MARTIN PIKE KEEPS AN ENGAGEMENT
An hour later, Martin Pike, looking forth from the Mansion, saw a man open the gate, and, passing between the unemotional deer, rapidly approach the house.He was a thin young fellow, very well dressed in dark gray, his hair prematurely somewhat silvered, his face prematurely somewhat lined, and his hat covered a scar such as might have been caused by a blow from a blunt instrument in the nature of a poker.
He did not reach the door, nor was there necessity for him to ring, for, before he had set foot on the lowest step, the Judge had hastened to meet him.Not, however, with any fulsomely hospitable intent; his hand and arm were raised to execute one of his Olympian gestures, of the kind which had obliterated the young man upon a certain by-gone morning.
Louden looked up calmly at the big figure towering above him.
"It won't do, Judge," he said; that was all, but there was a significance in his manner and a certainty in his voice which caused the uplifted hand to drop limply; while the look of apprehension which of late had grown more and more to be Martin Pike's habitual expression deepened into something close upon mortal anxiety.
"Have you any business to set foot upon my property?" he demanded.
"Yes," answered Joe."That's why I came.""What business have you got with me?""Enough to satisfy you, I think.But there's one thing I don't want to do"--Joe glanced at the open door--"and that is to talk about it here--for your own sake and because I think Miss Tabor should be present.I called to ask you to come to her house at eight o'clock to-night.""You did!" Martin Pike spoke angrily, but not in the bull-bass of yore; and he kept his voice down, glancing about him nervously as though he feared that his wife or Mamie might hear.
"My accounts with her estate are closed," he said, harshly."If she wants anything, let her come here."Joe shook his head."No.You must be there at eight o'clock "The Judge's choler got the better of his uneasiness.
"You're a pretty one to come ordering me around!" he broke out."You slanderer, do you suppose I haven't heard how you're going about traducing me, undermining my character in this community, spreading scandals that I am the real owner of Beaver Beach--""It can easily be proved, Judge," Joe interrupted, quietly, "though you're wrong: I haven't been telling people.I haven't needed to--even if I'd wished.Once a thing like that gets out you can't stop it--ever! That isn't all: to my knowledge you own other property worse than the Beach;I know that you own half of the worst dens in the town: profitable investments, too.You bought them very gradually and craftily, only showing the deeds to those in charge--as you did to Mike Sheehan, and not recording them.Sheehan's betrayal of you gave me the key; I know most of the poor creatures who are your tenants, too, you see, and that gave me an advantage because they have some confidence in me.My investigations have been almost as quiet and careful as your purchases.""You damned blackmailer!" The Judge bent upon him a fierce, inquiring scrutiny in which, oddly enough, there was a kind of haggard hopefulness.
"And out of such stories," he sneered, "you are going to try to make political capital against the Tocsin, are you?""No," said Joe."It was necessary in the interests of my client for me to know pretty thoroughly just what property you own, and I think I do.
These pieces I've mentioned are about all you have not mortgaged.You couldn't do that without exposure, and you've kept a controlling interest in the Tocsin clear, too--for the sake of its influence, I suppose.Now, do you want to hear any more, or will you agree to meet me at Miss Tabor's this evening?"Whatever the look of hopefulness had signified, it fled from Pike's face during this speech, but he asked with some show of contempt, "Do you think it likely?""Very well," said Joe, "if you want me to speak here." And he came a little closer to him.
"You bought a big block of Granger Gas for Roger Tabor," he began, in a low voice."Before his death you sold everything he had, except the old house, put it all into cash for him, and bought that stock; you signed the check as his attorney-in-fact, and it came back to you through the Washington National, where Norbert Flitcroft handled it.He has a good memory, and when he told me what he knew, I had him to do some tracing; did a little myself, also.Judge Pike, I must tell you that you stand in danger of the law.You were the custodian of that stock for Roger Tabor; it was transferred in blank; though I think you meant to be `legal' at that time, and that was merely for convenience in case Roger had wished you to sell it for him.But just after his death you found yourself saddled with distillery stock, which was going bad on your hands.Other speculations of yours were failing at the same time; you had to have money--you filed your report as administrator, crediting Miss Tabor with your own stock which you knew was going to the wall, and transferred hers to yourself.Then you sold it because you needed ready money.You used her fortune to save yourself--but you were horribly afraid!
No matter how rotten your transactions had been, you had always kept inside the law; and now that you had gone outside of it, you were frightened.
