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Show - The Mardi Gras Mystery : Ey H. BEDFORD-JONES : Copyright by Doubleday, Page it Co. i CHAPTER XII Continued. 18 "Very well, then, the meeting Is called to order!" Jachin Fell smiled as he rapped on the desk before him. "Election of officers no, wait ! The first thing on hand is to give our company com-pany a Dame. Suggestions?" "I was thinking of that last night," said Lucie, smiling a 111 tie. "Why not call it the 'American Prince Oil company'?" com-pany'?" And her eyes darted to Gra-niont Gra-niont merrily. "Excellent !" exclaimed Jachin Fell. "My vote falls with yours, my dear I'll fill In the blanks with that name. Now to the election of officers." "I nominate Jachin Fell for president." presi-dent." said Gramont, quickly. "Seconded!" exclaimed the girl, gayly, a little color In her pale cheeks. "Any other nominations? If not, so approved and ordered," rattled Fell, laughingly. "For the office of treasurer treas-urer " "Miss Lucie Ledanois!" said Gramont. Gra-mont. "Move nominations be closed." "Seconded and carried by a two-thirds two-thirds vote of stockholders," chirped Fell in his toneless voice. "So approved ap-proved and ordered. For secretary " "Our third stockholder," put In Lucie. Lu-cie. "He'll have to be an officer, of course I" "Seconded and carried. So approved and ordered." Mr. Fell rapped on the table. "We will now have the report of our expert geologist in further detail de-tail than yet given." Gramont told of finding the oil ; lie was not carried away by the gay mock-solemnity of Jachin Fell, and he remained grave. He went on to relate how he had secured the lease option npon the adjoining land, and suggested suggest-ed that other such options be secured at once upon other property in the neighborhood. He handed the option to Fell, who laid it with the other documents. "And now I have a proposal of my own to make," said Jachin Fell. He appeared sobered, as though influenced influ-enced by Gramont's manner. "Although "Al-though we've actually found oil on the place, there is no means of telling how much we'll find when we drill, or what quality it will be. Is that not correct, Mr. Gramont?" "Entirely so," assented Gramont. "The chances are, of course, that we'll find oil In both quality and quantity. On the other hand, the seepage may be all there Is. Oil Is a gamble from start to finish. Personally, however, I would gamble heavily on this prospect." pros-pect." "Naturally," said Mr. Fell. "However, "How-ever, I have been talking over the oil business with a number of men actively active-ly engaged In It In the Houma field. I think that I may safely say that I can dispose of the mineral rights to our company's land, together with this lease option secured yesterday on the adjoining land, for a sum approximating approximat-ing one hundred and fifty thousand dollars; reserving to our company a sixteenth Interest In any oil located on the property. Personally, I believe this can be done, and I am willing to undertake the negotiations if so empowered em-powered by a vote of our stockholders. stockhold-ers. Lncie, you do not mind if we smoke, I know? Let me offer you a cigar, Mr. Gramont." Graruont took one offered him, and lighted it amid a startled silence. Jmmm MM "I Nominate Jachin Fell for President," Presi-dent," Said Gramont Quickly. Fell's proposal came to him as a distinct dis-tinct shock, and already he was viewing view-ing It In the light of prompt suspicion. "Why," exclaimed Lucie, wild-eyed, "that would be fifty thousand dollars to each of us, and not a cent expended ex-pended !" - - ""- "In case it went through on that basis," added Jachin Fell, his eyes on Gramont. "I would vole Ihat the entire sum go to Miss Ledanois. Hor land inlone is Involved. It she then wishes to invest with us in a new company to exploit other fields, well and good. One moment, my dear ' Do not protest pro-test this suggestion. The sixteenth Interest reserved to our company would provide both Mr. Gramont and me with a substantial reward fr our slight activity in the matter. Don't forget' thai interest, for it might amount to a large figure." ( "Hight," assented Gramont. "I !tvould second your vote, Mr. Fell ; I think the idea very just and proper ,fe been poetic justice to make him hand over a small fortune to Lucie! But that ileal is off, since he's in jail. And do you know why young Maillard wanted fo buy the land? For the same reason you don't want to sell. I sent him out there and lie saw that oil seepage, as I meant that he should! lie thought he would skin Lucie out of her land, not dreaming that I had prepared a nice little trap to swallow swal-low him. And now you come along " "Man, what are you driving at?" exclaimed ex-claimed Gramont. He was startled by what he read in the other man's face. "Merely that I planted that oil seepage seep-age myself or had it done by men I could trust," said Jachin Fell, calmly. He sat hack In his chair and took up his cigar with an air of finality. "The Am "mix kill &Im "I See," Said Gramont With Harsh Impulse. Im-pulse. "What Do You Get Out of It?" ' confession is shameless. I love Lucie more than my own ethical purity. Besides, Be-sides, I intend to wrong no one in the matter." Gramont sat stunned beyond words. The oil seepage a plant. There was no reason to doubt what Fell said. Gramont believed the little man sincere in his love for Lucie. "No matter what the outcome, your reputation will not be affected," said Fell, quietly. "The company which will buy this land of Lucie's is controlled con-trolled by me. You understand? Even if no oil Is ever found there. I shall see to it that you wdll not he Injured because of that signed statement." Gramont nodded in dull comprehension. comprehen-sion. He realized that Fell had devised de-vised this whole business scheme with infernal ingenuity ; had devised it in order to take a hundred and fifty thousand thou-sand dollars out of his own pocket and put it into that of Lucie. It was a present which the girl would never accept ac-cept as a gift, but which, if it came in the way of business, would make her financially independent. Nobody would be defrauded. There was no chicanery about it. The thing was straight, enough. "That's not quite nil of my plan," pursued Fell, as though reading Gramont's Gra-mont's nnuttered thoughts. "The minute min-ute this news becomes public, the-niin-ute your statement is published, there will be a tremendous boom in that whole section. I shall take charge of Lucie's money, and within three weeks I should double it, treble it, for her. Before the boom bursts she will be out of it all, and wealthy. Now, my dear Gramont, I do not presume that you will still refuse to vote with me? I have been quite frank, you see." Gramont stirred in his chair. "Yes!" be said, low-voiced. "Yes, by heavens. I do refuse!" With an effort he checked hotly Impulsive Im-pulsive words that were on his tongue. One word now might ruin hi in. He dared not say that he did not want to see Fell's money pass into the hands of Lucie money gained by fraud and theft and crime! He dared not give his reasons for refusing. He meant now to crush Fell utterly but one wrong word would give the man full warning, lie must say i othing. "It's not straight work, Fell. Regardless Re-gardless of your motives, 1 refuse to join you." Jachin Fell sighed slightly, and laid down his cigar with precision. "Gramont," his voice came with the softly purring menace of a tiger's throat-tone, "I shall now adjourn this company meeting tor two days, until Saturday morning, in order to give you a lillle time to reconsider. Today is Thursday. By Saturday" "I need no time." said Gramont. "But you will need it. I suppose you know that Bob Maillard has been arrested for parriejiieV You are aware of the vviiienee against iiiia all cir-euius! cir-euius! anii:! ! ':" i i'o ur. coNTixr i-:i. Plain's R-markabie Growth. A roeeni nolo l:i scion. -o records wliat is believe.! to be it;,. lo:np,va!e r.one record for a sinje m-:s.:i's growth of a shoot of Ihe live I; pe of woody p'.al:!. This q.lile j.ieiie:ne.! shoot grew lrom I he slump of a beheaded be-headed paiilMWiiia !!! reached a height of -1 feel 0 inches, a eireinn-fercnoe eireinn-fercnoe of 10 inches at the base, and had -I leaves, one of which, measured In late July, was found to be oS inches long in the largest dimension. that Miss Ledanois should receive the entire amount." Lucie seemed a trifle bewildered. "But but, Henry!" she exclaimed. "What do you think of selling ihe lease to these other men?" Gramont eyed the smoke from his cigar reflectively, quite conscious that Mr. Fell was regarding him very steadily. "I can't answer for you. Lucie," he said at last. "I would not presume to advise." Mr. Fell looked slightly relieved. Lucie, however, persisted. "What would you do, then, If you were in my place?" Gramont shrugged his shoulders. "In ihat case," he said, slowly, "I would gamble. We know oil is In that ground; we know that it has been found in large quantities at Houma or near there. To my mind there is no doubt whatever that under your land lies a part of the same oil field and a rich one. To sell fifteen-sixteenths of that oil for a hundred and fifty thousand thou-sand is to give it away. I would sooner take my chances on striking a twenty-thousand twenty-thousand barrel gusher and having the whole of it to myself. However, by all means disregard my words; that Is not my affair." Lucie glanced at Jachin Fell. "You think it is the best thing to do; Henry does not," mused the girl. "I know that you're both thinking of me of getting that money for me. Just the same, Uncle Jachin, I I won't be prudent! I'll gamble! Besides," she added with smiling naivete, "I'm not a bit willing to give up having a real oil company the very minute it is formed ! So we'll outvote you, Uncle Jachin." Despite their' tension, the two men smiled at her final words. "That motion of mine has not yet been made," said Fell. Her rejection of his proposal had no effect upon his shyly smooth manner. "Will you excuse ex-cuse us one moment, Lucie? If I may speak with you in the outer office, Mr. Gramont, I would like to show you some confidential matters which might influence your decision in this regard." Lncie nodded and leaned back in her chair. Gramont accompanied Fell to the outer office, where Fell sent ..the stenographer ste-nographer to keep Lucie company. When the door had closed and they were alone, Fell took a chair and motioned mo-tioned Gramont to another. A cold brusquerie was evident in his manner. man-ner. "Gramont," he said, briskly, "I am going to make that motion, and I want you to vote with me against Lucie. Unfortunately, I have only n third of the voting power. I might argue Lucie into agreement, but she is a difficult person to argue with. So I mean that you shall vote with me and I'm going to put my cards on the table before you." "Ah !" Gramont regarded him coolly. , "Your cards will have to be powerful persuaders !" "They are," returned Jachin Fell. "1 have been carefully leading up to this point the point of selling. I have practically arranged the whole affair. I propose to sell the mineral rights in that land, largely on the strength of the signed statement you gave me a few moments ago. That statement is going to be given wide publicity, and it will be substantiated by other reports re-ports on the oil seepage." "You interest me- strangely." Gramont Gra-mont leaned back in his chair. The eyes of the two men met and held in cold challenge, cold hostility. "What's your motive, Fell?" "I'll tell you : . it's the interest of Lucie Ledanois." In the gaze of Fell was a strange earnestness. In those pale gray eyes was now a light of fierce sincerity which startled and warned Gramont. Fell continued with a trace of excitement in his tone. "I've known that girl all her life. Gramont. and I love her as a father. I loved her mother before her in a different way. I can (ell you that al this moment Lucie is poor. Her house Is mortgaged, she does not know, in fact, just how poor she really is. Of course, she will accept no money from me In gift. But for her to get a hundred hun-dred and fifty thousand in a business deal will solve all her problems, sel her on her feet for life!" "I see," said Gramont with harsh impulse. "What do you get out of it?" He regretted the words instantly. Fell half rose from his chair as though . to answer them with a blow. Gramont. aware of his mistake, hastened to retract re-tract it. "Forgive me. Fell," he said, quickly. "That was an unjust insinuation, and I know- it. Yet, I can't find myself In agreement with yon. I'm firmly set in ! the belief that a fortune in oil will he made off that land of Lucie's. I simply sim-ply can't agree to sell out for a comparative com-parative pittance, ami I'll ti.-ht to persuade per-suade her against doing it ! As I look 1 at It, the thing would not be Just to her. I'm thinking, as you aie. only ; of her interest." A light of sardonic hickory glittered glit-tered in the pale eyes of Jachin Fell. "Von are l.nstrtjr your tnn oonvic-lion," oonvic-lion," he queried, "very largely upon your discovery of Ihe five oil':" "To a large extent, yes." "I thought you would," and Fel' laughed harshly. "What do you mean?" "I me::r " said ihe other, fiercely earnest, "that for a month I've worked to sell that land! I had young Maillard Mail-lard hooked and lauded it wo'.l-j have |