PAIR OF ROGUES

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5872, 2 July 1890, Page 4

PAIR OF ROGUES

CHAPTER IX,

JACK MEETS A BEBTOT

Mr Nugent, who had sat perfectly passive throughout Strange's rather ordately delivered story, showed' some sign of interest when the "closing sentence was reached. " A document signed hy a dead man must he something of a cariosity," he said grimly. "I was waiting for that," replied Strange. "Smith, as I may continue to call him, was not dead when the murderer threw his body into the stream. The shock revived him, "and he crawled down Home miles until he reached a placer mining camp. Here ho was found hy the man I referred to, who took his dying deposition, had it witnessed by two miners, who are now leading citizens of 'Frisco. As he died he dictated to his rescuer a course of action which ho has carefully followed. Pursuant to that he is now in New York and has deputed me as his agent to call on the murderer." " And the murderer is—?" " David Nugent, owner of the happily named - Lucky Shot Mine,' formerly known as James Horton, but who assumed tho name by which John Houston, nicknamed Dandy Dave, chose to he known by when he livsd and—died in California."

Thero was a pause and then Nugent, as he may continue to bo called, said simply and without a trace of emotion :

" Have you any proofs?" '•Would I have spoken unless I had? More than enough for indiotment anyway, and that ia all that is necessary for my purpose." " Which purpose, to givo it a plain name is blackmail." '* Call it so if you will." "What does your mysterious principal want ?" " Nothing for himself. He will not appear in the matter." "Why not?" " That I can't tell you. I believe he has scruples." " Oh—a blackmailer with scruples? That's something new. Well, Mr Strange, I accept your terms." Lemuel could not keep the look of gratification out of his eyes. " But I -want you to understand this. I. am not one whit afiaid of you or any other living man, end I do not fight in this easo only because I do not care to for one thing, aud I think it altogether to my interest not to for onother. I have always thought well of you, Strange, but only as one think of a servant. Now that by your own skill and audacity you have raised yourself to my level I respect you. We are both of us rascals, Strange, and I think you aro the bigger scoundrel of the two. Now that this is all settled, let us say no more ahoii: it. Matters here, of course, will go on in the usual way, only you will, instead of a salary, draw a sixth of the yearly profits," and Mr Nugeni rose as if he had concluded

one of tho least, important business trans

nctious of his busy life. At this moment thero was a tup at tho door and tho junior clerk entered and laid ;i card before Mr

Nugent. " Tell Mr Houston I will see him in a moment," said he, and the clerk vanished. "There is one thing more I have to May to you, Strange, Nugent continued ; " I will go so far as t,o tell my daughter that I won't allow her to marry Houston, of whom I think i-he is growing fond. That I should havo done, as you may imagine, under any circumstances, and I may possibly tell her that I shall bo pleased if sho niar-

rics you ; but beyond this I t-hall not go. Now go and toll young Houston t" come in," and Strange went, for the habits growing out of the old relationship of muster nnd cervnnt, which had existed for so many

years, could not be laid aside in an instant. " Good morning, Mr Houston," said Nugent blandly when Jack, looking somewhat embarrassed, was ushered in. " What can I do for you?"

"If you can spare me a few minutes of your time, Mr Nugent," stammered Jack, " I shall be obliged—l—'vo a matter of importance to talk to you about." " Certainly, Mr Houston. I can give you," taking out his watch, "just eleven minutea. Will that bo sufficient ?" "Oh yes—yes—" said poor Jack, " ample, Mr Nugent, ample. The f<ict ia —I—I—that is to say—Miss Grace and I—" aud he came to a full stop and looked appealiugly at the coarse-featured man of business who sat there impassively waiting for him to continue. " Well, you see, Mr Nugent,-" began Jack again, with the .ssurage born of deiporation, "I've admired your daughter Graco for a long time —ever since I can remember, in face —and I think—in fact, I know—she's fond of me," and he paused again. " Well, sir F" was the not very encouraging response. *■ Well, you see, I came to ask you— Look here, Mr Nugent," and the manly friiuknesj which was one of his characteristics returned to the lad, " I love Graco and she loves mo, and I want to ask your permission to marry her." " Oh, you want my permission, eh ?

Then, Mr Houston, I am afraid you will want —for that permiusion I shall never give." Jack felt as if ha had been struck in the face, so unexpected was this coarselyphrased refusal. " But, Mr Nugent—" he began. " ' But me no buU,' as the man in the play says, Mr Houston. It's no use discussing the subject, for no discussion will alter my position ; I don't want you to marry my daughter, and if I can prevent it you shall not. I need not say that after to-day I trust you will not trouble yourself to call at my house." " You suioly must havo some reason for this sudden determination," said Jack, "for I need not point out to you that tho intimacy which exists between my aunt Mrs Vanderveer, and Miss Nugent, as well as 3'our own conduct towards myself, led mo to expect a v»ry different answer to my request."

"I have my reasons, of course," said Nugent, " but I do not think it would help matters should I make them known to you. I may mention, though, that I have to-day taken Mr Strange, a most worthy young

man, into partnership with me, and it i.-, not unlikely that he will some day bo my son-in-law as well. And now I have some important business to attend to, so you must excuse mo." Ho touohed his electrio bell once more and Strange entered the

room, passing Jack with a look of only halfcoucealod triumph. The latter, almost dazed at the sudden shattering of his hopes, and as yet unable to comprehend what it all meant, rose from his ceat and without a word walked slowly out of tho office. " Thero (joes a young fellow worth fifty of you or me, Strange," said Nugent, "and I've treated him as if he were a nigger." " H'mm," snarled Lemuel, "you'd treat me in tho same way, or worse, if you dared."

" Certainly. But you see I don't dare," replied Nugent. Jack, instead of descending to tho itrcet when ho left the office, stepped on the elevator and was whirled up to the seventh etory of the huge building. Hero ho knocked at a door inarksd No. 108, but bearing no other sign, and when he heard a deep voice roar " Come in " he turned the handle and found himself in a large but plainly furnished apartment, in which the owmr of the voice, who was none other than Harold Proudfoot, was sitting scribbling for dear life at a table littered with books and papers. It -as a whim of Prondfoot's that a newspaper man should not live too far from the centre of his work, and as he said he never knew when he might bo wanted in the ottice he had taken a couple of rooms at the top of this tall office building, furnished one as a bedroom, the other as a study, aud here he spent a majority of the hourß which he did not devote to actual office work. He went on writing, as though no one were present, for live minutes after Jack's entrance, and then, throwing down his pen, turned to his friend and said, " What's wroii"''''" In us few words as possible Houston explained the position of affairs to },!,;, and" ended by asking his advice. •• You laughed at mo tho night before last, growled Proudfoot, " when [ said your mine-owning friend had put his foot into it some time, and that his clerk was a rascal, but perhaps 1 was right after all." «' What makes you think that ?"

" Why, any one with a grain of common sense would see that old Nugent has in aonie way put himself in Strange's power, and if you want to marry Miss Nugent 1 advise you to put yourself on equal terms -,ith your rival by finding out Nugent's BCiJrut."

(TO BE COHTINL-ED)