The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1912-11-08

ture. While the railroad president
was signing the assignment, the attor-
ney answered for Randolph Mason, ex.
planning that the agreement should be
fled with the trust company holding
| the assignment, in order that the
terms of the escrow could not be mis-
J taken.
The powerful hand of Thomas B.
Wood, resting on his written resigna
ton, clenched. II will not consent to
an escrow" he repeated.
Randolph Mason thrust across the
table the paper which he had made
out. "Sign that" he said.
The man took the memorandum, at.
fixed his signature and laid it on the
letter of resignation under his
clenched hand. His face darkened. II
trust" he said, that my words are in
telligible. I have twice said that !
| would not consent to an escrow"
There shall be no escrow said
Randolph Mason.
The attorney for John A. Garrett
leaned forward in his chair. "How
them" he said, sis Mr.. Wood to obtain
this assignment"
II shall give it to him." replied Ran,
dolph Mason. Then he picked up the
assignment and handed it to the Unit
ed States marshal. take this" he
said, land leave on the table the pa.
pers under your hand"
The shadows in the resolute face
of Thomas B. Wood vanished. He got
| up, put the assignment into his pocket,
| buttoned his great coat, took up his
| driving gloves from the table, bade us
| good-evening and. went out OF the
| room, down the stairway to his horses.
I came back wonderingly to Ran
dolph Mason. His boast that he would
! be here to prevent the ruin of Garrett
| was idle. He rather had speeded that
ruin. The attorney regarded him with
cold serenity.
"Have you in fact" he asked, "any
| interest in the success of John A. Gar.
| nett?"
Il have not" he said Then he con-
tinued, like one explaining briefly to
| an annoying query. Il am interested
! only in removing this man from his Of
! fee, In correcting thereby the wrong
| of his appointment"
! "Ah," said the attorney. Il under
| stand, then, why you so readily cut
from under us the only possible foot
hold against this man-that of an es'
crow. With Wood once out of Office.
the delivery Of this paper might have
been enjoined.'
"Sir," replied Mason, "your purposed
dimsy trick was patent even to Wood"
Perhaps" said the attorney, but
in shipwreck no plank can be al
lowed to pass. You had no right to
come into this affair, if you had no
regard for Mr.. Garnett's peril"
"Since I came into the affair."" re-
piled Randolph Mason, mr.. Garrett
has never been in peril"
This conversation with it's last en-.
igmatic answer of Randolph Mason
was interrupted by the abrupt en-
trance of Margaret Garrett. The
whole aspect of the woman was trans
formed as under some enchantment;
sho seemed in some mysterious way
to be flooded with color-silver struck
into life, porcelain running beneath
It's white glaze with blood. Her pose
was imperious, dominant, exulting.
| She spoke to Randolph Mason, ig-
noring the rest of us as though we
were interminably distant.
"You, even you," she said, "could
not defeat him. He got what he want
ed in spite of you
| Mason regarded her with a leisure
ly, ironic interest.
Thomas B. Wood he replied. has
got nothing"
"Nothing!" she repeated. do you
call control of my fathers railroads
nothing? control of millions moth
ing? seat in the United States SEN
ate nothing? And what have you tax.
en- from him for it? indeed what have
you taken! A paltry federal omce!"
Il have taken," replied Randolph Ma.
son, 1.-The little that he had, and 1 have
given nothing" Then he added as
though likewise in explanation to the
rest of us, I'm the removal OF this
man from his Office it was not my in
tention that he should obtain any ben.
eft from John A. Garrett"
"Then," she cried, you have
failed"
II have not failed" replied Ran
dolph Mason, speaking with cold pre-
cision. This assignment Of stock
was delivered to Thomas B. Wood in
consideration Of the resignation of his
office. Such contracts are void as
against public policy. The Consol-
idated Fuel Railroads will refuse to
recognize the validity of this agree
ment, and 1t cannot be enforced in
the courts. 1t cannot avail this man
that the paper is in legal form and
recites another and valid considera-
ton, when the moving consideration
was In fact the resignation of a fed
eral Office
| The atmosphere of victory rising
about John A. Garrett was less i'm
| pressive than that atmosphere of dis
aster fallen thus swiftly on his daugh
ter. The wondrous vitality OF her fig
ure vanished; the light fed from the
silver, the blood from the porcelain
Then, as by some masterful effort,
going to the very springs of life, 1t
all splendidly returned. She looked
steadily at Randolph Mason, her eyes
| two lines of light.