Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-15
XXVI-Continued.

1
of the family: or rather you kicked him
to prevent his getting into it,
| But think of the profit to him.. pro-
tested the president. He paid only
twenty cents for his half of the Alicia:
he told me so himself. At two hundred
he'd clear ninety thousand; magnificent
amount for so young a man.
| Ford doesn't care anything about
money You can't move him that way"
We'll. then find him for me and I'll
I'll apologize said Mr.. Colbrith. pressed
now to the last extremity
| HE doesn't want your apologies. Uncle
| Sidney. your little tiff was between
man and man. and he'd never think OF
| holding you accountable for anyt hing you
were foolish enough to say.
l. Then what in heavens name does he
want ?"-irascibly.
| ':Oh. a lot of Observation-Disclosures:
your order to investigate the Denver
| management: chance to build his rail-
| road unmolested, and, as side issue a
chance to whitewash your administration
| of Pacific Southwestern by conducting
| the house cleaning in your name-this
! last because he thinks something of the
| family honor. He doesn't have to con-
| slider us. you know At the next annual
| meeting he can elect Brewster president
| over your head; then you will have to
stand for all the grating and deviltry
| that will be unearthed.'
The ground for this duel between Presi-
dent Colbrith and the determined young
| pace setter was the lobby Of the tar-pa-
per-covered hotel. cleared now of the
| impromptu mintng-stock exchange. which
had moved into permanent quarters. The
old man rose stiffly and stood grasping
| the chair back.
THE same reckless charges against
Mr.. North and his subordinates-and now
you aresmaking them!" he rasped. They
are groundless: groundless. tell your
| Adair- looked at his watch. listened a
| moment as for some expected sound from
out Of doors and motoned toward the
| vacated chair.
sit down. Uncle Sidney. and let me tell
you what happened at Horse creek camp
week ago last night" he said. evenly;
and then he told the story of the attempt
] upon Ford's life. of the siege of the
Nadia OF the terrible catastrophe which
had involved all three of the MacMor-
roghs. the scemmissary staff. Eckstein
| and the headquarters camp. When he
| finished the president was shaking as If
strong strand Of loyalty still held.
1T was horrible-hendsh!" he shud-
dered But it was the MacMorroghs'
f Md,th 1t does not necessarily incri"inate
1T does" said Adair, in the same even
tone. II told you that we left a few men
at the wrecked camp to warn the incom-
ing material trains. They found single
| survivor VI tn0 tHlTtecH UcIl WHO tTiSu "
destroy us and the Nadia. 1t was Eek
stein. North's secretary. and before he
died he amply confirmed all our guesses.
They had plotted to have you quarrel
with Ford. Ford had bought his half OF
the Little Alicia without any prompting.
but from that as starting point the en-
| tire scheme was worked up. The Mac
| Morroghs' bookkeepeer, man named
Merriam-who is at present In Copah.
and whose deposition I have had taken
| before justice of the peace-was detailed
| to win Frisbie over to the change Of
route--no difficult thing. since the change
was for the better. But Merriams part part
out anything about Ford's mine, which he
did. Am making 1t clear?
| The president bowed his head.
Then. when you came west on your In
spection trip the trap was sprung. You
| were told that Ford had been doing a
dishonorable thing. and you were urged
to come over here and see for yourself.
To make sure that there should be no
| slips. Penfield was sent with you. osten-
| sibly as your acting secretary, but really
| as spy
| "Oh. no: / can't think that of young
| Penfield." protested the president.
| Il say yes, and the proof is that Pen
1t when told him what had happened
| at Horse creek and gave him his choice
| of telling me what he knew or going to
| Jail. Then / came on the scene at the
I
carefully issued instructions intended to
delay me as much as possible. he sent
| Eckstein in post haste by way of Jack s
canyon and the stage trail to get ahead
| of me. You see. he was afraid to trust
| matters 20 Penfield. who would most GER
tainly have stopped short of the desperate
mea sures EckStein and the MacMorroghs
| finally took. 1t was decided at a council
in which Penfield was present. that Ford s
elimination must go through. If you
didn't quarrel with him and drop him. he
| was to be murdered.
Mr.. Colbrith was silent for a long min
ute after Adair ceased speaking. Then
| he looked up to say: What was Ford
doing at Horse creek that night? He had
| left me only a few hours before. and. as
ii have said, we had-we had some
| words
Adair smiled He was about to begin
doing what he has been doing ever since
fogging the extension into shape night
and day to get it ready to carry pas
sengers and freight. He conceived it to
be his duty-to you as we'll As to the other
stockholders And he has fogged it into
! shape. Look out of that window. Uncle
Sidney!
A long passenger train, crowded to the
platforms and with the private car ''O1
in tow was winding down the grade OF
the opposite hillside. and as they stepped
to the windows the engineer woke the
/ echoes with the engine whistle.
THE first one of many. let us hope,
uncle's elbow Then. with quite diff.
ferent note in his voice: Its Stuart's
work. all of it. He has scarcely stopped
to eat or sleep since that horrible night
in the Pannikin valley. And that night
4 Uncle Sidney. 1 fought shoulder tc
shoulder with him-as a brother should
he is a man. and-there are not many
more like him.
The presidents thin lips were drawn
into straight lines. and the thin goats
beard stood out at the argument ative
angle. Mr.. Colbrith was chary of hi:
emotions
VIII he sell us that stock in the Little
Alicia. Charles Edward?
Adair smiled at the determined return
!, to the practical.
NO" he said; II don't think he will
/ shouldn't If l were in his place. But he
will do the next best thing-he will marry
Alicia and so bring it into the family
And on the railroad conditions l have
named l am quite sure he will make yol
his voting proxy if you want to use 1t II
forcing the combine"
The president took a turn as far as the
clerks counter and back. The lobby wa:
!, deserted. everybody having gone to wei
come the first train into Copah.
You seem to have North against the
for the sake of-of. we'll of his wife anC
children. he must have even-handed JUS
tice. / must insist upon that.
1t was the most lovable thing in the
irascible old man-his undying loyalty tC
a man in whom he had once believed
Adair slew the last hope with reluctance
Drawing a thick packet of undelivere6
kilograms from his pocket. he handed 1t t
his uncle.