Adventure Magazine Cover — page 147: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

The Road Gresham shrugged his shoulders silently and went into the room behind him. He returned, holding a small leather-bound book. He passed his hand down the printed columns, still holding the form while he translated it from the code. A moment later he gave a slight exclamation and his daughter noted that the new-burnt tan on his face could not hide the fact that the blood had ebbed from his cheeks. She sprang to her feet. ‘‘What is it? Oh, what is it?”’ she cried anxiously. Her father made a reassuring gesture and stood still without speaking, staring at the half-dozen words on the yellow form as if he would read another meaning to them than the bald statement the code had sup- plied. His color returned; he squared back his shoulders; he stood very upright with the carriage of a man who confronts Des- tiny unshaken by her blows. He gave the ghost of a laugh, opened his cigar-case, struck a match, and sat down slowly. He sent a great cloud of smoke spinning up among the rafters before he enunciated an articulate word. ‘“‘Glaisher has side-tracked us,” he said quietly at last. ‘‘Gordon has—has deserted you?’ she asked. ‘‘Is that the meaning of this?” She pointed to the yellow paper which an errant gust of air had sent fluttering to the earthen floor. Gresham nodded, picked up the paper and read aloud: ‘““Impossible to do as you wish. Money very tight. A bear movement against you. Suggest an arrangement. Am taking holiday.” Gresham laughed again—dryly, sardonic- ally. ‘You were not nice to Gordon, Katrine,” he said. She clutched her hand to her neck as if a sense of suffocation overcame her. She looked down at her father with a suddenly horrified throb of foreboding. “What is it—plainlye” “Don’t play with me, father! Gordon doing?” “T cabled him as my partner, very fully, to get out the issue of ten thousand de- bentures of a hundred dollars each, first mortgage on the Bir Railway. Full details of the security offered are at his disposal— he can lay his hand on them in the office. He is perfectly aware—I have never given him any reason to think otherwise—that she asked. What is 903 it is a sound venture worthy of support from a reasonable market. He and his uncle, I suppose, have seen to it that the market is an unreasonable and ignorant one. They have beared it for me in ad- vance. My own partner has done this!” When at last she spoke it was with self- accusation in every cadence of her voice. “I am responsible,” she said. She gave a little gasp. ‘“‘Can I make amends?” she added hoarsely. Gresham turned his eyes to hers with a startled, incredulous air. “Your” He lifted his shoulders in the impatient shrug of a man whose nerves are a-jangle. ‘‘How?”’ he demanded tersely. “T could—ask his pardon for my—my instability,” she murmured. “I could ask him to—overlook it.” Her glance did not meet his—it was resolutely turned away. Gresham, usually the most clean- mouthed of men, swore fiercely. ‘‘By ; Katrine!”? he snarled. ‘‘I’d as soon see you in your coffin as Gordon Glaisher’s wife—now! Marry him? The hound!” She swerved again to confront him. There was ineffable relief in the glance she gave him—relief, inquiry, gratitude. “Thank you,’ she said simply. “It seemed possible that it was my duty, but I don’t know, even then, if I could have done it. But what is to be the end of it all, father? How does it affect the road?” “TIT MEANS,” he said, ‘‘that I am tied to my original capital and con- S : tracts—that I have no resources to help me to—to alterations and additions. It means that—in America, at any rate— further help is closed to me. Glaisher and Blakscein will have seen to that. And they—instinct tells me this—will get this bear movement on the run till Bir shares are down to ditch-bottom level. They think they have me in a cleft stick.” Her eyes asked for more. “Yes?” she said quietly. ‘‘Yes?”’ “Birs will be discredited. Birs will fall. They will buy in—or they think they will— Birs at bed-rock prices. They hope to buy me out eventually at their own wrecker’s valuation!” He wheeled savagely—he brought down his heel with a stamp. “No doubt they have had their price, but they’ve not got me fixed yet!’”’ he rapped. ‘“‘They think my capital is all in Birs and that I’ll sell Birs to realize. What isn’t in, will be COmiclbook CO