The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1924-03-13
CHAPTER XII

Was it pure accident which at the
last moment held back Stanford Cor
gam from the appointment for which
he had waited impatiently all day-a
prisoner first of. a broken crank-shaft
in the infirm old taxicab he had sum-
moned, and again of the law in the
second cab, which he had finally OBJ
tanned and in which he waited, de-
tanned inexorably a mile away from
his destination by the in1exible maj
esty of a traffic officer affronted by
speeding? He thought so certainly at
the time. He thought so again, with
sharp regret and apprehension, as he
stood turning the key in the inside
door Of the passageway to his dead
uncle's study.
The sound of a woman screaming
warning, pounding upon the opposite
side of a door is-in spite of it's Obvi-
Gus purpose-not really calculated to
stay for long it's opening-especially
with the sudden ceasing of the out-
cries Immediately following the other
most suggestive sound of a body
thrown violently upon the floor. The
door opened quickly, and through the
entrance came Stanford Gorgam.
"Stand still" said a voice which,
though strained to an unnatural pitch,
he still recognized.
He stood still-rigidly staring into
the muzzle of the revolver in the hands
&c h5- oIJ f1 rr-s-ho, TToEIrnrroI- D,,EDnr
ford. Behind the latter, at one side
upon the floor, lay the body of the
young woman he had come to meet
apparently unconscious.
what is this? asked Stanford Cor
gam sharply.
He had noticed with hope a certain
u~nsteadiness in the weapon aimed at
such close range at his own body. He
caught, he thought, the condition of
the mans mind and nerves. He was
not a bad wrestler, and there are GER
tain advantages, as he knew, before
a physical struggle of any kind, in
the catching and ~diverting of atten-
tion-the holding of Y e of your OPP
ponent. If the other man did not shoot
at first, that was something!
what is this?' demanded Stanford
Gorgam-and waited.
'The end!' said H%asbrOuck Ruther-
ford rather slowly. THE end of the
Gorgam Trust. It will stop here
and everything that is in it-or that
has touched it. It's committing sui
eide" he added jocularly, tonight!
Keep QUIT" he broke off to cry. eff
you know what's good for your For
now the servants-or whoever was in
the hall-evidently had decided it was
time to do something. to break in.
Yes said Stanford Gorgam, second
ing him, keep out" For he felt
by instinct as well as by reason
that he would have a longer and a
better chance to manipulate this thing
If left alone.
what is it you want" he asked
the man whose eye he held. And he
saw with growing satisfaction the hand
holding the revolver now somewhat
lowered-held for support more closely
to the body of the other. "a little
o " he thought, as the other was
discoursing.
"You!" replied H%asbrouck Ruther-
ford simply, with a CLEAN of high sat
isfaction in his eye. you first! You
thought you'd get it, didn't you? You
thought by this mov now you'd take
over all the Gorgam money as residu-
airy legatee? You won't. Not now
or ever"
1t was soon clear to Stanford Cor
gam that it was not his old acquain-
purpose to act before he talked
and at considerable length. He could
see, he thought, that the pleasure to
which this man looked forward in
settling old scores by numbering him