Galveston Tribune. (Galveston, Tex.), Vol. 36, No. 211, Ed. 1 Saturday, July 29, 1916 Page: 4 of 12
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GALVESTON TRIBUNE, SATURDAY, JULY 29, 1916.
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“The trust is eliminated. Kyak harbor
is wiped off the map, and I’m alone
in the field.”
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Published Every Week Day Afternoon at
The Tribune Building, 22d and Post-
office Sts., Galveston, Texas.
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Entered at the Postoffice in Galveston
as Second-Class Mail Matter,
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—F-—e
Mr. Heidelman was adamant.
CHAPTER XV.
The Man a Prince Again.
’NEIL had the faculty of sleep-
ing well in spite of the most
tormenting worries. He arose
America is still a considerable dis-
tance behind Great Britain as a ship-
building country. In spite of the fact
that there were 1,000,000 tons of ocean-
going vessels under construction in
American yards on July 1, we were do-
ing only half as well as England does
in normal times, and only 25 per cent
better than Germany. The showing is
so far ahead of anything the United
States had previously done, however,
that it is sufficient to cause great sat-
isfaction among those Americans who
would like to see their country taking
its proper place among the maritime
nations of the world.
on the morning after his inter-
view with Mr. Heidlemann ready to
begin the struggle with all his normal
energy and confidence. But the day
brought him only discouragement. He
had a large acquaintance. The men-
tion of his name in quarters where he
was not personally known gained him
respectful attention, but he found him-
self working in the shadow of the cop-
per trust, and its silent influence over-
same his strongest arguments.
No one, it seemed, cared to risk even
ft semblance of rivalry with that mon-
strous aggregation of capital, for the
interlacing of financial interests was
amazingly intricate, and financiers
were fearful of the least misstep.
Everywhere O'Neil encountered the
vame disheartening timidity. His bat-
tle, it seemed, had been lost before it
was begun.
Days passed in fruitless endeavors.
Evenings found O’Neil in his corner of
the hotel cafe racking his brain for
some way out of his perplexities. Usu-
ally he was surrounded by friends, for
he continued to entertain in the lavish
fashion for which he had gained a rep-
utation, but sometimes he was alone, <
and then his solitude became more
oppressive than it had ever been even
in the farthest wastes of the north-
The automobile is the greatest high-
way developing agent in the world.
Without good roads there is no joy in
motoring; with good roads the pleasures
of motoring are among the most de-
lightful mortal beings are permitted.
Last year there were 2,445,664 motor
vehicles registered in the United States,
an increase of 734,325 over the pre-
vious year. Ninety per cent of the
$18,000,000 in fees was spent upon road-
will see their profits cut As it is now,
they can make enough out of their own
territory to haul freight into yours for
nothing.”
“I dare say you’ll go to them if we
don’t take you up, eh?” V
“My road has its strategic value. I
eighteen million would be nearer the
real total. The $5,000,000 which Uncle
Sam is going to put into good roads
this year, with $291,927 coming to
Texas, seems comparatively insignifi-
cant alongside the money already be-
ing spent for good roads, but it will
help.
turnover in nine months. It doesn’t
matter who owns the S. R. and N. aft-
er it’s completed. The steamboat men
spent upon
the United
Ten times
you back. I must get
ed, ashamed of his outburst. and, tak-
ing the girl’s hand in his, went stum-
bling ahead of the storm.
Their limbs were cramped, their teeth
chattered, they wallowed through mire,
and more than once they fell. Nearing
Trevor’s house, they saw what the
storm had done. Kyak was nearly
razed. Roofs had been ripped off,
chimneys were down, glass was out.
None but the most substantial log cab-
ins had withstood the assault, and men
were busied in various quarters trying
to repair the damage.
They found Natalie beside herself
with anxiety for their safety, and an
hour later Trevor came in, soaked to
the skin. He was very tired, and his
face was haggard.
“Well, she went out!” he said. “I
saw a million dollars swallowed up in
that sea.” •
They tried to comfort him, but the
collapse of his work had left him
dazed.
“Heavens! I didn’t think it could
blow like this, and it isn’t over yet.
The town is flat.
“I’m sorry. You understand I sym-
pathize?” said Murray, and the en-
gineer nodded.
“You told me it blew here, and I
thought I knew what you meant, but
nothing could withstand those rollers.”
“Nothing.”
“You’ll go east and see our people,
I suppose?”
“At once.”
“Tell them what you saw. They’ll
never understand from my reports.
They’re good people. If there’s any-
thing I can do”—
O’Neil took his baud warmly.
Two days later Murray bade the
girls goodby and left, traveling light.
They remained in Kyak so that Eliza
might complete her investigations.
Of all those who suffered by the
storm Curtis Gordon took his misfor-
tune hardest. This had been a black
season for him indeed. Beginning
with O’Neil’s rivalry, everything had
gone against him. He had dropped his
coal interests at Kyak in favor of, the
copper mine because they failed to
yield quick profits. Then he had learn-
ed that the mine was valueless and re-
alized that it could not serve him much
longer as a' means of raising funds.
Still, he had trusted that by taking a
vigorous part in the railroad struggle
he would be able either to recoun his
ways. This figure does not include the
vast amounts of money
good roads throughout
States by bond issues.
It appears that England is the last of
the allied nations to promulgate a
blacklist, directed against neutral firms
which have been doing business with
the allies’ foes. England’s blacklist
has received more attention and caused
more consternation merely because the
vast bulk of our foreign trade is done
either with England or England’s col-
onies. The United States cannot, with
very good grace, protest against the
British blacklist unless it protests with
equal vigor against the French, Rus-
sian, Italian, German and Austrian
blacklists. Japan alone, of all the bel-
ligerent powers, has not seen fit to
cut off the trade noses of its merchants
to spite their racial faces.
GALVESTON TRIBUN
(ESTABLISHED 1880.)
is to be used as argument against what
has been said to our detriment.
Then, too, it may help our own peo-
ple to become more reconciled to the
manner in which our government has
handled the Mexican problem. There
are too many who, because of inaccur-
ate information, have been induced to
think that we have placed ourselves in
such relationship to the Meixcan people
as to create the belief among them
that we feared to go to the extremity
of war in order to enforce a proper re-
spect for the integrity of our territory.
This new angle, suggested by Mr. Bar-
rett, may aid these in seeing things;
from a more perfect point of view.
COUNTRY’S NEED,
San Antonio Express.
If the present trend of our diplomacy
with respect to international unpleas-
antness and indignities heaped upon
the rights, the standing and the honor
of the United States, and if the diplo-
matic channels into which the United
States has been forced by its weakness
of armament since the first sinking of
a passenger liner in this war and the
first seizure of an American vessel
bound for a neutral port, do not con-
stitute history sufficiently influential,
when coupled with current conditions,
complaints and claims of abuse, to
move the congress to intelligent recog-
nition of its country’s need of a very
powerful navy in short order, nothing
else can get this all-imperative result.
John Barrett, director general Of the
Pan-American Union, than whom there
is probably no. better informed man in
this country touching the sentiments
of the countries of South and Central
America, has called attention to a new
angle from which we are to view the
Mexican muddle. In an address made
recently in Vermont, Mr. Barrett stated
that the future commercial and diplo-
matic relationships of the United States
with the countries to the south of us
depended upon whether or not we suc-
ceeded in ’bringing peace to Mexico
without war or intervention. Every
country of Latin-America, said Mr.
Barrett, was watching us and weighing
pur oft-repeated assertions against our
actions.
It has been this knowledge, more
than anything else, that has influenced
the president and his cabinet to be
superlatively patient under most trying
circumstances, to suffer insult and make
great expenditures of money, rather
than become involved in a war which
it was well known would mean vastly
more than the subjugation of a weaker
power. Time and again has surprise
been expressed that an order did not
immediately issue for an invasion of
Mexico; the provocation has been amply
sufficient to justify such action, but the
hope that an amicable adjustment of
differences could be found has prevailed
and today the outlook is full of promise
for a settlement that will bring us no
loss of prestige nor to Mexico any sac-
rifice of national honor.
There is such splendid reward await-
ing the peaceful and satisfactory settle-
ment of the Mexican matter, that apart
from the humanitarian aspect of the
affair, it would be a sufficiently large
inducement for this nation to continue
its efforts to give our sister republic
a stable form of government. But while
we may be very largely commercial, it
is believed that we have as much heart
Invested in this enterprise as we have
dollars, and our purpose to benefit and
aid the Mexican people looms very
much larger than does any desire to
make profit from the transaction. If
we can convince them of our friend-
ship and at the same time help them
and ourselves commercially by our good
offices, then all the better, for once
permit commerce to establish itself in
the life of the two people and there
will arise very few occasions where we
shall be compelled to differ diplomat-
ically.
But we are assured by Mr. Barrett
, that not only Mexico but the entire con-
tinent to the south of us is watching
our actions and day by day judgment
is being crystalized. Upon the success-
ful outcome of our present effort at the
pacification of Mexico will depend a
commerce for which the nations of Eu-
rope have planned and labored for many
years and which the war has for a time
interrupted, giving to the United States
a rare opportunity to secure a foothold
where we have up to this time been
looked upon with misgiving. It has
ibecome widely known that our commer-
cial rivals have omitted no opportunity
for prejudicing the people of Latin-
America against the United States. A
suspicion as to our intentions planted
and fostered by our competitors con-
tributed to keeping our merchants out
of a trade that was geographically
theirs. Now comes our opportunity,
and while it may be an indirect one, it
ill admit I took a nip now and then,
but I never gt pickled. Say! Who
d’you s’pose I saw today? Old man
Illis!”
O’Neill became suddenly intent. He
had been trying to get in touch with
Poultney Illis for more than a fort-
night, but his cables to London had
brought no response.
“When did he arrive?”
“Just lately. He’s a game old roost-
er, ain’t he? Gee, he’s sore!”
“Sore about what?”
Bulker winked again, with the same
lack of muscular control.
“About that North Pass deal, of
course. He was blackmailed out of a
cold million. The agreement’s about
up now, and I figure he’s over here to
renew it.”
“You’re talking Greek,” said O’Neil,
but his eagerness was manifest.
“I s'posed you knew. The North
Pass has been paying blackmail to the
Yukon steamboat companies for three
years. When you built the Me it prac-
tically put ’em out of the Dawson mar-
ket. understand?”
“Of course.”
Now that Mr. Bulker’s mind was
running along well worn grooves his
intoxication became less apparent.
“Those Frisco steamboat men got to-
gether and started a rate war against
the railroad. They hauled freight to
Dawson by way of St. Michaels at a
loss. Of course Illis and his crowd
had to meet competition, and it nearly
broke 'em the first two seasons. Gee.
they were the mad ones! Finally they
fixed up an agreement—had to or go
bust—and of course the Native Sons
put it over our English cousins. They
agreed to restore the old rate, and
each side promised to pay the other a
royalty of $10 a ton on all the freight
ft hauled to Dawson and up river
points. You can guess the result, can’t
you? The steamboat companies let
Illis haul all the freight and sat back
on their haunches and took their prof-
it. For every ton he hailed he slipped
’em ten round American dollars, stamp-
ed with the Goddess of Liberty. Oh, it
was soft! When they had him fairly
tied up they drydocked their steam-
boats, to save wear and tear. He
paid ’em a thousand dollars a day for
three years. If that ain’t blackmail
it's a first cousin to it by marriage.”
“Didn't the interstate commerce com-
mission get wise?”
“Certainly not. It looks wise, but it
never gets wise. Oh, believe me, Poult-
ney Illis is hopping mad! I s’pose he’s
over here now to renew the arrange-
ment for another three years on behalf
of his stockholders. Let’s have a
dram.” Bulker sat back and stared
as through a mist at his companion,
enjoying the effect of his disclosure.
O'Neil was indeed impressed, more
' deeply than his informant dreamed.
Out of the lips of a drunken man had
come a bint which set his nerves to
tingling. He knew Illis well, he knew
the caliber of the Englishman, and a
plan was already leaping in his brain
whereby he might save the S. R. and N.
It lacked an hour of midnight when
O’Neil escaped from Bulker and reach-
ed his room. Once inside he seized the
telephone and rang up hotel after ho-
tel, inquiring for the English capital-
SOLDIERS TO EAT TEXAS RICE.
Houston Post.
The rice interests of Texas have had
an emissary in the camp of Uncle
Sam's soldiers on the border charged
with the mission of arranging for in-
troducing those same soldiers to the
delights of rice as a food.
It is likely that chefs who know how
to cook this Southern cereal will be
sent to show the soldier cooks how to
prepare it, and in time rice will be-
come one of the staple articles of Unit-
ed States army food.
It would have been easy for Hous-
ton to so arrange that every one of
the 20,000 militiamen who have passed
through this city would be given a
delicious bowl of rice with curry sauce.
This would have given him a taste of
one of the best things in the world,
and he would never have forgotten it.
Rice is a standard food for the soldiers
of Japan and China. It is cheap. It
is healthful. It is nutritious. There
is no reason why with its growing pro-
duction there should not be a growing
market for it. And the army will
profit by its use.
ready to leave.”
“Leave? Where”—
“For New York! I’ve made my fight,
and I’ve won.” His eyes kindled fever-
ishly. “I’ve won in spite of them all.
I hold the key to a kingdom. It’s mine
—mine! I hold the gateway to an em-
pire, and those who pass through must
pay.” The girl had never seen such
fierce triumph in a face. “I saw it in
a dream, only it was more than a
dream.” The wind snatched O’Neil’s
words from his lips, but he ran on: “I
saw a deserted fishing village become
a thriving city. I saw the glaciers part
to let pass a great traffic in men and
merchandise. I saw the unpeopled
north grow into a land of homes, of
farms, of mining camps, where people
lived and bred children. I heard the
mountain passes echo to steam whistles
and the whir of flying wheels. It was
a wonderful vision that I saw, but my
eyes were true. They called me a fool,
and, it took the sea and the hurricane
to, show them I was right.” He pans-
TW
P5
crowd to treat the N. P. and Y. fairly, ,
thereby- saving half a million a year.”
“It’s a big undertaking. I’m not
sure our crowd could swing it.”
“They don’t have to. There’s a quick
profit of $2,000,000 to be had by selling
to the trust next spring. You can die- 4
tate your own terms to those black-
mailers tomorrow and then make a
must have help. If you don’t come to
my rescue it will mean war with your
line, I dare say.”
Mr. Illis sat back, staring at the ceil-
ing for a long time. From the street
below came the whir and clatter of
taxicabs as the midnight crowd came
and went. The city’s nocturnal life
was at its height, men had put aside
the worries of the day and were de-
voting themselves to the more serious
and exhausting pastimes of relaxation.
Still, the white haired Briton weighed
in his mind the matter of millions,
while the fortunes of Murray O’Neil
hung in the balance.
“My people won’t buy the S. R. and
N.,” Illis finally announced. “But I’ll
put it up to them.”
“I can’t delay action if there’s a
chance of a refusal. I’ll have to see
Blum and Capron,” said O’Neil.
“I’ll cable full details within the hour.
We’ll have an answer by tomorrow
night.”
“And if they refuse?” O’Neil lit a
cigar with steady fingers.
“Oh, if they refuse I’ll join you!
We’ll go over the matter carefully in
the meantime. Two million you said,
didn’t you?”
“Yes. There’s two million profit for
you in nine months.” His voice was
husky and a bit uneven, for he had
been under a great strain.
cTo Be Continued.) j
The Tribune is on Sale at the Follow-
ing Places, Houston, Tex.
Newssoy at Interurban Statloma
Rice Hotel News Stand. . F
Bell’s News Stand.
1013% Congress Ave.
Banter’s News Stand.
924 Texas Ave.
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41S Main St.
American Pressing Club.
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! 1 An •
iwi
There is, at least, one saving feature
to the American defense program.
Practically all of the $700,000,000 which
it is proposed to spend will be put in
circulation in America. Very little
American gold will go into the pockets
of foreigners in developing an improv-
ed tsystem of' national defense. And
this country must always be prepared
to take care of its own needs in the
way of arms, munitions and foodstuffs.
In the ability to produce those essen-
tials in overwhelming quantities lies
our greatest safety and advantage.
Safety, because few nations will care
to undertake a prolonged struggle with
us, knowing that we can supply all our
requirements; advantage, because the
gold we do spend will be spent at
home.
Buying my road.”
“Explain, please.”
“Gladly. The North Pass and Yukon
is paying a fabulous blackmail to the
river lines to escape a ruinous rate
war.”
“Right! It’s blackmail, as you say.”
“Under the present agreement you
handle the Dawson freight and keep
out of the lower river. They take the
whole Tanana valley and lower Yu-
kon.”
“Correct.”
“Didn’t it occur to you that the S. R.
and N., which starts 400 miles west of
the North Pass and taps the Tanana
valley, can be used to put the river
steamers of that section out of busi-
ness?”
"Let’s have a look at the map.” Mr.
Ulis hurried into an adjoining room
and returned with a huge chart, which
he unrolled upon the table. "To tell
you the truth, I never looked at the
proposition from that angle. Our peo-
ple were afraid of those glaciers and
the competition of the copper trust.
They’re disgusted, too, with our treat-
ment.”
“The trust is eliminated. Kyak har-
bor is wiped off the map, and I’m alone
in the field.”
“How about this fellow Gordon?”
Men De DroKe in a year. Incidental-
Ty, that’s my trouble.”
“But I’m told you can’t pass the gla-
ciers.”
“I can. Parker says he’ll have the
bridge done by spring.”
“Then I’d bank on it. I’d believe
Parker if I knew he was lying. If you
both agree I haven’t the slightest
doubt.”
“This is a bigger proposition than
the North Pass, Mr. Illis. You made
money out of that road, but this one
will make more.” He swiftly outlined
the condition of affairs, even to the at-
titude assumed by the Heidlemanns,
snd Illis, knowing the speaker as he
Aid, had no doubt that he was hearing
the exact truth. “But that’s not all,”
continued O’Neil. “The S. R. and N. is
the club which will hammer your ene-
mies into line. That’s what I came
to see you about With a voice in it
you can control the traffic of all central
Alaska and force the San Francisco
B
#E
) d"
ist, but without result. After a mo-
ment’s consideration he took his hat-
and gloves and went out. The matter
did not permit of delay. Not only were
his own needs imperative, but if Poult-
ney Illis had come from London to
confer with his rivals there was little
time to spare.
Remembering the Englishman’s hab-
its, O’Neil turned up the avenue to
another fashionable hotel, where he
asked for the manager, whom he well
knew.
“Yes, Mr. Illis is here,” he was in-
formed. “but he’s registered under a
different name. No doubt he’ll be glad
to see you, however.”
A moment later Murray recognized
the voice of Ulis’ valet over the wire
and greeted him by name. Another
brief delay and the capitalist himself
was at the phone.
“Come right up,” he said, and O’Neil
replaced the receiver with a sigh of re-
lief.
Illis greeted him warmly, for their
relations had been close.
“Lucky you found me,” he said. “I’m
going back on the next sailing.”
“Have you signed up with the Arc-
tic Navigation company?” Murray in-
quired. and the other started.
“Bless me! What do you mean?”
His caller laughed. “I see you haven’t.
I don’t think you will, either, after
you’ve talked with me.”
Without the tremor of an eyelash
Illis exclaimed:
“My word! What are you driving
at?”
“That agreement over freight rates,
of course.”
The Briton eyed him for a moment,
then carefully closed the door leading
from his sitting room and, seating him-
self, lit a cigar.
“What do you know about that mat-
ter?” he asked quietly.
“About all there is to know—enough
at least to appreciate your feelings.”
“I flattered myself that my affairs
were private. Where did you get your
information?”
“I’ll tell you if you insist, although
I’d rather not. There's no danger of
its becoming public.”
Ulis showed his relief. “I’m glad.
You gave me a start. Awful fix for a
man to be in. Why, I’m here under an
assumed name! Fancy! But”— He
waved his hand in a gesture which
showed his acceptance of the inevita-
ble.
“You haven't made your new agree-
ment?”
“I’m to meet Blum and Capron to-
morrow.”
“Why didn’t you take the S. R. and
N. when I cabled you last month?”
"I couldn’t. But what has that to do
with the matter?”
“Don't you see? It’s so plain to me
that I can’t understand how you failed
.1 torealjze.the value—the necessity of
Copyright, 1913, by Harper & Br thers.
land. He was made to feel his re-
sponsibility with dreadful keenness,
for his associates vere in a panic
and bombarded him with daily in-
quiries. vexatious and hard to answer.
One evening as he ran through his
mail he found a letter in a woman's
handwriting and, glancing at the sig-
nature, started. It was signed “Gloria
Gordon.” Briefly it apprised him of
her marriage and of her and Natalie’s
return to Hope. Gloria thanked him
perfunctorily for his many kindnesses,
but she neither expressed nor implied
an invitation for him to visit them.
. He smiled a little grimly. Already her
loyalty had veered to Gordon’s side,
and Natalie no doubt shared her feel-
ing. Well, it was but natural per-
haps.
He was aroused from his train of
thought by a stranger whom he found
standing beside his table and looking
down at him with wavering eye.
"Misser O'Neil. ain’t it?” the fellow
inquired. “Sure! Thought I knew
you. I'm Bulker of the old North pass.
Remember me?"
Mr. Bulker had been imbibing freely.
He showed evidences of a protracted
spree not only in his speech, but in the
trembling hand which he extended.
His eyes were bloodshot, and his good
natured face was purple,
O'Neil greeted him pleasantly, and,
considering himself enthusiastically
welcomed, the newcomer sat down
suddenly as if some one had tripped
him.
“Been washing you for ten minutes.”
“Washing me?”
“No. washing you. Couldn’t make
you out: eyesight’s getting bad. Too
many bright lights in this town. Ha!
Joke! Let’s have a gill.”
"Thank you, no.”
“Must have a little dram for old
time’s sake. You’re the only one of
the North pass crowd I'll drink with.”
Mr. Bulker gestured comprehensively
at a group of waiters, and Murray
yielded. “You were my friend, O’Neil.
You always treated me right.”
“What are you doing now?” asked
O’Neil, with the interest he could not
refuse to any one who had ever worked
with him. He remembered the fellow
perfectly. He had come on from the
east as auditor and had appeared to be
capable, although somewhat given to
drink.
"i;m a broker. Wall street’s my hab-
itat. Fine time to buy stocks, Misser
O’Neil.” Bulker assumed an expres-
sion of great wisdom. "Like to have a
tip? No? Good! You're a wise man.
They fired me from the North Pass.
Wha’d you know about that? Fired
me for drinking! Greatest injustice 1
ever heard of, but I hit running, like a
turkey. That wasn’t the reason they
let me go, though. Not on your life.”
He winked portentously and, strangely
enough, his eyelid failed to resume its
normal position. It continued to droop,
giving the appearance of a waggish
leer. “I knew too mush! Isn’t healthy
to know too mush, is it?”
“I’ve never had a chance to find out,”
smiled Murray.
“Oh, don't be an Ingenue; you sav-
.vied more than anvbodv. on the lob.
fortunes or at least to effect a compro-
mise in the shadow of which his fiasco
at Hope would be forgotten. As yet
the truth about Hope Consolidated
was not generally known to his stock-
holders, but a certain restlessness
among them had become troublesome.
The stream of money had diminished
alarmingly, and it was largely because
of this that he had bought the McDer-
mott right of way and moved to Kyak.
And now just as he had his affairs in
shape for anotner ana a greater cam-
paign of stock flotation the storm had
come to ruin him.
The bitterest element in his defeat
was the realization that O’Neil, who
had bested him at every turn, was
destined to profit by the very blow
which crushed him. Defeat at the
hands of the copper trust he would
have accepted with a fairly good grace,
but the mere thought that Murray
O'Neil, whom he considered in every
way his inferior, had gained the upper
hand was intolerable. It was in keep-
ing with Gordon's character that in-
stead of blaming his own judgment he
became furiously angx at the trust for
the mistake of its engineers and held
them responsible for his desperate sit-
uation. That is was truly desperate he
very soon realized, since disaster to
his railroad project meant that his
stockholders would be around his ears
like a swarm of hornets, and once they
understood the true state of affairs at
Hope the complete collapse of his for-
tunes would surely follow.
During the days succeeding the
storm he scarcely knew where to turn,
so harassed was he; yet he never for
a moment wavered in his resolve to
make O'Neil pay for his interference
and to exact a reckoning from Gloria
Gerard.
Natalie's presence in Kyak confirmed
his belief that O'Neil was interested in
her, and he began to plan a stroke by
which he could take revenge upon all
three. It did not promise in any way
to help him out of his financial straits,
but at least it would give him a certain
satisfaction.
He sent word to the girl that he
would like to see her.
Gordon found his erstwhile ward
greatly is proved by her recent life.
She was brown, vigorous, healthy; her
physical charms quickened his pulses.
“You must have a very good reason
for coming to see me,” she began. “I
don’t flatter myself that it is from af-
fection.”
"There you wrong me,” he assured
her, with the warm earnestness he so
easily assumed. "I have always re-
garded you as a daughter.”
"I have no faith in you.”
“Exactly, and the knowledge dis-
tresses me. You and Gloria were a
large part of my life. I can’t bear to
lose you. I hope, and I believe. that
her regard for me has changed no more
than mine for her. It remains for me
to regain yours.”
“That is impossible. You had the
chance”—
“My dear, you can't know my rea-
sons for acting as I did at Omar. But
those reasons no longer exist.”
“Just what—do you mean by that?”
stammered Natalie.
“I mean what I say. I’m ready to
marry your mother.”
“When?”
“At once. You shall plead my cause
for me.”
"That isn’t necessary. You know
mother is only waiting for you. It
means so much to her that she couldn’t
refuse.”
“Doesn’t it mean anything to you?”
Natalie nodded. “It means more to
me than to any one else, perhaps. I
have been carrying a great burden, al-
most more than I can bear. Some-
times I've wished I were a man—for
just long enough to make you pay. Oh,
yes,” she continued as he started to
protest. “Don’t let us begin this new
life with any false conceptions. You
may as well know that I shall always
hate you. We shall see very little of
each other.”
"Nonsense! I can’t let you feel like
that. I sha’n’t rest until I win back
your love and confidence.”
She eyed him searchingly for a mo-
ment, then opened her lips to speak,
but closed them.
“Well?” he prompted her. “Let us
be frank with each other.”
“I'm merely wondering how greatly
your decision has been influenced by
the storm and the fight at the railroad
crossing. I understand how you feel
toward Mr. O’Neil, and I know that he
means to crush you.”
“Oh!” Gordon’s face lighted.
“Yes! He has never said so, but I
can feel it. I wonder if you have
snatched us up in your extremity as a
defense.”
“Ridiculous! Your suspicions are in-
sulting. I have nothing to fear from
him, for he is broken, his credit is gone,
and he is in desperate straits.”'
“Are you in any better condition?
How long can you fool your people
“It's breaking up,” he shouted. “It’s
breaking up.”
with tnat pretense or a mine?’’
Gordon flushed, but affected scorn.
“So! Have you and Gloria begun to
balance my wealth against my love?
If so”—
“You know she would marry you if
you were penniless.”
“I hope so, and, indeed, I can’t be-
lieve her mercenary. Well, I shall say
goodby to' Kyak without idle regret,
and we three shall return to Hope,
where I can attack my problems with
fresh courage. I can well afford my
loss here if by doing so I gain the wo-
man of my desires.”
“You want me to go with you?”
“Of course. You can’t stay in Omar,
knowing what you do about O'Neil. Re-
member, I shall be in the position of a
father to you.”
“Very well. It is the leas I can do.
Miss Appleton and I are returning to
Omar in a few days. Will you go
with us?”
“I shall be delighted, my dear." He
smiled upon her in his most fatherly
fashion, but she was far from feeling
the assurance he meant to convey.
*******
When Murray arrived in New York
he met with a terrible setback. Her-
man Heidelman. while admitting that
O’Neil’s project might be feasible, said
that his company could not afford to
put any more money into Alaska until
something besides plans were availa-
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Galveston Tribune. (Galveston, Tex.), Vol. 36, No. 211, Ed. 1 Saturday, July 29, 1916, newspaper, July 29, 1916; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1466036/m1/4/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rosenberg Library.