Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-10-20
NUMBER ~.

inert ut the news. "You don't mean
| It. You can't mean It! Great heaven"
The sight Of the others cowardly
emotion seemed to rouse Horrigan
from his apathy.
"Tf can stand 1t, you can" he snarl.
ed "You only lose your percentage
"A percentage?" echoed Gibbs, too
panic stricken to heed his own indis-
cretion Every cent ] had In the
world. p
He checked himself an instant too
late.
"So?" drawled Horrigan, his keen
little eyes soaring the other with
boundless contempt. 80 1t was you
who were secretly buying up the stock
and failing in on to our game, hey"
"Pm ruined. Broke! And
"And you've got 1t coming to you,
you whining traitor. The man who
goes back on his partners deserves all
the kicking he gets"
Il didn't mean any harm" num-
Dleu the cTuSucu plDDS IL SouINih
hurt you people to have me buy Bor-
ough stock for myself. and I'd have
cleared up a million and more. Oh.
don't glover like that, Horrigan, but
try to think out some way Of
"Of what. you cur
Isn't there any way even now to
make Bennett let up on his fight"
"If there was you couldn't be OF use
to us, so why should talk about 1t
to you?"
"But I'd do anything in the world
anything
"You would" cut In Horrigan
sharply.
"Yes, yes. Only give me chance!
I'd
Horrigan considered. then said re-
hectively:
mo chance is too slight to take ut
time like this. and nobody's too rotten
to be OF use I've found there are
three things. one of which will always
buy any mana woman, ambition or
cash. We've tried Bennett Oh ambf
ton; he doesn't need money, 80 only
the first OF the three remains"
"a woman? don't understand"
Miss Wainwright"
But
Listen here. Benefits In love with
Wainwrights niece. You've cut him
out. Go and tell him II he'll let our
bill alone you'll smash the engagement
and leave her free to marry him.
Seer
IL can't! hold on, though! After.
ward | could deny the whole thing,
couldn't |? It'd be his word against
mine, and she'd never believe | could
do such u thing. IL might try"
"Yes," growed Horrlgan. you might.
A cur that's lost all his nerve can try
things that even an ordinary crook
would balk at"
But Gibbs did not hear. He had re-
turned to the corridor In search or
Bennett The man scarcely deserved
the opprobrium heaped on him by Hor.
rigun. a brilliant, daring operator, he
was, unknown to himself, a rank cow
ard at heart. For the first time In his
life the cowardice had cropped out,
and, to do Gibbs justice, 1t had driven
him temporarily insane. In bis nor
NAL senses he would never have stoop-
ed to the plan he was now SO eager to
carry out 1t was putrid bit Of jet
sam at which a financially drowning
man did not scruple to clutch.
Horrigan followed him from the
room, his own splendid nerve quite re-
covered from the crushing blow his
hopes had received He had staked
heavily on the deal. Moreover, Its fall
ure. as he knew, meant the wreck OF
that mighty political prestige he had
so long and wearisomely built up. 1t
might even, IL Alwyn fulfilled his
threat about the notes, lead to grayer
personal consequences. Yet the bull
dog pluck that had carried this man
OF Iron from the gutter to the summit
Of political power did not desert him,
nor did he show the loss Of one iota or
his customary monumental calm.
fro Re CONTINUED