Evening star., 1921-10-30
agreement stands" he answered with

agreement stands" he answered with
q choke in his voice.
of course it does" The sickness
had come back into Achison's tones.
Let us forget the incident. Fred.
After all, what is one old house to
you? Under the terms of your uncle's
will you will be very rich man,
with all the wide world open for your
enjoyment. What is there to prevent
you from building your own home.
it over - Good-by."
He stepped into his big gray car.
and starting it up, rolled away down
the drive.
Around a bend in the winding road.
and out of sight of the house. he
swore deeply and vehemently. damn
ing all Schofields root and branch to
the end of time. Then his feelings
relieved. it was characteristic OF him
to begin cool and disrassionate
mental review of the whole situation.
Up to certain point everything
had come his way; the game he had
set out to play had been easier than
he could possibly have foreseen.
With the signing Of the will. Scarlet
Naples would be virtually his: Tor
even eliminating his great age, John
Schofield, as he happened to know
was the victim Of an organic disease
which must necessarily prove fatal
within a few months-too short q
time to render likely any change In
his disposition of the property. And
with the old mans death he could
of their compact, could force him to
it, If it came to that.
Yet with all the odds apparently in
his favor, Achison was too shrewd a
calculator of chances not to recognize
that the chain he had 80 carefully
1l sHl md
Frederick, instead of merely playing
the part his mentor had assigned
him. that of. supposedly reformed
character, had with inconceivabIe
stupidity actually become one: Nor
was this all. The fool had also blum
dered into an intimacy with Wallace
Ramsey. a fellow So intensely and
vindictively hostile to Achison that
he would go to any lengths to thwart
or oppose him-as the lawyer had on
more than one occasion had reason to
appreciate.
Was it not reasonable to suppose
that Ramsey in his position of bosom
friend would soon discover the exist
ence of some sort of an understand.
ing with Achison as the cause, OF
Frederick's obvious detection. and
take pains to acquaint himself with
the nature of it?
Achison drew up the car at the side
Of the road and. stopping the engine
lighted a cigarette while he tried to
he had to count two persons in active
opposition to him: Ramsey and the
girl Margaret Drew. And Frederick
with a wife set like rock against
his giving up any part of his inheri-
tance. and a friend forever at his
trapped him into the bargain, and
that whatever obligation there was
could be justifiahly met with a money
settlement-well, Frederick's ultimate
stand was under the circumstances
hardly even debatable question.
circulation the tale that he had
rescued the boy from a term or
BlackwelPs Island-and prove 1t. too
If required. But with the old mar
gone. what would that amount to-
A morsel for the gossips to null ovei
for a day or two, and then forget
A bygone youthful peccadillo woule
NOT be counted very seriously against
the possessor Of Scarlet Naples ano
the Schofield millions
Again Achison indulged in anath.
ema, freely admitting that 1t was Of
no use to delude himself. Without
waiting to bring the thing to a show.
down he was beaten. But even IN
rout there is always the chance OF
portion Of the loss: and 1t was Il
| this phase Of the situation that tn
lawyer now bent the energies OF nj!
extraordinary mind.
He had started up the car again
driving very slowly through the deep
ening dusk as he pondered this o.
that course Of action: but as th'
lower gates Of the estate and tn,
lodge house came in sight he reached
his decision. Switching on th'
! lights, he deliberately. turned the cal