The Washington herald., 1912-04-28
CHAPTER II.
The Purchase.

AAC
~ ZANE looked across the room
toward his secretary. Give
- me FIVE minutes alone, Eli
son." he said, you and Miss Ansell
there. See that l am not interrupted. "
The young man got up at once and
left the room, followed by the typist
Deane waited until the door was closed.
Then he turned once more to his Wis
itor
Listen, Rowan" he said. DO !
understand you rightly1 Do you mean
that you would be willing to under
take a commission which you would
certainly find unpleasant, and perhaps
dangerous
81 do mean that" Rowan declared,
beating the palm of one hand with
his clenched fist Il am a desperate
man. have no time for long service,
for industry, for perseverance, for any
form of success which is to be won
by orthodox means. am like a man
who has mortgaged every farthing he
has in the world to take a IS to I
chance on a number. Don't you I'M
derstand? l want money, and can't
wait. / haven't time. Give me a
chance of something big. Remember
what l have told you. Twelve months
of suffering life is worth little enough
in the balance"
"You misunderstood me a little. "
Deane said slowly. What / am going
to suggest to you may seem difficult
enough, and, under the circumstances,
unpleasant, but there is no actual risk
at least" he corrected himself, there
should be none"
Rowan laughed scornfully. For
heavens sake, don't pick your words
so carefully" he begged. "1f the thing
is big enough, am not afraid. If it
is dishonest, say so. l am not a pick
pocket, but I am past scruples."
Once more Deane was silent for sew
eral moments. 1t was a chance, this
just a chance. He looked out of the
window, and he seemed to see in swift
panorama all the splendid details of
his rise TO power. He saw himself as
the central figure OF that panorama
respected, honored, envied, wherever
he went, east or west. 1t was a life,
his, for a man to be proud of. There
was no one who had word to say
against him-no one who did not envy
him his rapid climb up the great lad
der. He carried power in both hands,
so that when he moved even amongst
the great people of the world a place
was found for him. He realized in that
one moment what it might mean to
lose these things, and he drew little
breath. He must fight to the end,
make use of any means that came to
his hand 1t was a chance this, only
a chance, but he would take it!
Listen, Rowan" he said, turning
once more to the man who had been
watching him so eagerly, 81 am taking
you at your word. l am believing that
you mean exactly what you say"
God knows / do~ Rowan muttered.
Very well, then," Deane continued
Il want you to. understand this. The
company of which / am managing di-
rector owns, as you may have heard.
the greatest gold fields in the world.
Our chief possession. though. is the
Little Anna Gold Mine, which was
once, as you may have heard, my prop
erty, and for which the corporation
paid me a very large sum of money.
Did you ever hear anything of the his
tory of the Little Anna Gold Mine,
Rowan"
Rowan nodded. ct was a deserted
claim which you and some others had
a shy at Dick Murray was one of
them. That brute Sinclair put you on
to it."
Deane nodded. you have spoken
the truth, Rowan" he said. 1T was a
deserted claim. Four of US took pos
session, but the other three never knew
what knew. bought up their shares
one by one. l won't go into the matter
of law now. simply want you to I'M
derstand this. The mine grew and
prospered. What it has become YOU
know l sold it to this corporation,
as / wished to have no outside inter
ests, and the price paid me was close
upon a million sterling. Three days
ago, in this room, the man whom you
have just spoken of-Richard Sinclair
documents, and tried to
convince me that he was the real owner
of the Little Anna Gold Mine, that it
had never been deserted, and that our
taking possession of it was nothing
more nor less than an illegal jump"
Rowan was plainly amazed. But. it