CHAPTER XXXII.—(CONTINUED)

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1583, 26 August 1882, Page 1 (Supplement)

CHAPTER XXXII.— ( CONTINUED)

Hector walked into the next room where he had left Obadiah Sweetcomfort. He left some misgiving as to how that gentleman would receive the intelligence, which no doubt had been imparted to him by Mr White. His doubts were at once set at rest when he looked at Obadiah. He was pacing up and down the room as if in great agitation, and when he turned his face to Hector it was perfectly diabolical in expression. " A nice thing this, Mr Macinnis," ho said, his shrill harsh voico considerably acidulated. "You call yourself my friend. Indeed ! You heard me speak of this girl to-day, yet you never said a word, you hypocrite. And all this, after ' -what I have ddne for you, you ungrateful wretch. Who put you in at the head of the poll ? Who worked day and night for you with thr miners ? Who sold hiui"eelfto be sold again? Obadiah Sweetcomfort," 11 ""This is no language to use to me, Bit," said Hector, his eyes flashing. < "Oh! no, no," said Obadiah, with a sort of mock humility, " not at all. You've mounted to fame and power on the ladder, and now you would kick it into the mud. But, remember, Mr Macinnis, that those who placed you on ,ithe pinfcaole have the power to ca.st you down again. I might have forgiven you nefttjtmng but this— to rob me of the woman I love, after all that I have done to gain her. You don't love her as I do." " No, indeed ; there is no comparison," said Hector, haughtily. "No comparison," said Obadiah, his voice rising to a screaming falsetto ; "no comparison. 0, no ! your high mightiness. What have you done to gain her ? And what have I done ? I have done what, if you heard it, would make your face pale, would make you shrink with horror. I have schemed and planned and sinned to obtain her — I, who was thought to be so religious and gcod. And, now that I thought the path was smooth, and the most dangerous opponent out of the xoad, you start up and cut the ground from under my feet. Hector Mncinnis, you don't know me; if you did you would be afraid to do what you have done. You will never marry that girl." " Pooh ! pooh !" said Hector ; "this is the height of folly on your part, ' Obadiah. Bertha would never have you if there were only you two in f he world." "Wouldn't she?"' said Obadiah, coming close up to Hector, and thrusting his ugly face close to his. M You don't know half what I do. Do you think I ■ have schemed in the dark. Just let me tell you something that will open your eyes, clever as you imagino yourself. You think that Mr Whito is a rich man. Well, I tell you he's nothing of the kind. After he gave up mining he entered into speculation as a merchant, and as he knew nothing about the business, of course he made most miserable mistakes, 1 and if he's not ruined he's very near it. I tell you I found this out, and bought np mortgages and bills of his in order to effectually have him in my power. And then it only needed a little pressure to ' bring him down on his knees and to make him give me that proud girl. Why is he giting her to you ? Because he thinks you will aid him, and take him out ©f the mire into which he has fallen. He *'^?ould have done the same thing to me, J^bnly you, enrse you, came in and spoiled ' Hector smiled. He felt almost glad, for if the case was as represented he had •absolute power over Bertha. ■i "Bnt you won't be able to do it," said Obadiab, wickedly, " it will take a richer ■''man than you to extricate him from his 1 ■ difficulties. If you marry that girl I will came down and buy every bill and mortgage that is out, and ruin Mr White irre--trievably." '• ■ "I don't see what good that will do." ' Baid Hector, nonchalently. " I suppose "'Mr 'White can go insolvent like any other merchant, and then I could easily 1 " place him in a position to resume busi"rieas if he likes, although now he is grow- ■ ing old he will bo satisfied without speculation!" wi ?j« '-He'll wanfc you to sustain him," said , Obadiah. ' ' He' wouldn't have his name > diiKdnoured for the-world.'? X a ," Well, suppose Ldo it ?<ipwaa the inh 'te'wogatory ' reply." '"hi Obadiah fairly gnashed his teeth witt ■-' ratfe.' He saw no means wherewith te n't jbntnble his foe. jr ' - "Hector "MacinniH," he said at last, recovered - his - breath 'PU.notfaxngpU* will do li,will t unvei -«Wbutt/pMfc.' Ufe r You, know yours hai " wen a daric career. It shall be known t< Bertha sod her father before this day ii

" They know all," said Hector, calmly. " They don't know all," said Obadiah, frantically. "And what do you know?" asked Hector. " That you hare been, that you are, an incarnate devil," was the reply. " These are generalities. Come to particulars," said Hector. Obadiah felt as if he could tear this cool, mocking man to pieces. He knew too well that whatever were his suspicions he had nothing positive to bring forward. "You know nothing," said Hector, contemptuously, <( and as you have chosen to take up the other side and become my enemy, take it. I can be happy without you." " Look here," said Obadiah, who was perfectly livid with rage, "I will go to Grit this very day, seek out Jack, and sell to him all the securities I hold. Then he will come down, and at once show Mr "White the power he holds, and the result need not be doubted for a moment. Bertha will throw the balance into the scale and your end will kick the beam." " The result can be doubted," hastily replied Hector. " Mr AVhite will not have anything to do with Bunakum's son. I know too much of their past history for that ; and Bertha herself has forever cast Jack off, because he was unfaithful. And besides, Mr Obadiah Sweetcomfort, you wouldn't do it f " "And why wouldn't I doit?" screamed Obadiah. " Because you hate him,' 1 said Hector in a low tone ; " because, if you coultl, you would kill him for his youth, his beauty, and this success. No, no, don't come to me with such idle tales. You hate me now : but you hate Jack Mcldon a thousandfold more." Obadiah stood like one that had been petrified— his face distorted with passion. Then as if unable to stand his torture any longer, he took up his bat and rushed frantically out of the house. "Gone!"' said Hector. "He can do nothing." "I have gained her consent at last," said Mr White, who anteied ju&t at that moment. There were signs of excessive agitation in his face. " I had a great battle ; but it is over now, and I have ordered the carriage so that we can go to Alston and Brown to select the trousseau." Obadiah passed out of the villa in a state bordering on insanity. Foiled on every hand. In vain he racked his scheming mind for some plan, wherewith to disconcert hie enemy, but none appeared. He felt as if he could tako a revolver and blow out his brains. At times the wildest schemes entered his head, only to be dismisbed when the large fund of common sense of which he was possessed came to his rescue. While careering madly along the side path he almost knocked down a bent and haggard woman, dresbed in rags, who was walking along it. He glanced at hor. Was it possible ? Yes, there was Mrs. Macinnis. Prudence M'Cruath, the woman who had met Jack at the Parliament House, although he failed to recognise her. Indeed, this was not strange, for anyone who had known the handsome barmaid of former days, would not remember her ia this fearful creature, so withered, decrepit and decayed.