Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-02-07
FLOWER OF THE NORTH1
By JAMES OLIVER CURWOOD
CHAPTER XXm-(Continued) !.

CHAPTER XXlII-( Continued =
ct WAS almost mad when I first
l. made the discovery" said Gregson,
as cold as ice. But am sane now. His
scheme was to have the government
annul your provisional license. Thorpe
and his men were to destroy this
camp and kill you. The money on
hand from stock, more than $600,0
would have gone into Brokaw's poclS-
cts. There is no need OF further de-
tail--now-for you can understand. He
knew Thorpe and secured him as his
agent. 1t was merely a whim of
Thorpe's to take the name of Lord
Fitzhugh instead of something less
conspicuous. Three months before
Brokaw came to Churchill he wished
to get detailed instructions to Thorpe
which he dared not trust to O wilder
ness mail service. He could find no
messenger whom he dared trust. So
he sent Eileen. She was at Fort o
God for a week.
Then she came to Churchill, where
We saw her. The scheme was that
Brokaw should bribe the ships cap.
tain to run close into Blind Eskimo
Point. at night, and signal to Thorpe
and Eileen, who would be waiting. 1t
worked. and Eileen and Thorpe came
on with the ship. At the landing
you remember-Eileen was met by the
girl from Fort o. God In order not to
betray herself to you she refused to
recognize her. Later she told her
father, and Thorpe and Brokaw saw
in 1T an opportunity to strike n first
blow Brokaw had brought two men
whom he could trust, and Thorpe had
four or five others at Churchill. The
attack on the cliff followed, the object
being to kill the man, but take the
girl unharmed. A messenger was to
take the news of what happened to
Fort O. God, and lay the crime to men
who had run up to Churchill from
your camp. Chance favored you that
night, and you spoiled their plan.
Chance favored me-. and l found Eli
leen. 1t Is useless for me to go into
detail as to what happened after that,
except to say this-that Eileen knew
nothing of the proposed attack, that
she was ignorant of the Nervousness Of
the plot against you. and that she was
almost as much a tool of her father
as you. Phil"
For the first time there came a
pleading light into Gregson's eyes as
he leaned across the table.
IL IL WASH 1 loI IIlltcll Il Wouiu
not be here. 1 thought that she would
kill herself when told her as much
Of the story as 1 knew. She told me
what she had done: she confessed for
her father. In that hour of her agony
I could not keep back my love. We
plotted. l forged a letter. and made
1t possible to accompany Brokaw and
Eileen up the Churchill. 1t was no,
my purpose to join you, and SO Eileen
professed to be taken i'll. We camped
back from the river, and I sent our
two Indians back to Churchill. for
Eileen and I wished to be alone with
Brokaw in the terrible hour that was
coming. That is all. Everything Is
revealed. Z have come to. you as
quickly as ! could, to find that Thorpe
Is dead. In my own selfishness !
would have shielded Brokaw, argu
ing that he could pay Thorpe. and
work honorably henceforth. You would
never have known. 1t Is Eileen who
makes this confession, not I. Phil. her
last words TO me were these: You
love me. Then you will tell him all
this. Only after this. II he shows us a
mercy which we do not deserve, can
be your wife
There is only one other thing tc
add. I have shown Brokaw a ray
of hope. He will hand over to you al
his rights in the company and the six
hundred thousand in the treasury. II,
will sign over to you, as 'repurchast
money for whatever stock you wish t.
call in. virtually his whole fortune
five hundred thousand. He will dis
appear, completely and forever. Eileer
and I will hunt out our own littl,
corner in a new world, and you will
never hear Of us again. This is wha
we have planned to do, If you show III
mercy"
Philip had not spoken during Greg
sons terrible recital. He sat like on,
turned to stone. Rage, wonder, an,
horror burned so fiercely in his hear
, that they consumed all evidence o
emotion. And to arouse him nov
there came an interruption that sen
/. the blood flushing back into his fac
"a low knock at the closed door,
, slow lifting of the latch. the appear
ance Of Jeanne. Through her tear
, she saw only the man she loved, an,
sobbing aloud now, like a child, sh
stretched out her arms to him; an
when he sprang to her and caugh
; her 20 his breast, she whispered hi
name again and again, and stroke
his face with her hands. Love, ovel
, powering, breathing of heaven, was i
I her touch, and as she lifted her fac
r to him of her own sweet will nov
entreating him to kiss her and to con
fort her for what she had lost,
I saw Gregson moving with bowed heaf
i like stricken thing, toward the cute
door. In that moment the things tina
: had been in his heart melted ava,
!, and raising hand above his head,
= called, softly:
Tom Gregson, my old chum, IL 20