The Elbert County tribune., 1909-07-22
CHAPTER I.-contInued.

CHAPTER I.-contlnued.
Shortly after his determination to
tell Kate half truth. Darlington left
the office and made an early train into
New Jersey All the way over to the
Cavenaugh station he was restless and
uneasy The fatal papers still reposed
in his pocket He had not dared to
leave them in the office safe; his part
ner. who had had no hand in the in
vestigation. might stumble across
them, and that was the last thing in
the world he desired. He knew not
exactly what to do with them; for
they burned like fire in his pocket,
and seemed to scorch his fingers
whenever he touched them to learn
If thawswere still there. A thousand
and one absurd suppositions assailed
him. Surprising. for instance. there
should be wreck: supposing he
should be robbed; supposing he should
leave his vest on the links; and SO
forth and so forth. 1t was very de-
pressing. II only he stood in the open,
unhandicapped; If only he might
throw the gauntlet at Cavenaugh's
feet the moment they met
Ah.- If he had only attended to his
own affairs! But he hadn't; and his
inquisitiveness had plunged him into
Chinese tangle from which there
seemed to be no exit. But there was
an exit; only, II at that moment Cas-
sandra had whispered the secret into
his ear. It would have appealed to him
as the most improbable thing under
the sun. However, there are no trust
worthy Cassandras these sordid days;
a single look into the future costs
dollar: and as for Greek choruses,
they trundle push-carts on the East
side.
He had broken bread and eaten salt
at Cavenaugh's table and now it was
decreed that he must betray him. 1t
was not pleasant thought. And still
less pleasant was the thought of tell
ing Kate lin a roundabout fashion,
it Is true) that her father was not an
honest man. According to financial
ethics, what Cavenaugh did was sim
ply keen business instinct nothing
more. II you or l should happen to
bend an odd cornice of the majestic
VI
county jail forthwith; but If we
possessed the skill to smash the whole
fabric, or, rather, to continue the met
aphor. the whole pillar. the great
world would sit up and admire us.
What are old laws for, anyhow? Build
you never SO wisely your law, there
will always be some one to come
along and tack on a nice little amend
ment, subtly undoing In a moment
what 1t took years OF labor to accom-
plish. In this instance Cavenaugh had
been carele1s; he had forgotten to in
troduce his amendment. An infinites-
ipoal grain OF sand will stop the best
regulated clock. The infallible invari-
ably die on the heels of their first
victory
On leaving the train. Darlington es-
pied the Cavenaugh station carriage.
The coachman was talking to little
wiry old man, whose gray eyes twin
killed. and whose complexion was mot
tied and withered like wind-fall ap-
pie. Seeing Darlington draw nigh,
the coachman touched his hat re-
spectfully. while the little old man,
who was rather shabbily dressed,
stepped quickly around the corner of
the platform. Evidently he did not
wish to be inspected at close range.
Darlington threw his suitcase and
golf-bag into the carriage. and fol-
lowed them. Thereupon the coach
man touched the horses lightly. and
they started westward at a brisk trot
who's your friend?" asked Caring
ton, who, though never familiar, was
always friendly toward his Interiors.
He's no friend of mine, SIR" an
swered the coachman, with well-bred
contempt. Miss Cavenaugh directed
me to drive you straight to the club.
SIR"
very WE'LL" replied Darlington,
lighting a cigar and settling back
among the cushions.
Immediately he forgot all about the
shabby old man. and began to inven-
tory his troubles. He must hide the
papers somewhere. All the evidence
he had, together with the names of
the witnesses. was on his person; fer
in making the whole he had prudently
destroyed the numerous scraps. II
this document fell into alien hands.
The trouble would double itself. He