The Detroit times., 1913-07-04
CHAPTER FORTY-Slx.
(Contlnued)

"Will YOU 20 to him for an explana-
time" demanded Wade eagerly He
would have liked that. II would PROB
ahv finish Stephen with the old law
yer and force him TO side with his
aunt -.
IY What do you take me for?
exclaimed stephen. and MS race was
white. do YOU think I'd so grossly
insult him, do you suppose TOT one
minute | could doubt him, of all
people, when he has conferred nom
lag but benefits on me all my ne
long!"
According TO my figures there Ia
sill something due you In the shape
n cash" said Wade coldly. Your
hther's interest In that thousand
icres.'
Well. what does that amount tor
Very little, grant you, landray,
but your aunt is not related to MT.
BENSON as you are; she does not ieei
,nder any special obligations to him.
The considers that she has been de-
rauded out OF large sum OF money
w him. That, you must ADMIT, Is
erious matter TO her. matter she
ant well ignore =.
And what are you going 10 90!
asked stephen in dry-throated whls-
PER.
III Mrs. Iandray will take my ad-
wee. she will sue Mr.. Benson.
Stephen looked helplessly from one
I, the other.
you are all wrong" he burst out
Almost entreatingly I'D stake my
lie on It. You'll find you have no
ase: but think OF the humiliation 10
linn. the opportunity for mean-souled
nvy to smirch a great reputation
Wade shrugged his shoulders
Hell have chance to clear MS
equation in the courts, he'll come
out spotless II he is spotiess
Go TO him first" urged Stephen
ASK him 70 look over these papers
with YOU. Why, probably word
from him will explain the whole
thing. and make It clear as day
will you do that, Landray?" then
he turned 10 Virginia. You are quite
willing he should discuss this ques
ton with Mr.. Benson"
Yes"
But stephen drew back from this.
rive told YOU IL Is impossible for
me TO bring 1t TO his notice
II mean In the most delicate way
Won can. not formally as direct
charge rejecting on his honesty. Look
here. stephen. It's only fair 10 your
self that You should hear from his
own lips what he has 10 say. There
Is no haste. you'd better think It over
don't doubt that you can bring the
thing TO his notice with less onence
than another
But IL Stephen feels as he does.
began Virginia. She did not like the
manner In which Wade was forcing
the matter upon him
"No no. Aunt Virginia. it's right
enough. II you are In doubt on these
points. they should be made plain TO
WOW I am sure Uncle Jake will be
resdy and anxious TO explain, for his
own sake as we'll as yours"
But Virginia was not so sure OF
this. her conception OF Benson's char
after being quite different from
qenben's. The Benson she had
known and liked and trusted had died
bng ago. and in his place stood
lard. tyrannical man. man she con
essed she did not know, but feared.
ae had sacrificed Stephen Landray'
and he had taken from her stephen
Landrays son She owned TO the bit
crest feeling toward him, she wanted
20 see him despoiled and published 10
II the world for what he was. she had
no mercy for him. He had done the
Landrays q monstrous evil, and 1t was
right that he should suffer Her code
was simple and severe.
She put no faith in those possible
benefits that might come 10 Stephen
~ he remained friendly with him She
did not believe for one moment that
Benson had ever, or even now ex-
pected to do for stephen in any large
way. At best the benefits he con-
ferred smacked of charity and gifts,
the boys character was being de-
stroyed by his Indulgence. But If
they could only recover this money
II would give him start In life OF
which he need not alb ashamed. for 1t
was the Landray money, and time
and circumstance had wonderfully in
creased II.
The loss of Stephens affection and
respect she believed would be but a
slight matter TO Benson: certainly the
boy's father had loved him once, and
he had quickly parted with him, and
apparently WliHOub t'th p"op'ht
gret: it would be the same with this
stephen. AS for the disgrace, the
shame Of exposure, she knew the
world too we'll TO suppose that the
worlds manifestation OF scorn would
ever touch Benson; the tangible evil
dence OF his power and riches were
too apparent for that; whatever men
might feel in secret, they would not
falter in the external show of respect;
they would still need and desire his
help and countenance in their affairs.
She did not even believe that Benson
himself would suffer. That he could
have done this thing. argued to her
an utter and astonishing depravity.
She remembered that at the very time
when he had bought the land, he had
not ceased to declare his love Tor her.
She flushed holly at the recollection.
If she could only make Stephen un'
derstand his duty as she saw mis-
duty, all would be well with him.
There would again he Landray for
tune, the family would again step
into It's old place OF importance III
the community, and the young fellow
before her would be the same sort OF
a MAI his grandfather and her hug
band had been. She thought with
bitterness of his father. and his path
etic nilures; and her eyes filed with