Part 32 (1/2)

”I know something about that,” said the lawyer. ”A crook is never really clever. He always leaves some loophole which leads to detection. He thinks he is secure, that his disguise is impenetrable, but there is always someone watching him, closely observing his every move. And, the first thing he knows, he has walked into a trap, the handcuffs are snapped, and the electric chair looms grimly before him----”

_Crash_!

All looked up to the end of the table, where their host had broken a gla.s.s. In the act of raising the champagne to his lips the gla.s.s had slipped and broken into a thousand pieces. Helen, frightened, started from her seat.

”Are you hurt, dear?” she asked. ”There is blood on your hand.”

”No--no, it's nothing. I cut myself with a bit of gla.s.s. It's nothing.”

Ray was eager for more anecdotes.

”Do tell us more, Kenneth,” she exclaimed, interrupting her chat with her left-hand neighbor.

”Give him a breathing spell,” laughed d.i.c.k. ”We've kept him at it ever since the dinner began.”

Handsome, his face pale, his hand trembling, filled another gla.s.s with the foaming golden wine, and drained it at a draught. What the lawyer just said had been somewhat of a shock. Was there more meaning in it than appeared in the chance words? He eyed Steell narrowly, when he was not looking, but the lawyer's face was inscrutable. Again he filled his gla.s.s and again emptied it.

That her husband had been drinking heavily all evening had not escaped Helen's attention, and it worried her. Nudging her sister she whispered:

”Ken's drinking more than is good for him. He never used to drink like that.”

At that moment, the host looked up and caught Helen's eye. Raising his gla.s.s he offered a toast:

”Here's to the prettiest, the sweetest, the most desirable little woman in the world! Gentlemen and ladies--my wife!”

They all drank except Helen who, confused and annoyed, tried to turn it off with a laugh.

Noticing her embarra.s.sment, Ray made a signal to Mr. Steell and they both rose from the table. Helen and d.i.c.k quickly followed their example and the hostess led the way into the drawing-room, leaving Handsome and Mr. Parker alone to their cigars.

The president of the Americo-African Mining Company was not sorry of the opportunity which this tete-a-tete afforded for a quiet business talk.

”By the way, old man,” he began, ”we haven't had a chance to talk business yet. You've got the diamonds, of course.”

His host was silent. Mr. Parker thought he had not heard. A little louder he repeated:

”You've got the diamonds?”

Still no answer. The president began to get uneasy. Could anything be wrong or was his friend drunk? He had noticed that he had been drinking heavily--something he had never known Kenneth Traynor do.

With some impatience he said sharply: ”What's the matter, Kenneth?

Wake up, old man. I asked you a question. Can't you answer?”

Handsome brought his fist down on the table with a bang that made the gla.s.ses dance.

”D---- it!” he exclaimed angrily. ”Can't a man be left alone in his own house for a few minutes without bothering him with business?”

This outburst was so utterly unexpected that Mr. Parker, taken entirely by surprise, fell back in his chair and stared at his host in amazement. Never before had he known his old friend and partner to act in this strange way. Could anything be amiss? Now he came to think of it, he had noticed a great change in his a.s.sociate directly he saw him.

He had seemed to lack his customary cordiality and frankness. He appeared moody and morose, as if he had on his mind some weighty responsibility he was unwilling to share. Evidently there was nothing to be gained by displaying impatience, so, in more conciliatory tones, he asked:

”That's all right, my boy. If you don't care to talk shop to-night, we won't. I didn't want to hurry you. I was curious, that's all. I have scarcely been able to curb my impatience. You understand what it means to us. Why, the very announcement that we have the diamonds safe here in New York, will be enough to send the company's stock up twenty points.” Lowering his voice and bending over he added confidentially: ”I don't mind telling you that I've been buying for my own account all the cheap stock I could put my hands on. As to the stockholders, they're simply wild with impatience to see the big stones. But we won't talk any more about it to-night. We'll wait till to-morrow.”

Handsome, his face almost livid, leaned over the table. Hoa.r.s.ely, he replied: