The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1930-09-12
CHAPTER XIII-Continued

for business that he transacted through
his Contemporaries / could not af-
ford to have in my name. He thought
would not dare to sell his notes, he
having so much information about me.
No use going into the ugly details. He
woke up too late to find out that his
transactions were with me-the COM
iQany he was dealing with was mine
he sold my property to me. 1t was l
who bought from him what he had no
right to sell. 1 stopped payment on
the checks he held, had his notes,
and he was holding-the bag"
"But how could you? That's not
right. You couldn't do that"
"Why not?" asked Pastano. 81 was
cleverer than he. What could he do?
What could he say? 1 called in his
notes. Either he had to pay me, or
would sell them to his bank for
discount. He put in his stone stock
sound property-and recovered his
notes. Then he found all his debts
due on the same day. He lost seven
teen accounts in one afternoon-Dusi-
ness taken right out of his Office. He
sold his car and yesterday he mort
gagged his house. And today-unless
ats stopped-he's going to be in
dicted"
Ernestine got to her feet.
"But, Ruby-how can you do this
to Loring? He does know things
about you"
'Very little," answered Pastano
evenly. "Fragments-nothing whole.
Part of this deal-part of that His
own activities will shine much worse
in court than his connections with me.
Do you think / am fool enough to put
myself in jeopardy with man like
Loring?"
Ernestine made little moan, and
he began to speak quickly, vehemently,
with strange sternness and justice
In his face.
"He came to me-he sought the con-
nection-he was eager for any work.
He offered to do things for me that I
wouldn't let him do. He was well
paid, and he didn't play the game His
fees were big-business was thrown to
him from dozen directions mac
cessible to him five years ago. He sat
where he wanted to sit-in the lap Of
city politics, and he grew weary of his
mistress. He wished to exploit her
desert her. So he schemed and
planned. But you cannot get into the
whirlpool and then out again"
Ernestine, looking at him, felt the
sucking breath of the vortex. But
what have I to do with this?" she
asked. "What can 1 do for Loring?
You haven't told me this without some
purpose"
''First let me show you why can
do nothing for him myself-it is easier
to start a landslide than to stop it.
1t was my intentiOn-no, my determin-
ation-to ruin him, to have him de-
barred, dsgraced, sent to the peniten-
tiary, if could. 1t seemed necessary.
Here, all about me, are these young
men-lieutenants-ga If you
like the newspaper word better. They
are my army. We must have loyalty
in any army. We must have obedi-
ence. Loyalty and obedience, first,
because they have confidence in me,
that am wise, that will take care of
them while they stay with me, that /
am competent to meet all situations.
But if a man is disloyal, all the rest
must see what becomes Of him. 10y
atty, first, because Of confidence; Sec
ond, because of fear. When admira-
ton fails, fear remains"
"But you are not going to ruin Lor-
ing now?" she said eagerly. "You have
changed your mind-you have some
plan"
NO." he said slowly, mo, not I.
I have no plan to save Loring Hamil-
ton. have no desire to save him.
would not lift my little finger for Lor-
ing Hamilton. 1t is inevitable that he
should fail, should be punished. Even
if I wanted to do something for him
now, I could not. His treachery is
known to others as well as to myself.
Money is needed. If I should with.
draw money from my own private
sources, or if I should withdraw money
from funds that are available for gifts,
when 1t is necessary, 1t would be in
stantly known. No-in the first place,
I don't want to help Loring. If he
were my own brother, would feel
that he must follow his course alone.
Nor could 1 help him, even if liked,
but"-he looked at her intently so that
for moment it seemed that she was
lost, hyprotized by his great dark eyes
-"you can help him, If you like,
Ernestine."
"Tell me-" she whispered. "What
can do?"
He put his hand in his pocket and
took out his big silver watch. Laying
the flat of his palm upon it, he twisted
it, unscrewed the back of the watch
and took from between the outer and
inner cases small piece of paper,
folded once across. He sat, his dis
membered watch in one hand, and the
piece of paper in the other, and said
to her:
AT