The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1928-09-07
CHAPTER V-Continued

II would not be fair TO say that Wa.
terman had 40 compunctiOns regard
ing bis treatment of Jim Stanley. he
had been deceiving i'm for long
time. Stanley, for. example, had no
idea that Waterman had been playing
the market ION his own" thing ex-
plicitly forbidden to each of them
when the partnership was formed
Waterman, having beguL course OF
Discrimination in this matter, was
obliged, or so be thought to keep IL
up. and as little lies lead to bigger
ones, and small dislOyalties beget great
treasOns, so now the tide of deceit on
which Waterman had long ago EN-
barked had finally brought him to this
crest of treachery. Five years ago he
would have been appalled, at the mere
suggestion of 1t. Yet, such is the
effect OF slow but cumulative moral
degeneration that now 1t merely made
him uneasy.
And uneasy, increasingly so, ne now
became as be left the club and turned
nOrthward. Nor was this uneasiness
at all allayed by his brief collOquy
with Nina outside the Colby house.
Even after he had been alone with
Doris in the Colby drawing-room a
quarter of an hour, he still had not
the slightest notion as to what had
passed between the two women He
had found Doris strange, cold aloof
He had come there TO ask her to
marry him, but the moment seemed
hardly prOpitiOus, despite his agree.
ment with Stanley. Somehow, his
suspense must be ended-and quickly
Time was passing-in fifteen minutes
more Jim Stanley would be at the
door He must know, and be must
know at once. And so he made a
abruptly.
Doris. what's the matter with your
Somewhat. to his surprise she did
not fence
Il have just heard the most painful
thing in the world" she said
Now for IL !" he thought, and aloud
he said, squaring his shoulders to
meet the blow, About whom?"
"About jim"
The relief that he felt was over
whelming. Guilty. be felt that she
must be conscious of Ii, but almost
simultaneously he saw that she was
not thinking of him at all. and in.
wardly he gave three cheers. "About
Jinn?" he said
ga certain person has just been
here and told me an awful thing about
him."
"What?"
81 cannot tell you. 1 gave my word
of honor"
Surely you don't believe it?"
I'm afraid do"
WAS this taIebearer some one you
known
"No, il was some one never saw or
heard of before"
Instinctively Waterman hit upon the
sound course to follow.
"But surely, Doris, you don't mean
to say that you believe this scandalous
tale told by an utter stranger, and
dDUut ODc vi yOui Ncly oCSi iIicuuS!
She feebly shrugged her shoulders
But" he went on. you can't do II !
AT least you must give Jim chance
to explain-to defend himself"
"Impossible-I gave my word OF
honor"
Before you heard it?"
YES"
why on earth did you do that?"
Because | took Ii so lightly.
couldn't imagine that it could possibly
be anything of the slightest conse-
quence."
And II isr
"Yes, IT is. It is a thing that no
one but a man with a cruel, cruel
heart could do Oh he might In the
first place have done 1t upon impulse.
That could forgive. But, after that.
nothing but cold. cold cruelty could
explain it."
AND you can't tell me what 1t is?"
mo, | can't tell anyone-I've prom.
ised." ~
But I cannot understand" said
Waterman, warmly, his confidence ris-
ing with the overwhelmingly welcome
knowledge that he himself was not In
danger 81 cannot understand. II
seems TO me that II anybody. | don't
care who he was, came to me with