is own kite, do you?"

"What do you mean?" demanded Shirley, mystified.

"Simply this--that John Burkett Ryder is the very man who is
responsible for all your father's misfortunes."

The girl sank back in her seat pale and motionless, as if she had
received a blow. Was it possible? Could Jefferson's father have
done them such a wrong as this? She well knew that Ryder, Sr., was
a man who would stop at nothing to accomplish his purpose--this
she had demonstrated conclusively in her book--but she had never
dreamed that his hand would ever be directed against her own flesh
and blood. Decidedly some fatality was causing Jefferson and
herself to drift further and further apart. First, her father's
trouble. That alone would naturally have separated them. And now
this discovery that Jefferson's father had done hers this wrong.
All idea of marriage was henceforth out of the question. That was
irrevocable. Of course, she could not hold Jefferson to blame for
methods which he himself abhorred. She would always think as much
of him as ever, but whether her father emerged safely from the
trial in the Senate or not--no matter what the outcome of the
impeachment proceedings might be, Jefferson could never be
anything else than a Ryder and from now on there would be an
impassable gulf between the Rossmores and the Ryders. The dove
does not mate with the hawk.

"Do you really believe this, that John Ryder deliberately
concocted the bribery charge with the sole purpose of ruining my
father?" demanded Shirley when she had somewhat recovered.

"There is no other solution of the mystery possible," answered Stott.
"The Trusts found they could not fight him in the open, in a fair,
honest way, so they plotted in the dark. Ryder was the man who had
most to lose by your father's honesty on the bench. Ryder was the man
he hit the hardest when he enjoined his Transcontinental Railroad.
Ryder, I am convinced, is the chief conspirator."

"But can such things be in a civilized community?" cried Shirley
indignantly. "Cannot he be exposed, won't the press take the
matter up, cannot we show conspiracy?"

"It sounds easy, but it isn't," replied Stott. "I have had a heap
of experience with the law, my child, and I know what I'm talking
about. They're too clever to be caught tripping. They've covered
their tracks well, be sure of that. As to the newspapers--when did
you ever hear of them championing a man when he's down?"

"And you, father--do y