The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1910-07-29
CHAPTER XIv.-(Continued)

ing to o'clock the following morning
when Tom made his way through the
throng In the Grand Central station
and found a cab. The sailing hour OF
the Baltic was 10, and he picked his
cabman accordingly
Il shall want gou for a couple OF
hours, and It's double fare II you don /
miss. 271 Broadway first" was his
hllip for the driver; and he was speed
lily rattling away to, the downtown
address.
The taking of the cab was his hrst
mistake, and he discovered 1t before
he had gone very far. Time was pre-
cious, and the horse. pushed to the po.
lice limit, was too slow. Tom signaled
his Trlshman.
Get me over to the Elevated and
then go to Madison Square and wait
for me-" he ordered; and by THIS
change Of conveyance he obtained his
mail and won back 10 the Fifth Ave
nue. Hotel by late breakfast time.
From that on, luck was with HIM
The Farleys, father and son, were IN
the lobby Of the hotel. waiting for the
others to come down to the cafe break
fast. Tom saw them, confronted them
and went at things very concisely
Il have come all the way from Boston
to ask for a few minutes Of your time
Mr. Farley" he said to the president
'Will you give It 70 me now?
Surely" was the genial reply, ana
the promoter signed to his son and
drew apart with the importunate one
Well go on, my boy; what can l do
for you at this last American moment!
some message from your good tath-
er?'
NO" said Tom, shortly; its from
me, individually. You know in what
shape you have left things at home'
they've got to be stood on their feet
before you go aboard the Baltic
Whats thls-whats this? Why, my
dear young man! what can you posi-
bly, ?"-this in buttered tones Oh
the gentlest expostulation.
Il mean just about what l say, fod
have smashed Chiawassee Consoldat-
ed, and now you are going off to leave
my father to hold the bag. Or, rather
/ should say. you are taking the bag
with you"
Why, Thomas--you must be losing
your mind! You've-you've been
studying too hard; that's 1.-THE term
work up there in Boston has been too
much for you"
"Cut it out Mr. Farley" said Tom,
savagely, all the Gordon fighting blood
singing in his veins. you've got
thing to do. and It is going to be done
before you leave America. VIII you
talk straight business, or not?"
And II l decline to discuss business
matters with a rude school-boy?' ne
intimated mildly.
Then 1t will be rather the worse 70:
you" was the defiant rejoinder. Act
ing for my father and the minority
stockholders, l shall try to have you
and your son held in America pending
an expert examination Of the COM
pany's affairs"
1t was a long shot, with a thousand
chances of missing. If there was any
thing criminal in the Farley admins
tration, the evidences were doubtless
well buried. But Tom was looking
deep into the shifty blue eyes Of his
antagonist when he fred, and he saw
that he had not wholly missed. None
the less, the president attempted TO
carry 1t off lightly.
What do you think Of this, Vim
cent?" he said, turning to his son.
Here is Tom Gordon-our Tom-talk
ing wildly about Investigations and az
rests, and I don't know what all. Shall
we give him his breakfast and send
him back to school?"
Tom cut in quickly before Vincent
could make a reply.
"If you're sparring to gaiE time It's
no use, Mr.. Farley. l mean what I say,
and I'm dead in earnest" Then he
tried another long shot: Il tell you
right now we've had this thing cooked
and primed ever since we found out
what YOU and Vincent meant to do. You
must turn over the control of Chiawas-
see Consolidated, legally and formally
to my father before you go aboard the
Baltic, or-you don't go aboard"
Let me understand" said the treas
urer, cutting in. Are you accusing US
OF crime?
you will find out what the accusa-
tion is. later on" said Tom, taking yet
another cartridge from the long range
box. What I want now is a plain,
straightforward yes or no, il either Of
YOU is capable of saying it."
The DIeHluGHl lOOh MS SUI aside.
"Do you suppose Dyckman has been
talking too much?" he asked, hurriedly.
Vincent shook his head.
you can't tell 1t looks a
little rocky OF course, we had right
to do as we pleased with our own. but
we don't want to have an unfriendly
construction put on things"
"But they can't do anything!" pro-
tested the president. why, I'd be per-
fectly willing to turn over my private
papers, If they we're asked fort"
yves, OF course. But there would be
nisconstruction. There Is that con-
tract with the combination, for exam
ple; we had a right to manipulate
things so we'd have to close down. and
It might not transpire that we made
money by doing it. But, on the other
hand it might leak out, and there'd be
no end of row. Then there ls anoth-
er, thing: there is somebody behind this
who is bigger than the old soldier or
this young football tough. It's too
nicely timed"
"But you wouldn't turn the property
over to Gordon, would you?"
The younger mans smile was a mere
contortion of the lips. It's a sucked
orange" he said Let the old man
have It. He may work a miracle Of
some sort and pull out alive I should
call it a snap, and take him up too
quick. If he wins out so much the
better for all concerned. If he doesn't,
why. we left the property entirely in
his hands. and he smashed 1t. Don't
you see the beauty Of it?"
The president wheeled short on Tom.