detach him from the major
portion of his fortune was quite an
other Richards mind was made up
instantly. confession of his deceit
would cause scene beyond doubt,
and, moreover his hope of winning Miss
Harriet would fade in the general
wreck. but even with this depressing
fact in view he could not for an in
slant bring himself to be branded as a
swindler and IA thief.
'Mr. Renwyck." he began. but the
daring Spectator once more checked
the good intention.
"Now, my dear Croyland." he begged
81 don't want you TO go into this thing
prematurely. Sleep on it. Think il
over tomorrow. and we'll talk about IL
again in the evening. I'm going to
town in the morning TO attend quiet
meeting of the new company's stock
holders. will then be in position to
show you even more clearly where we
stand Let's go to bed He linked his
arm through Richards and started
across the grass. by the way. have
q new team of horses coming out to
! morrow on trial | should like to gel
your opinion of them before | buy"
The light of dawn found Richard still
staring at the ceiling and wondering
= how he could get out of the tangle. y,
I. it1S In n 4
: identity on any preteXt. He must con
! fess to Mr.. Renwyck. But how coul,
he do that when everything was pro
crossing so favOrably. when he was
making so good an impression both OF
Mr.. Renwyck and, as he hoped. hi
daughter? How could he throw ava,
his opportunity there? On the othe
hand, how could he see his dad wall
blindly into the mouths of set o
y New York sharks? Over and over h,
: turned the questions till his bral
=. grew added and his head was achin;
g viciousy. One of two things he mus
do But which? What good would
confession do anyway? To tell his fa
Their afterward would not make hin
d less culpable. He turned and twiste,
d in his bed. but found no solution of tn
Is problem. The questions hit each othe
like wild express trains on singl
track, and the solitary engineer had n
earthly chance to jump.
Now. it's this way" he murmure
to his rumpled pillow-"when an ire
sistible force meets an mmovable bod
heavens. ! wish we'd given thos
blasted Engllshmen a bigger lickin
than we did in '7G!'