Show nr isis john sma ahm is V girl IV CONCORDIA MERREL MERRE L COPYRIGHT coW WN V service CHAPTER XI continued 20 killings too good for scum like you you treacherous little beast answered jim a tone la in his voice that suggested that the volcano had bad not really begun to show its full strength A tone too that awoke ames thoroughly out of his stunned surprise ills mind cleared and he sat forward alert for the next move whatever it might lie be lie ile made no effort to interfere in any active way that he realized would be fatal it would simply lead to a general scrap all round ile he saw that his part now must be to keep a clear head bead and see that lee did macklin no real serious damage beyond that he must leave the settling 1 of the score to lee and he saw ju just st what a mighty big score it was what would would come afterwards he coul dut tell perhaps it would be ills his turn to feel the strength of that mighty list and to look into the revengeful tire of those blazing eyes but that if it should happen was for hereafter now his job plainly was wag to keep a cool head and a steady nerve and be ready for anything so he sat still outwardly calm in reality all keyed up and tensely watchful killings too good for you you little beast lee was saying again and his free fist drew back menacingly mack ila shrieked to ames are you going 1 to sit still and see me killed lies iles lying I 1 dont know anything about the theft arent you going to help me no said aid ames and his voice fell with a curious telling coldness into the fury of the scene 1 I am not going to help you macklin I 1 can see that lie he Is not lying your guilt Is as clear to me now as it if it were written to in words on your forehead lee owes you a good deal im going to let him pay it lees fist cst drew back further and the menace of it became more and more acute macklin saw that fist comin coming toward his face before it lanced landed lie he almost I st felt the smash of it on his flesh lie ile suddenly gave out a piercing shriek and again ames voice fell cool and clear through the fear and horror and fury dont hit bit him lee hes too small it was quietly said but with a tone of authority that made jim hesitate that hesitation probably saved macklin lin it if not his life at least whatever claim he had to good looks and it saved jim from a good deal more it gave him time to realize the difference in she between him and his enemy it gave him time to realize what that difference might mean it gave him time to remember that no matter what his enemy had done to him lie he might hit bit a fellow his own size but not a little cringing worm of a thing like macklin Mack llo there could be no fighting this question out to fight would be simply to kill it would be as mack biln had called it murder ills his fist trembling with the desire to do its work nevertheless fell to his big side and his hold of macklin relaxed you yon kick up such a row macklin macklen ln im not going to smash you not yet at any rate theres quite a lot for you to do first do 3 iou on understand der stand ills his voice was harsh and menacing ames nodded ills his agreement im ready to take down anything that macklin says lee he said quietly jim turned towards him quickly furiously furlou sly you realize at last that he may have something to say then he said roughly you realize that you were not so almighty infallible when you had me jailed lee said ames looking him full in the face 1 I realize it ile he drew a breath what can I 1 say he added after a moment 1 I dont want you to say anything returned turned rt lee in the same rough way your turn Is coming next im only waiting to clear my account with macklin Mackl ln your turns coming all right ames 1 I am quite ready answered ames jim turned back to macklin Mack llo now then you little beast talk ayou understand talk 11 he let go altogether of Mac macklind klins coat now and the miserable man sank to the floor with a groan jim dragged him up again threatening him with that terrible list fist 1 I will I 1 will cried macklin ln sobbing now in his abject terror you mind letting me take your punishment tor for you you watched wat clied that happen made it happen and remained spry enough now stand up d n you and take it yourself its been a long time coining to you but that mean that its ita going to Oer overlook lonk you forever stand up and take it I 1 jim was wag thundering out the ards sad nd mackun aarant down again cry ing over and over again 1 I will warrington I 1 will I 1 will im ready said ames placing a writing pad before him and taking the top off a fountain pen talk macklin Mackl ln stinking crying tears running d down own his face macklin made his confession lie ile had found the wallet jim had lost and the idea to disgrace him had arisen out of that lie ile had paid half witted billy brady to do tile the actual robbery for him lie had thought that this foolish creature would not have the wit to know what lie he had done nor to place the blame where ll it was really due cut but he had proved to be not nearly so lacking in intelligence of a sort RS as people had always thought and he had been ruthlessly blackmailing macklin ever since macklin had succeeded in hid bid ing the stolen notes from him but by means of a letter left in the roots of the now stricken elm the half wit hall had always been able to make macklin keep any appointment he chose to make and although lie he could never find out where the money was hidden hidden lie he could always ret get what N hat he wanted wo tea macklin was too much afraid of him to refuse him anything he asked in a pause in the wretched story ames asked what spite had you against warrington that you should have bae done this to him macklin hesitated the thought that he might make up some convincing lie ile even now and so make it seem that he really had had a serious grievance cr grI levonce evence against lee passed through his mind but ames sat said sternly the truth please macklin and the truth came he was ras getting on too fast threatening to get in my way I 1 meant to be e manager and I 1 saw that he meant to do me out of the job the whining voice said and ames faithfully wrote it all down when the last word of the confession had been spoken ames handed the pen to Mackl ln your name please macklin Mackl ln he be sat said and with a hand that trembled so that the signature only lust just got written macklin signed the infamous story and collapsed into a heap on the floor his overwrought nerves had taken their revenge and gone suddenly to pieces that effectively put him out of reach of jims violence for it was obvious that he was a case for a doctor now ile he was lying g on the floor to all intents and purposes lead dead but ames going to him quickly found that his big heart was beating and that his big breathing was tolerably even he picked the little man up and sat him in his chair again ring the bell and unlock the door he said to jim and jim obeyed less than twenty minutes later a doctor had seen macklin brought him to life again and had him taken to a hospital ames had bad given brief but sufficient lelent explanations pla nations and having seen the doctor olt la in charge of macklen Mackl ln came back to his office and faced jim well he said standing by the door and looking very straight at him it will be your turn next said jim slowly im prepared for that answered ames but lee may I 1 say may I 1 apologize apologize good G d words are so inadequate but listen man I 1 have let this happen for anything in the world I 1 if I 1 had bad not honestly believed that you were the man who aho lid did that rotten thing I 1 hae let it happen ills his coolness was deserting him now and ohp th wools wo ds were falling unevenly from ills his lips lee stood straight and still ills face was unmoved save for the quiver of his bis lips as lie he said for all that it did happen for all that I 1 lived three years in hell 1 I know there Is nothing that one can say bay im howled bowled over bv it I 1 am indeed that I 1 should have allowed such a thing I 1 that I 1 should have helped it to happen theres nothing I 1 can ca n say sav for myself except that I 1 acted in all good faith that do much to undo those three years does it ames said jim with a bitter sneer intile inthe words no my G d its terrible what can I 1 do to make amends you cant do anything the obvious things that tire are to he be done to clear nie me in the eyes of the file world that Is rall hll you can do and mil 01 that ill ever ask of you for tile the rest well im doing the rest anies allies im doing the rest such amends as are to be made will ill be made you may rest assured of that you are still bent on revenge still it Is a greater thing than ever it was why a whole three years of planning are only just beginning to hear bear fruit there was the cruelest crudest sort of exultation in that ames amea was as suddenly afraid as he be bad not been duriez tit all jims alm fury he was allent for a long moment then if it would be the smallest satisfaction to you lee if it would work this thing oft a i bit you may take me out into the yard and smash me the offer was made very iery quietly and quite seriously ill smash you all right answered jim but not that way that ways too eny easy for one of my strength As you said of macklin just now youre too small but ill smash you all right im understand lie ile twisted away and slammed out of the room lie ile remained in inex inn enough to be sure that macklin wag waa out of danger and that ames had put things in train to have hae him exonerated in tile the cos of the law and of the world la in general then with the memory of that last night with lucy of ill his hideous surrender to hla his passion for her and the torment of tier her baffling resistance of him lashing brain and heart and soul of him to a tempest of driving emotion lie he returned to town and to lucy she he found was at tier her fathers had been there since slie she bad left new chestor chester tempest d riven driven lie went to find tier her there III he was shown into the library the room where they had met on her party night when she came into the room and looked up at him speaking enking Bp a quiet greeting halt diffident ns as if shewerl she were not sure what had brought him tie he found his big heart knocking liard hard and ills his eyes were alight a again eala at sight of her tie lie returned her greeting without making any move nearer to her ills eyes devouring tier her face saw that she looked white and fagged bagged macklin has confessed lie he said abruptly im glad jim awfully glad she answered warmly this Is real proof ten even your cousin oliver ames has hag been good enough to express himself convinced aced of my innocence he said his big tone grim and sneering 1 I always knew be truth must come out its wonderful jim she looked loolie up at him a little wistfully as if she were mutely asking him to take take so f 04 oab U 07 r changed into silver and then burled buried it in the wood the blessings of justice even though it had come late and to let the old oil injustice be a thing of the past but the expression of those smoldering eyes held out no hope it was billy brady who knocked the clerk out under orders from macklin acklin ll billys chief madness Is a passion for silver money every time he be blackmailed money out of macklin lie got it changed into silver and then burled buried it in the wood lie ile neier neer seems to have gone back for it found more than thirty little lots and still looking iles hes under restraint of co course lIrse and will be for the rest of his life lie ile told her this story quite expressionlessly 1 I knew he safe ahe said tin im glad got him he really was utis a menace lie it if she hoped to draw him into a discussion of the affair and thus to a more friendly footing sha was disappointed for he only nodded and then asked abruptly Is your father in yes res slie she said I 1 hes ive come to tell him just juit exactly who I 1 am just exactly who it Is 11 his daughter has married he a broke in you cant she answered quietly quiet ay but with firmness my father Is 13 ill I 1 found film down with tu flu when I 1 go got t back ile he has been rattier rather bad you cant tell him now why should I 1 consider him lie he retorted did he think of me when he left me to be jailed for something I 1 hod not done you cannot tell him now was all she said ile he Is too ill 1 I intend to tell him now or at any timo time I 1 think link lit fit lie he answered brutally site she did not speak but she moved over to the door and stood before it her arms outstretched very well move me then there la Is only myself between you and him 11 lie ile stood looking at her his eyes aflame stand aside he ordered in a low voice 1 I shall not move unless you forcibly move me she replied stand aside he said again and this time he took a step toward tier her no his hands handi clenched to lists fists his face was working oddly do you want me to to lift you out of my way he asked in a shaken voice you will have to if you mean to get to my father she told him steadily tempest driven he started toward her again and again stopped slie she stood unmoving ills hands clenched and unclenched ile he strove with words that somehow he could not speak something like a cry broke from him all right then stand aside and just let me go he said at last she obeyed and he flung past her out into the hall and out into the street she heard the slam of the front door and the sound of his running steps 0 0 4 0 0 she remained at tier lier fathers house giving to the world the excuse of his big need of her in his illness but jim knew that it was to avoid himself tor for she resolutely refused to see him only he she had bad said could make her leme leaie him well he had done it she had left him and there beeme seemed d to be no chance of her coming back to him then she robbed LIM him of the triumph of telling sir john who he really was by telling him herself as soon as he was well enough to hear such news still he declared fiercely to himself that was a small part of it the smashing of Gre groshams shams was bis big chief aim and nothing on earth should make him forego that burlo during the next few weeks he found himself exonerated formally in the eyes of all the world of tiny any guilt in connection with the crime for which lie he had suffered macklin acklin Sl was wag being dealt with by the law and things were not looking too rosy for him sr john terribly upset and not fully understanding quite all there was in the situation between lucy and her husband made lery ery sincere offers of reconciliation but jims madness for revenue revenge swept him on and he would only fight groshams Gres Gre liams shams tooth and nail things began to look had bad for the old firm ames doggedly stuck to his post and did his big best but he was up against a competition that was wholly uncaring of consequences so that he be ruined Gres liams bams jim did not mind if he ruined himself in the process and hang bang it all ames said more than once getting nervy and feeling utterly at a loss as to how to counter the attack lie must be losing hand over fist if I 1 were to engage t vp build a boat for nothing hed engage to build two on the same terms ua if cant go on forever no sir john would could answer him and neither can we oliver which was only too true the biggest business in the world stand against competition of this sort ames declared TO BE CONTINUED |