The Ironmaster's Daughter.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8290, 19 November 1906, Page 2

The Ironmaster's Daughter.

CHAPTER XX.—Continued

Chris Stanley scowled at him. " That's all very pretty and diplomatic. You cunning and cowardly rogues always do get other people to do your dirty work for you." He paced the length of the room. "No I'm not going to trust to your rioters altogether. I'm going to work myself. The mob may make a start at the right time, and it may be stopped by the police, or by Dick Tressidy himself. He's the fellow to face 'em with six shooters, and cow 'em till it's too late for the damage that we want done. If the rioters did do the trick, they'd tackle us as well, - while the lust was on 'em. As for a pi\ perly organised strike, things are not ripe for it. Tressidy's men won't strike." He's got some profit-sharing scheme in his nut, and the men are wild with joy. No, I tell you, he s beaten us at f every point, and you know it, and it's only a matter of time till we are crowded out. • A life's-hard work and hard scheming gone ! " He dashed his fist upon the table, and sobbed: "But for your accursed and lying promises, Isaacs, I should have kept on in my own way." " Petty thieving," sneered Isaacs. "You represented that you were a wealthy man, while you were trading on bounce and lies. A few paltry thousands were magnified into a million." J . "Feeble and useless recriminations." "Let's keep to-the point,"pleaded Mr Weeks. Stanley resumed his pacing for a few minutes ; then he continued : ■ "'lt is a sijnple matter to get into the works next door. I was going to get in at night, and dynamite the machinery. My daughter will keep me posted as regards Tressidy's movements, and all else. And I can find at least one man to assist me—my daughter's lover—Duke Deverell." Both Isaacs and Weeks became unearthly pale " Duke Deverell —my political agent ?" " Your what ? " sneered Stanley. " I'introduced him to you to incite men to smash Dick Tressidy. Your political agent! He's a clever fel-low-—been through a revolution in Chili, and knows all about bombs and dynamite." There was a long silence. Mr Weeks was shivering, and Mr Isaacs smile had frozen into a distortion of the muscles. Stanley was glaring at both alternately. "It appears feasible," purred Isaacs at last. "But the details must be well considered. The tracks must be well concealed. The shrewdest effort at deduction must fail utterly. We are acting purely upon self-de-fense Here is a man endowed with youth, strength, riches, genius, who. avowedly sets himself the task of ruining us—starving us—killing us! Yes, gentlemen, he is taking away our very lives by slow torture —by the most fiendish cruelty that can be imagined. I conceive it no moral sin to disarm him, and once he is disarmed the danger ceases. But we must not forget the legal aspect of the case—we must not ignore the penalty of discovery. Stanley, 'is • your daughter to be trusted ? " "To the end. She believes in her father, and she loves the man who will do the lion's share of the work: His reward is her hand, and an interest in this business." He uttered the last words defiantly but neither Isaacs nor Weeks challenged his right to admit a fourth partner. "I will draw up the scheme in 1 detail," continued Stanley, "and we will discuss it and elaborate it. Duke Deverell will also be admitted to our councils. He knows fifty times as much about the business as I do. He knows almost as much as you do, Isaacs, with this difference—he is not afraid to work actively." The senior partner gazed at him reproachfully, but his smile had returned. "I actually begin to admire you, Stanley," he said. "Your monumental cheek, I mean, and your; remarkable enterprise. I really don't think that I havo estimated you at your true value until now, There should be an era of prosperity before us yet. There certainly cannot be two Tressidys in the field." "Bah ! While you are vapouring —one on the platform, and one in the pulpit—Chris Stanley and his daughter, are working! This day week will show you something practicable —or we may call an extraordinary meeting." " Yes," said Isaacs. "My automobile is at the door. Good morning, gentlemen." CHAPTER XXI. DUKE DEVERELL. Events were moving apace ; It was two weeks since Mr Benson hatl-'taken his holiday, and Dick had been' putting in full time at the work's; From eight o'clock in the morning till seven or eight in the evening he toiled, and he discovered in Miss Craven an efficient and intelligent assistant. Now that Pauline was away, he preferred to work long and hard; it helped to vanquish time

Bv OWEN MASTERS. Author of Cli/rta's Love Dream," ii Nina's .Repentance "Her Soldier Lover,'' '-The Mystery of Woodcroft," f( For Love of Marjorie," etc. P'Tiie Ironmasters Daughter " was commenced on October 17tli.]

"Another week," lie wrote to Paulino. "And it seems like an eternity. Then I. shall fetch you home, and we will be married at once, darling, even if yon arc a Hottentot by birth, and all your relations have perished while dancing in the air! Busy ? You should see the white man labour! I have now twelve hundred hands, and yet cannot keep pace with the orders. You see, dear one thanks to your money, and the up-to-dateness of our appliances, I turn out better work than my rivals—quicker work—cheaper work. lam not gaining the goodwill of the ironmasters here, nor of the great body of $p called workmen, but my own people are loyal enough. I think, too, that my revengeful feelings towards Lucas Isaacs & Co. are changing to pity. The duel between us is too one-sided. There's no sport. They attempted reprisals by tampering with one of my ladyclerks, but that has fizzled out I don't know why this young lady acted as she did, but I am convinced that she has repented. Now don't you think that I have been remarkably long-hiffering to consent to your Quixotic absence, and the penalties attached ? What Frank Stark cares to write, or to say, will not influence a millionth part of a fraction. You have only written to me twice in two weeks, and Enys has had five or six letters ! It is Wednesday, and next Wednesday I shall make a dash South, and ho ! for Brighton, and my beautiful Pauline," [to 13E continued.]