The Argosy, December 1905 — page 142: what you’re looking at

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

120 capable of it, I believe, if you’ve aroused him sufficiently, Alvin. And you seem to have.” “Inasmuch as it is a fact, it is not incredible,’ Duncan observed. “ What I want to know is this: Chambers isn’t particularly useful to the International. Shall I arrest him and thresh the matter out? ” “Tn court? ” gasped Barrington. “ Naturally, and in the criminal court at that.” “Alvin! Henry!” Downs was at his side. “ Have you thought what it would mean to the International—a scandal of that kind? Don’t you know that we’re on thin ice now and that. we must keep up every appearance of internal peace, Alvin? Can’t you understand Ps “T presume so.” Duncan _— sighed rather wearily. “ You mean to say that you would let it pass altogether—this mere trifle of having my life in contin- ual danger? ” “Pass? No, we won’t let it pass, and your life shall not be in danger. We'll have two or three Pinkerton men travel everywhere with you from now on, Al- vin,” said Downs. “ We'll “’m not particularly anxious to be trailed.” “But it is necessary. Apart from yourself, think what your presence here as your uncle’s personal representative means to the company. If anything should happen to you ” he broke off, for the scowl on Duncan’s face indicated that the somewhat cold-blooded view of his danger was not altogether pleasing. “Ah, you did a very unwise thing in throwing Chambers out, Alvin.” “So I perceive,’ snapped the ex- architect. ‘And I may do another if he tries it again. Just say so, and I'll clear out and take another trip abroad.” In an instant both men were on their feet. Barrington was patting his shoulder in soothing, fatherly fashion. “My dear boy,” he cried, “don’t think of it! Don’t think of it! Con- sider what you mean, to yourself and us. For God’s sake, don’t do anything so utterly rash! Stay where you are, and we will do everything in our power. to safeguard you. But for the sake of the International——” THE ARGOSY. Duncan’s sharp laugh ended the sen- tence for Barrington. When they were gone, querader laughed again, wearily. For the sake of the International! Everything on earth for the sake of the International! He wondered whether those two men would not have gone smiling to the scaf- fold—for the sake of the International! His burden was growing hourly, as it had seemed to grow from the moment he had taken it on his shoulders. The fact that his life was threatened, as the fact, was of course rather bad; but it did not interest Barrington or the mas- but rather ‘Downs one-tenth as much as the possi- bility of Henry Alvin being removed from the sphere of the International, or of open dissensions in the company be-| coming known to the financial and busi- ness world. He was only a man and the company was the International. Yet, perhaps they were right enough. Day by day Duncan was learning that Morley’s picture of a world-panic had been no idle fabric of the imagination. It was the hard fact that if the Inter- national went, everything else would go, too, and that a year or more of failures and disasters would inevitably follow. Duncan groaned at the thought and the realization that he was actually powerless to cause the arrest even of the man who had tried to take his life. To get the barest justice for himself, he must risk sacrificing the country—and he could not do it. Well along in the afternoon his tele- phone rang suddenly. He was deep in other matters, and he started in sur- prise at the sound of a woman’s voice. The speaker was Miss Morrison’s maid. Miss Morrison, it appeared, was slightly ill, and desired to see Mr. Alvin that afternoon; and the desire seemed to be more or less urgent. Alvin hated the prospect, yet he could hardly ignore the summons. With Beatrice in good health, hard enough things were demanded of him in the way of keeping up the unpleasant part. But he left word that he would not return that day, and started on the = up-town. Gomicbook (C@