Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1909-05-06
CHAPTER IX


wood was seated in company with his
host.
II have no doubt whatever but you are
right in your conjecture" said Mr.. Car
buckle. "Pegram is either shareholder
or the agent of shareholder but that
Is thing you can easily ascertain. You
have nothing to do but to get line from
me, and would tell him So and Of course
with the object he had in view. he would
take very good care not to contradict
her"
MY own idea is that if they can find
Terence Finnigan they intend to perpe-
t1ate fraud. For instance, granting
they find him. should think few hun
dred pounds would easily keep him out of
the way till his death, which probably
cannot be far off. or till the death of
PCgram's nominee. Recollect the stake
is so big. 1t is great temptation"
Yes" said Mr.. Carbuckle. sit might
be so | never thought of that. Now it
would be a great point if we could dis
cover Pegram. First of all. we should
be able to get at what sort of man he
is, and to some extent judge whether he
ture and in the second place. keeping a
Miss Caterham, accrediting you as her
agent, and go down to the board room
and look at the list of the subscribers
1t is some time since | saw it. and then
there were between forty and fifty names
still left on. But | recollect when | last
talked to Miss Caterham about it. she
told me there were only five or six left,
and the proba ability is that one or two
of those have been put out of it since
Then comes the queStion-What is Peg
rams motive? | should imagine feverish
curiosity to know whether the life of
Miss Caterham's nominee has lapsed."
1T strikes me-" replied Ringwood,
"that the first thing to ascertain is, how
did this Pegram discover that l was to
call on Miss Caterham on your behalf?"
From Miss Caterham herself, no
doubt" replied Carbuckle. "As I, in my
hurry, had omitted to give your name,
she would naturally think he came from
very sharp eye on Mr.. Pegram. it is quite
possible we should find the missing Finni-
gan"
Il know it is rather presumptuous to
NlilCi with Oilt VI NOiI fAlttIlt'liCe, Dul l.
think this probably is the principal and
l will tell you why. If my theory is
right, the discovery of Terence Finnigan
Is merely the prelude to the preparation
Of a great fraud. 1t must be obvious
20 the man who contemplates il that the
fewer accomplces he has the better If
he can do without any, better still. Now,
again, | think it very likely that he would
use his own name in this preliminary in
quiry at Miss Caterham's. In the event
Of discovery he could easily pass it off
as feverish curiosity. and if he appeared
under an assumed name, he would certain
ly lay himself open to the grave suspicion
Of contemplating foul play OF some de-
scription."
: ."Yes, there is good deal in what
you say returned Mr.. Carbuckle; but
visit to the board room will settle the
question in two minutes. BY the way,
when you are there see if Vscount LAX
ington is still left in the Tontine.' He
was the last time | saw the list, and l
can't help taking an interest in his share.
1t is curious enough, if it had not been
for myself and Gerald Fitzpatrick he
would never have gone into it at ALL" And
here the barrister related the story of
that famous pool that was played the
night of the Ascot Cup, at the little
villa at Bracknell
Armed with Mr.. Carbuckle's missive,
Ringwood lost no time in once more pre-
senting himself at the cottage. The la
dies. once convinced that he really was
Mr.. Carbuckle's friend. welcomed him
warmly. and expressed their gratitude for
the trouble he was about to take for them.
Miss Caterham was able now to regard
him without fear or prejudice, and was
fain to acknowledge the truth that Ron
aid Ringwood was a very pleasant, gentle
manly young man, with high spirits, and
considerably more than average ability;
but the poor lady was still unspeakably
nervous on the subject of Mr.. Pegram,
and was continually conjuring up to her
self fantasies of crime more or less deeply
tinted. Ringwood made no secret of how
he intended to open the campaign, telling
them chat. in the opinion of himself and
Mr.. Carbuckle, it was desirable, in the
first place. to discover Mr.. Ppgram. as
il might very probably lead them without
further trouble to the end of their goal
In finding Terence Finnigan.
Ringwood duly attended at the board
day. and ascertained that Mr.. Pegram
was a solicitor living in the town Of
Rydland. in North Wales.
MY theory right TO start with" he
muttered. What bit Of luck I am
off by the Irish mail tonight to see what
] can make of Pegram. An intended
fraud for a ducat."
He had no difficulty in ascertaining
that Mr. Pegram was a well-to-do So
licitor. who had lived in Rydland all his
life: that he was not particularly popu-
lar amongst his brother tOwnsmen that
his money was more derived from sue
cessful speculation in the new watering
place Of Llambarlym than his business
as solicitor that he was now a widow
er, his wife having died some FIVE or six
years ago. and that about that time he
had taken into partnership his eldest son,
and the firm was now known as Pegram
& Son. In reply to inquiries as to what
ago Mr.. Pegram might be, he was in
formed sixty OF upwards. and that the
son would probably number about half
his fathers years.
There was nothing further to be done
in RydIand at present. so he resolved to
return to town by the night mail. and
present his meager budget of facta to Ar.