River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1912-11-07

est. and she, above all things in this
world, wished to see the game played
out by the two now seated at the Ia
bic. 1t was weak, cowardly in her IA
Their to come here for aid. If he could
not win alone, fairly, like man, then
she. his daughter, Margaret Garrett.
wished him to lose.
The woman thus fired with tran
scendent courage was superb. My
blood sang under her words. The
nerves in my fingers tingled, but Ran
dolph Mason sat watching her with
weary unconcern. When she had fin
ished he lifted his face, hard as metal
May / inquire" he said, why you
are thus endeavoring to deceive me?"
The girl caught her breath as
though she had been dashed with wa
ter. Il am not endeavoring to de-
ceive you," she said.
why, them said Mason, have you
made me these lurid speeches."
Il have made them" replied the
girl, ito acquaint you with my motive
for wishing you to remain neutral"
Pardon me-" said Mason, ''you have
made them to conceal that motive"
The girl recoiled. before this bru-
tai thrust, like one before blow.
II do not understand you," she said.
But understand you perfectly"
replied Randolph Mason.
Then he arose and walked past her
out into the hall
l returned over the fag-stone walk
with Miss Garnett to her carriage. /
could find no words Of adequate apol-
ogy. "'Courtlandt," she said. tell
your cold, Unconditional master that
since he has so ruthlessly taken from
my fingers the weapons of man, |
shall meet him with the weapons of
woman"
I closed the carriage door, and she
drove away proudly like an empress.
The only occasion on which l have
ever known Randolph Mason to go out
of New York in any mans behalf was
when he went to the residence of John
A. Garrett at Bryn Mawr, a suburb OF
Philadelphia. The railroad magnate
and the aspiring marshal had arrived
at terms, as l understood it, or, rath-
err, the one had accepted in capitula-
tion the terms of the other. The con-
ference was to conclude this treaty.
l accompanied Randolph Mason, as |
usually did.
The Garnett residence at Bryn
So nf no
in America 1t is a reproduction in
white marble of the Petit .Trianon at
Versailles, set exquisitely in forest,
with white glistening roads winding
among the trees and q brook and a
bit of manufactured meadow.
This confer ence between the richest
man in America and the most ambiti-
Gus was held in the library of this
transplanted Partisan lodge.
l could not easily bear in mind in
the atmosphere Of such place the
hard, practical nature of this meeting.
1t was the hall of some stately coun-
Gil of Florence, sitting above the Arno,
or, rather-and the fancy became al
most real-it was the council chamber
of some doge, where on this night he
was to meet the captain Of Barbarian
armies lying with barred teeth along
the Adriatic, and treat with him for
the city. The men in this conference
might appropriately have taken the
characters of such scene. Garrett,
tall, white, impressiyely patrician, at
tended, like that doge, by two coun-
sellers, characteristic, l fancied, OF an
empire in the evening of decadence-
his attorney and Randolph Mason;
and the other, this giant this captain
of Barbarian armies, courageously
alone.
This romantic medieval fancy per-
sisted 1t became for an instant even
Of the door 1 saw Margaret Garnett.
She was not listening She carried
rather the air of one depending upon
some desperate hazard, the arrival of
some event, the sharp stroke of some
impending fortune. She went slowly
down the steps, her hands slipping
along the marble rail Of the balusters.
The attorney seated at the table be-
gan to read the protocol of treaty
which he had drawn, and l came swift
ly back to the commonplace business
character of the meeting. The paper
was merely an assignment under the
legal form of a majority of the COM
mon stock of the Consolidated Fuel
Railroads to certain persons named by
Thomas B. Wood. The attorney ex-
planned that, in his opinion, no further
writing was necessary. This assign
ment should be placed in escrow. CA
fully executed writing, but put into
the custody of some third person to
hold until the fulfillment of some con-
dition), and delivered to Mr.. Wood up
on the resignation Of his Office. 1t
would put voting control of the rail
road into the hands of his agents, who
would carry out his plan.
The strong, masterful face of the
United States marshal set in a cynical
smile. This assignment Is, / think,
sufficient" he said; but | will hardly
take the chance of legal battle over
an escrow, after my resignation shall
have been accepted.
The negotiation seemed on the in
slant to be conclusively blocked. Gar
nett insisted upon the protection of
an escrow, and Wood upon the pos
session of the paper before he irrevo-
cably resigned his Office
Randolph Mason came forward then,
sat down at the table, dipped pen in.
TO the ink pot and turned toward the