e Avenue's
information, could only say that she supposed the young people were
making up for the time lost by separation and absence, and were willing
to prolong the delights sentimental of an acknowledged engagement.

But at the risk of cutting sentiment to the very bone, it must be
admitted that, after the first ardent attempt to commit Ardea to a
certain and early day, the delay was of Vincent's own making; and the
motive was basely commercial. Through Major Dabney, who was not proof
against Colonel Duxbury's blandishments at short range, however much he
might distrust them at a distance, Tom's plan of reorganization, with
the suggestion of the trusteeship for Ardea's third, had become known
to the Farleys. Thereupon ensued a conference of two held in Vincent's
room in the hotel, and sentence of extinction was passed on Tom and
Caleb.

"The ungrateful cub!" was Colonel Duxbury's indignant comment. "To use
his influence over Major Dabney to sequestrate, absolutely sequestrate,
a full third of our property!"

"Forewarned is forearmed," said the son coolly. "It's up to us to break
the slate."

"We'll do it, never fear. Just give me a little more time in which to
win public sentiment over to our side, and don't press Ardea to name the
exact day until I give the word," was the promoter's parting injunction
to his son; and Vincent trimmed his sails accordingly, as we have seen.

Planting the good seed, which was a little later to yield an abundant
harvest of public approbation sanctioning anything he might see fit to
do to the Gordons, was a congenial task to Mr. Farley; but in the midst
it was rather rudely interrupted by a belated unburdening on the part of
his first lieutenant in the South Tredegar offices.

Dyckman held his peace as long as he dared; in point of fact he did not
speak until he saw his superiors rushing blindly into the pit digged for
their feet by the astute young tyrant of the pipe foundry. If they could
have fallen without carrying him with them, it is conceivable that the
bookkeeper might have remained dumb. But their immunity was doubly his,
and the end of it was a bad quarter of an hour for him, two of them, to
be precise: the first, in which he told the president and the treasurer
the story of the missing cash-book and ledger pages and the extorted
confession, and the other, during which he sat under a scathing fire of
abuse poured on him by the younger of his two listeners. After it was
ov