Mexico Missouri message., 1909-07-29
CHAPTER I.-continued.

CHAPTER I.-Continued.
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
AZ they were still there. A thousand
;and one absurd suppositions assailed
min. Surprising, for instance, there
should be a 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
feet the moment they met!
All, 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 if 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 a
dollar; and as for Greek choruses,
they trundle push-carts on the East
side.
He had broken bread and eaten salt
at Cavenaughs table and now it was
,decreed that he must betray him. 1t
was not a 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. If you or l should happen to
bend an odd cornice of the majestic
pillar of law we'd be hailed off to the
county Jail forthwith; but If we
possessed the skill to smash the whole
fabric, or, rather, to continue the met
saphor, 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
H.. 20 NO
along and tack on nice little amend
ment, subtly undoing in a moment
what it took years of labor to accom-
plish. In this instance Cavenaugh had
been careless; he had forgotten to in
~troduce his amendment. An infinites
imal 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 a little
rwiry old man, whose gray eyes twin
Killed and whose complexion was mot
tied and withered like a wind-fall ap
ple. Seeing Darlington draw nigh
the coachman touched his hat re
tspectfully, while the little old man
who was rather shabbily dressed
stepped quickly around the corner o
the platform. Evidently he did no
wish to be inspected at close range
harrington threw his suitcase anC
golf-bag into the carriage, and fol
lowed them. Thereupon the coach
man touched the horses lightly, an,
they started westward at a brisk trot
Who's your friend?" asked Caring
ton, who, though never familiar, wa
always friendly toward his interiors
He's no friend of mine, SIR" an
severed the coachman, with well-bre'
contempt Mis- Cayenaugh directed
me to drive you straight to the club
sir"
Very WELL" replied Darlington
lighting cigar and settling bacl
among the cushions.
Immediately he forgot all about tn
shabby old man, and began TO inveu
tory his troubles. He must hide tn
papers somewhere All the evidenc
, he had, together with the names o
the witnesses, was on his person; 70
in making the whole he had prudentl
destroyed the numerous scraps.
this document fell into alien hands
the trouble would double itself. H