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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 with Heinzman
to divide when you succeeded in foreclosing me out of the timber
lands given as security。 Furthermore you instructed Floyd to go out
on the eve of that blow in spite of his warnings； and you contracted
with McLeod for the new vessels； and you've tied us up right and
left for the sole purpose of pinching us down where we couldn't meet
those notes。 That's the only reason you borrowed the seventy…five
thousand on your own account； so we couldn't borrow it to save
ourselves。〃
〃It strikes me you are interesting but inconclusive；〃 said Newmark；
as Orde paused again。
〃That sort of thing is somewhat of a facer；〃 went on Orde without
the slightest attention to the interjection。 〃It took me some days
to work it out in all its details； but I believe I understand it all
now。 I don't quite understand how you discovered about my
California timber。 That 'investigation' was a very pretty move。〃
〃How the devil did you get onto that？〃 cried Newmark； startled for a
moment