Part 2 (1/2)

”See here!” he begged. ”We can fix this!”

”Fix it?” said the reporter. ”Not with me, you can't.” He turned to the door and found Garrett barring his exit. He halted, fell back on his heels, and straightened his shoulders. For the first time they saw how tall he was.

”Get out of my way,” he said. The butler hesitated and fell back. Lee walked into the hall.

”I'll leave you gentlemen to fight it out among you,” he said. ”It's a better story than I thought.”

As he descended to the floor below, the men remained motionless. The face of Judge Gaylor seemed to have grown older. When the front door closed, he turned and searched the countenance of each of his companions. The butler had dropped into a chair muttering and beating his fist into his open palm.

Gaylor's voice was hardly louder than a whisper. ”Is this true?” he asked.

Like a cur dog pinned in a corner and forced to fight, Rainey snarled at him evilly. ”Of course it's true,” he said.

”You've let these people see him!” cried Gaylor. ”After I forbade it?

After I told you what would happen?”

”He would see them,” Rainey answered hotly. ”Twas better I chose them than--”

Gaylor raised his clenched hands and took a sudden step forward. The Doctor backed hastily against the library table. ”Don't you come near me!” he stammered. ”Don't you touch me.”

”And you've lied to me!” cried Gaylor. ”You've deceived me. You--you jailbirds--you idiots.” His voice rose hysterically. ”And do you think,”

he demanded fiercely, ”I'll help you now?”

”No!” said the butler.

The word caught the Judge in the full rush of his anger. He turned stupidly as though he had not heard aright. ”What?” he asked. From the easy chair the butler regarded him with sullen, hostile eyes.

”No!” he repeated. ”We don't think you'll help us. You never meant to help us. You've never thought of any one but yourself.”

The face of the older man was filled with reproach.

”Jim!” he protested.

”Don't do that!” commanded the butler sharply. ”I've told you not to do that.”

The Judge moved his head slowly in amazement. The tone of reproach was still in his voice.

”I thought you could understand,” he said. ”It doesn't matter about him.

But you! You should have seen what I was doing!”

”I saw what you were doing,” the butler replied. ”Buying stocks, buying a country place. You didn't wait for him to die. What were we getting?”

With returning courage, Rainey nodded vigorously.

”That's right, all right,” he protested. ”What were we getting?”

”What were you getting?” demanded Gaylor, eagerly. ”If you'd only left him to me, till he signed the new will, you'd have had everything. It only needs his signature.”

”Yes,” interrupted Garrett contemptuously; ”that's all it needs.”

”Oh, he'd have signed it!” cried Gaylor. ”But what's it worth now!