Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1910-09-07

stopped in the vestibule, quakins lit
tie as she felt she must always quake
until the impossible chasm of weldock
with another should be safely opened
between them.
Just moment" he said, abruptly.
There was a time when said would
spare Vincent Farley and his kin for
your sake. That was year ag1.
Things have changed since then; 1
have changed. When my father is bur-
led. shall do my best to fill the
mourners carriages with those who
have killed him."
How is your father to-day?" she
asked, not daring to trust speech 9TH
erwise.
HE Is the same as he was yester-
day and the day before: the same as
he will always be from this on-a
broken man."
You will strike back?" She said it
with infinite sadness In her voice and
an upcasting Of eyes that were swim
ming. Il don't question your right
but pity you. The blow may be Just,
don't know-yet 1t will fall hardest
on you in the end. Tom"
His smile was almost boyish in its
frank anger. But there was mans
sheer in his words.
Excuse me: / forgot for the mo-
ment that we are In church. But /
am taking consequences these days"
She looked out from the cool, dark
refuge of the vestibule when he mount
ed and rode on. and her heart was full.
1t was madness. vindictive madness
and fell anger But 1t was generous
wrath. large and man-like. 1t was not
to be, blow in the dark or In the
back. as some men struck; and he
would not strike without first giving
her warning. Ardea had been cross
questioning Japheth about the ASA uit
at the Woodlawn gates-to her own
hurt. Japheth had evaded as he could.
but she had guessed what he was keen
ing back-the identity of the two foot
pads blackened to look like negroes. L,
was a weary world. and life had lost
much that had made 1t worth living.
Tom was deep in an Inventive trance.
with vengeance for the prize to be won.
and for the means to the end. IRON
works and pipe plants and forginRs-
especially the forging OF one particular
thunderbolt which should shatter the
Farley fortunes beyond repair, Whom
this bolt was finally hammered fn.o
shape he had an hours interview with
Major Dabney. and took a train for
New York. .at
A telegram from Norman, begging
him to come back to South Tredegar +
speed, overlook him. For three DAYS a
gentleman with shrewd eyes and a
hard-bitted Jaw, registering at the
Marlboro as IA. Dracott. New York.
had been shut up with Mr.. Duxburv
Farley in the most private of the COM
pany's offices in the Coosa Building.
and on the fourth day Norman had
made shift to find out this gentleman's
business. Whereupon the wire to Tom,
He caught slow train back, and was
met at a station ten miles out of town
by his energetic ex-lieutenant.
"Of course. I didn't dare to don any,
thing more than give him a hint" was
the conclusion OF Norman.s. exciting
report. II didn't know but he might
give us away to Colonel Duxbury, So.
without telling him much Of anything.
got him to agree to meet you at his
rooms In the Marlboro tonight after
dinner. Then was scared for fear
my wire to you would miss"
You are white man. Fred, and q
friend to tie to-" said Tom; which was
more than he had ever said to Nor
man by way Of praise in the days Of
master and man. Then, as the train
was slowing into the South Tredegar
station: IF this thing wins out, you'll
come In for something bigger than Won
had with Gordonl& Gordon: you can
bet on that.
1t was ordained that Gordon should
anticipate his appointment by meeting
his man at the dinner-table in the
Marlboro cafe: and 1t was accident or
design. as you like to believe. that
Dyckman should be sitting two tables
away. choking over his food and listen
ing only by the road of the eye, since
he was unhappily out of ear range.
When the two passed out to the eleya-
tor. the bookkeeper rose hastily and
made for the nearest telephone. This,
a. least. was not accidental.
The conference in Suite 80 lasted I'M
til nearly midnight. with Dyckman
painfully shadowing the corridor and
sweating like furnace laborer, though
the night was more than autumn cool.
The door was thick. the transom was
closed. and the keyhole commanded
nothing but square of blank wall OPP
posite in the electric-light sitting
room of the suite. Hence the book
keeper could only guess what we may
know.
You have let in flood of light on
Mr.. Farley's proposition. Mr.. Gordon .
said the representative of American
Aqueduct. when the ground had been
thoroughly gone over. II don't mind
telling you now that he made his frs,
c:ertures to US on his arrival from Eu-
roper giving US to understand that he
owned or controlled the pipe-makins
plants absolutely"
AT that time he controlled nothing
as l have explained" said Tom, mot
even his majority stock in Chiawassee
Consolidated. or course. he resumed
control as soon as he reached home
and his next move was to have me
quietly sandbagged while he froze my
father out. But father did not transfer
the patents. for the simple reason that
he couldn't. They are my personal
property, made over to me before the
t.rm of Gordon & Gordon came into eX
istence."
You are the man we'll have to dc
business with. Mr. Gordon. Are you
quite sure OF your legal status in the
.:ase?"
II have good advice. Hanchets
.soodloe and Tryson. Richmond Build
.ng. are my attorneys. They will put
YOU In the way of finding out anything
you'd like to know"
las have said. I'm here to do bust
aess. We don't need the plant. VIII
you sell us your patents?"
Yes; on one condition."
THAT you first put US out of bust.
:iess. You'll have to smash Chiawassef
limited painstakingly and permanently
before you can buy my holdings"
The shrewd-eyed gentleman who hat
unified practically all of the pipe foun-
dries in the United States smiled. O
gentle negative.
THAT would be rather out of ,oul
line If Mr.. Farley owned the patents
and was disposed to fight us-as. In
deed, he is Motive might try to con
vince him. But we are not out fol
vengeance--another man's vengeance
at that"
Very well. then; you won't get what
you've come after. The patents &c
with the plant. You can't have on,
without the other" said Tom. eying his
opponent through half-closed lids.
But we can buy the plant to-mo:-
\, I~,,