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第76章

the riverman-第76章

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slipped out of the house and down the street。  Duke; the black and 

white setter dog; begged to follow him。  Orde welcomed the animal's 

company。  He paused only long enough to telephone from the office 

telling Carroll he would be out of town all day。  Then he set out at 

a long swinging gait over the hills。  By the time the sun grew hot; 

he was some miles from the village and in the high beech woods。  

There he sat down; his back to a monster tree。  All day long he 

gazed steadily on the shifting shadows and splotches of sunlight; on 

the patches of blue sky; the dazzling white clouds that sailed 

across them; on the waving; whispering frond that over…arched him; 

and the deep cool shadows beneath。  The woods creatures soon became 

accustomed to his presence。  Squirrels of the several varieties that 

abounded in the Michigan forests scampered madly after each other in 

spirals around the tree trunks; or bounded across the ground in long 

undulating leaps。  Birds flashed and called and disappeared 

mysteriously。  A chewink; brave in his black and white and tan 

uniform; scratched mightily with great two…footed swoops that threw 

the vegetable mould over Orde's very feet。  Blazoned butterflies

the yellow and black turnus; the dark troilus; the shade…loving 

nymphalisflickered in and out of the patches of sunlight。  Orde 

paid them no attention。  The noon heat poured down through the 

forest isles like an incense。  Overhead swung the sun; and down the 

slope until the long shafts of its light lifted wand…like across the 

tree trunks。



At this hint of evening Orde shook himself and arose。  He was little 

nearer the readjustment he sought than he had been the previous 

night。



He reached home a little before six o'clock。  To his surprise he 

found Taylor awaiting him。  The lawyer had written nothing as to his 

return。



〃I had things pretty well in shape;〃 he said; after the first 

greetings had been exchanged; 〃and it would do no good to stay away 

any longer。〃



〃Then the trouble is over?〃 asked Orde。



〃I wouldn't say that;〃 replied Taylor; 〃but you can rest easy as to 

the title to your lands。  The investigation had no real basis to it。  

There may have been some small individual cases of false entry; but 

nothing on which to ground a ???? attack。〃



〃When can I borrow on it?〃



〃Not for a year or two; I should say。  There's an awful lot of red…

tape to unwind; as there always is in such cases。〃



〃Oh;〃 said Orde in some disappointment。



Taylor hesitated; removed his eye…glasses; wiped them carefully; and 

replaced them。  He glanced at Orde sidelong through his keen; shrewd 

eyes。



〃I have something more to tell you; something that will be painful;〃 

said he。



Orde looked up quickly。



〃Well; what is it?〃 he asked。



〃The general cussedness of all this investigation business had me 

puzzled; until at last I made up my mind to do a little 

investigating on my own account。  It all looked foolish to me。  

Somebody or something must be back of all this performance。  I was 

at it all the time I was West; between times on regular business; of 

course。  I didn't make much out of my direct effortsthey cover 

things up well in those mattersbut at last I got on a clue by 

sheer accident。  There was one man behind all this。  He was〃



〃Joe Newmark;〃 said Orde quietly。



〃How did you know that?〃 cried Taylor in astonishment。



〃I didn't know; Frank; I just guessed。〃



〃Well; you made a good guess。  It was Newmark。  He'd tied up the 

land in this trumped…up investigation so you could not borrow on 

it。〃



〃How did he find out I owned any land?〃 asked Orde。



〃That I couldn't tell you。  Must have been a leak somewhere。〃



〃Quite likely;〃 said Orde calmly。



Taylor looked at his principal in some wonder。



〃Well; I must say you take it coolly enough;〃 said he at last。



Orde smiled。



〃Do I?〃 said he。



〃Of course;〃 went on Taylor after a moment; 〃we have a strong 

presumption of conspiracy to get hold of your Boom Company stock; 

which I believe you put up as security。  But I don't see how we have 

any incontestable proof of it。〃



〃Proof?  What more do we want?〃



〃We'd have no witness to any of these transactions; nor have we 

documentary proofs。  It's merely moral certainty; and moral 

certainty isn't much in a court of law。  I'll see him; if you say 

so; though; and scare him into some sort of an arrangement。〃



Orde shook his head。



〃No;〃 said he decidedly。  〃Rather not。  I'll run this。  Please say 

nothing。〃



〃Of course not!〃 interjected Taylor; a trifle indignantly。



〃And I'll figure out what I want to do。〃



Orde pressed Taylor to stay to supper; but the latter declined。  

After a few moments' conversation on general topics the lawyer took 

his departure; secretly marvelling over the phlegmatic way in which 

Orde had taken what had been to Taylor; when he first stumbled 

against it; a shocking piece of news。







XLVII





Orde did not wish to return to the office until he had worked his 

problem out; so; to lend his absence the colour of naturalness; he 

drove back next morning to the booms。  There he found enough to keep 

him occupied all that day and the next。  As in those times the long 

distance telephone had not yet been attempted; he was cut off from 

casual communication with the village。  Late in the afternoon he 

returned home。



A telephone to Carroll apprised him that all was well with her。  A 

few moments later the call sounded; and Orde took a message that 

caused him to look grave and to whistle gently with surprise。  He 

ate supper with Bobby。  About star…time he took his hat and walked 

slowly down the street beneath the velvet darkness of the maples。  

At Newmark's he turned in between the oleanders。



Mallock answered his ring。



〃No; sir; Mr。 Newmark is out; sir;〃 said Mallock。  〃I'll tell him 

you called; sir;〃 and started respectfully but firmly to close the 

door。



But Orde thrust his foot and knee in the opening。



〃I'll come in and wait;〃 said he quietly。



〃Yes; sir; this way; sir;〃 said Mallock; trying to indicate the 

dining…room; where he wished Orde to sit until he could come at his 

master's wishes in the matter。



Orde caught the aroma of tobacco and the glimmer of light to the 

left。  Without reply he turned the knob of the door and entered the 

library。



There he found Newmark in evening dress; seated in a low easy chair 

beneath a lamp; smoking; and reading a magazine。  At Orde's 

appearance in the doorway; he looked up calmly; his paper knife 

poised; keeping the place。



〃Oh; it's you; Orde;〃 said he。



〃Your man told me you were not in;〃 said Orde。



〃He was mistaken。  Won't you sit down?〃



Orde entered the room and mechanically obeyed Newmark's suggestion; 

his manner preoccupied。  For some time he stared with wrinkled brow 

at a point above the illumination of the lamp。  Newmark; over the 

end of his cigar; poised a foot from his lips; watched the riverman 

with a cool calculation。



〃Newmark;〃 Orde began abruptly at last; 〃I know all about this 

deal。〃



〃What deal?〃 asked Newmark; after a barely perceptible pause。



〃This arrangement you made with Heinzman。〃



〃I borrowed some money from Heinzman for the firm。〃



〃Yes; and you supplied that money yourself。〃



Newmark's eyes narrowed; but he said nothing。  Orde glanced toward 

him; then away again; as though ashamed。



〃Well;〃 said Newmark at last; 〃what of it?〃



〃If you had the money to lend why didn't you lend it direct?〃



〃Because it looks better to mortgage to an outside holder。〃



An expression of profound disgust flitted across Orde's countenance。  

Newmark smiled covertly; and puffed once or twice strongly on his 

nearly extinct cigar。



〃That was not the reason;〃 went on Orde。  〃You agreed wi

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