am
Conniston, Senior, of Wall Street. Conniston replied immediately and
by wire. During the three days following he received and despatched
several telegrams. Since the messages have a certain bearing upon the
Great Work, they are given below in the order in which they were
received in the Valley and despatched from it:

"WM. CONNISTON, Jr.,

"Rattlesnake Valley.

"Drop everything. Come home immediately. Your father
insists. Particulars when you arrive.

"CORLISS."

"EDW. CORLISS,

"New York.

"Can't get away. Under contract. Love to dad.

"WM. CONNISTON, Jr."

"WM. CONNISTON, Jr.

"Rattlesnake Valley.

"Smash contract. Will pay damages. Your father wants you in
New York in five days.

"CORLISS."

"EDW. CORLISS,

"New York.

"Impossible. Can make hurried trip East after October first.

"WM. CONNISTON, JR."

"WM. CONNISTON, JR.,

"Rattlesnake Valley.

"Orders imperative from your father. Cables from Paris drop
everything immediately and come home.

"CORLISS."

"EDW. CORLISS,

"New York.

"I refer you to wire of yesterday.

"WM. CONNISTON, Jr."

Then came a message which puzzled Greek Conniston more deeply than the
others had done--a message _via_ cable and telegraph and telephone
from his father himself:

"WM. CONNISTON, Jr.,

"Rattlesnake Valley.

"Come home. Leave that work alone. Start minute you get
this. Wiring you thousand dollars Crawfordsville. Corliss
will advance all you want in New York. Do as I command
immediately or I disinherit you.

"WM. CONNISTON, Sr."

"WM. CONNISTON, Jr.,

"Rattlesnake Valley.

"At your father's orders have wired thousand to you
Crawfordsville.

"CORLISS."

"EDW. CORLISS,

"New York.

"Money you wired remains subject your orders. I don't need
it. Inform dad.

"WM. CONNISTON, Jr."

When William Conniston, Junior, received the second message from
William Conniston, Senior, a swift understanding came to him, an
understanding not only of the reason for the attitude Corliss had
taken, but of what Oliver Swinnerton had had in mind when he had
talked slyly of Conniston's intentions, and had expressed his
confidence that the young superintendent was preparing to double cross
his employer.

"WM. CONNIS