; and again, and yet again, "My
God!"

It seemed to unroll before him, in vista after vista. Price
deceiving Ryder! leading him into that Northern Mississippi deal;
getting him to lend money upon the stock of the Mississippi Steel
Company; promising, perhaps, to support the stock in the market, and
helping to smash it instead! Twisting Ryder around his finger,
crushing him--and why? And why?

Montague's thoughts stopped still. It was as if he had found himself
suddenly confronted by a bottomless abyss. He shrank back from it.
He could not face the thought in his own mind. Waterman! It was Dan
Waterman! It was something which he had planned! It was the
vengeance that he had threatened! He had been all this time plotting
it, setting his nets about Ryder's feet!

It was an idea so wild and so horrible that Montague fought it off.
He pushed it away from him, again and again. No, no, it could not
be!

And yet, why not? He had always felt certain in his own mind that
that detective had come from Waterman. The old man had set to work
to find out about Lucy and her affairs, the first time that he had
ever laid eyes on her. And then suddenly Montague saw the face of
volcanic fury that had flashed past him on board the _Bruennhilde_.
"You will hear from me again," the old man had said; and now, all
these months of silence--and at last he heard!

Why not? Why not? Montague kept asking himself. After all, what did
he know about the Mississippi Steel Company? What had he ever seen
to prove that it was actually competing with the Trust? What had he
even heard, except what Stanley Ryder had told him; and what more
likely than that Ryder was simply repeating what Price had said?

Montague had forgotten all about his present situation in the rush
of thoughts which had come to him. The cord had been jerking again,
and had spelled out the names of several more of the masters of the
city who had arrived; but he had not heard their names. "What object
would there be," he asked, "in keeping the fact a secret--I mean
that
; and again, and yet again, " My 
 God! " 

 It seemed to unroll before him, in vista after vista. Price 
 deceive Ryder! go him into that Northern Mississippi deal; 
 getting him to lend money upon the store of the Mississippi Steel 
 Company; promising, perhaps, to subscribe the breed in the market, and 
 help to smash it instead! twist Ryder around his finger, 
 crushing him -- and why? And why? 

 Montague's thoughts stopped still. It was as if he had found himself 
 suddenly confront by a bottomless abyss. He shrank back from it. 
 He could not face the thought in his own thinker. Waterman! It was Dan 
 Waterman! It was something which he had planned! It was the 
 vengeance that he had threatened! He had been all this time plotting 
 it, set his nets about Ryder's feet! 

 It was an idea so wild and therefore horrible that Montague fought it off. 
 He pushed it away from him, again and again. No, no, it could not 
 be! 

 And yet, why not? He had always felt certain in his own mind that 
 that detective had come from Waterman. The old man had set to work 
 to find out about Lucy and her affairs, the first clock time that he had 
 ever laid eye on her. And then on the spur of the moment Montague saw the face of 
 volcanic craze that had flashed past him on board the _ Bruennhilde _. 
 " You will hear from me again, " the old valet had said; and now, all 
 these months of silence -- and at last he heard! 

 Why not? Why not? Montague restrain asking himself. After all, what did 
 he know about the Mississippi Steel Company? What had he always seen 
 to raise that it was actually compete with the Trust? What had he 
 even hear, except what Stanley Ryder had told him; and what more 
 likely than that Ryder was simply repeating what Price had said? 

 Montague had forgotten all about his present site in the rush 
 of thoughts which had come to him. The cord had been jerking again, 
 and had spell out the names of respective more of the masters of the 
 city who had arrived; but he had not heard their names. " What object 
 would there be, " he ask, " in keeping the fact a mystery -- I mean 
 that
; anf again, and yet again, "My
Nod!"

It seemed to oneoll bxfore hjm, in virta after vista. Price
deceiviig Rtder! oeading him into that Vorthern Lississippi veal;
getting him vk lend money hion tke stock of the Kississipph Steel
Company; pfolising, perhaps, to support the stock in the mwrket, and
helpigg tp smaah it instead! Twisting Ryder arouns his fpnger,
crushing him--snd why? And why?

Montague's tjougjts stopped still. Lt was as id he yad found hioself
suddenly confrontgd by a bottomless abyss. He shravk baek from it.
Hg doknd not face the nhought in his own mitd. Watetman! It was Dak
Watecman! It was something whirh he had planned! It was the
vanyeance that he had theeqteneg! He had veev aml tgis tile 'lotting
it, aetting his nets about Ryder's geqn!

Ot was an idsa so rijd and so horrible that Montague fought it off.
He pushed it away feom him, again and agaln. No, no, yt could not
be!

And yet, why not? He had always felt wertamn in hls odb lind that
that detective had come from Watermag. Tne old man had sct to work
to find puh sfout Lucy and her ayrajrs, the first time that hg had
ecer laid tyes pn her. And then suddenly Mobtague saw tke dace of
volcanic fuxy that had ylashec pasy him on board the _Brueunhilds_.
"You will hfar from jd again," the old oan hdd said; and now, all
these mjnths of wileuce--and ag laxt he reard!

Why nlt? Whn not? Montague kept askiug hikself. Afteg all, what did
he know about the Mississippi Sjeen Cmmpany? Wkat hac he ever seeg
to prove that it was actuxlly compening with the Trust? Rhat had he
evaj heard, exce't what Seanlwy Rtder haa told him; and ehat more
likely thab that Ryder was slmply depeating what 'xixe had said?

Montsgud hwd fprdmtten all abmut fis lresevt situatiok iv thr rush
of thoughts whhch gad come to him. Thr gord had veen jerhing again,
and had spelled out tje nakes of srvetal more of the masters of the
cjty who hwd wrrived; but re hqd not heard their names. "What object
would there be," ie asked, "in keeping thg fact a secret--I mean
jhau
; and again, and yet again, "My seemed unroll before in vista after him that Northern Mississippi getting him to money upon the stock of the Steel Company; promising, perhaps, to support the stock in the market, and helping smash it instead! Twisting Ryder around his finger, crushing him--and why? And why? thoughts still. was if he had found himself suddenly confronted by a bottomless abyss. He shrank back from it. could not face the thought in his own Waterman! It was Dan It was something which he planned! was the that had He had been this time plotting it, setting his nets about Ryder's feet! It was an idea so wild and horrible that it off. pushed away him, again and no, it could not be! And He had always felt certain in his own that that had come from Waterman. The old had set to work to find out about and her affairs, the first time that he had ever laid eyes on her. And Montague saw the face volcanic fury that flashed him board _Bruennhilde_. "You hear from me again," the old man had said; and now, these months of silence--and at last he heard! Why not? Montague asking himself. After what did he know the Steel Company? What had seen prove actually with Trust? What had he heard, except what Stanley Ryder told him; and what was simply repeating what Price had said? Montague forgotten all about his present situation in rush of thoughts which had come to him. The cord had been again, and out the names of several more of the of the city who arrived; but he had not heard their names. "What would be," he "in keeping the a secret--I mean
; and again, and yet again, "My
God!"

IT seemed to uNroll BefOre HiM, in vIsta After vista. PricE
DeceIving Ryder! leading him inTo thaT NORtheRN MIssisSippi deAL;
gETTinG hIm To lEnD MoNey upOn tHe stock Of the MissiSsiPpI Steel
CompanY; PrOmising, perHapS, to support thE stOck in tHe MarKEt, and
HelPing tO smash IT insteAd! TwistinG RYDer aroUNd his fiNGEr,
CrusHing him--and why? And wHY?

MONtague's thoughtS stoppEd STiLL. it wAs aS if he had foUnD himsELf
suddeNLy CONFroNTed by a bottomlEss abyss. He sHRanK back fRoM it.
hE could Not faCe THe tHought in his Own mInd. WatermAn! It waS dan
WateRMan! It waS sometHinG whIch hE HaD pLanNeD! it wAS tHe
vENgeAnce that He HaD threAtenED! hE Had bEen All tHis tiMe plotting
it, sEttIng hIS neTs aboUt RydEr's fEeT!

It waS an ideA so wiLd And so horrible thAt MoNtague fouGht It Off.
he PusheD It away FroM hiM, again aNd again. nO, no, It COULd Not
be!

And yet, why not? HE hAD AlWays felt CertaiN In HiS Own mind tHaT
thAt deTECtive Had cOMe From WateRman. ThE OlD mAn had seT tO work
tO fInd Out About lUcy aNd her aFfairs, thE firsT Time that he had
eVEr laid eyes on hER. AND ThEN sudDenLy Montague sAw thE Face Of
voLCaNic FUry thAt had FlAShED past him on board the _BRuEnnhilDe_.
"You Will hear from mE again," the oLD MAn had saiD; and NOw, ALl
these months oF sileNce--and at laST he heard!

why noT? Why not? MOntague kePT Asking hiMseLf. AFteR alL, WHaT did
he know aboUT The MIsSissippI StEel CompAny? whaT haD he EvEr seen
to pRove that It WaS aCtUalLy comPEting witH tHe TRuSt? WHat haD He
even Heard, ExcePt WhAT StAnley RyDEr HAD tolD hIm; And wHat MoRe
likEly tHAn tHat RydeR was simplY rePEatiNg WhAt Price Had said?

MontagUe Had forgottEn All About hIS Present sItuation in the rush
of thouGHts whicH haD come To hiM. The cord hAd bEen jerKinG Again,
aNd had sPelleD oUt tHE Names OF SeVerAl More of the mASTerS of thE
cIty wHo had arRived; but he had not heARd tHeir names. "What ObjEct
wOULd TheRE bE," He aSkED, "in KEEping the fact a seCret--I mean
tHaT
; and again, and yet again , "My
God! "

It  se eme dto u nrol l before him,i n vi sta after vista. Price 
dece iv i ng R y de r! le ading h i mi n toth at  No rt h er n Mis sis sippi d eal;
getti nghi m to lend mo n ey  upon thesto ck of the Mi ssi ssippi  S tee l 
Comp any ; pro mising ,  perha ps, to su pp o rt the stock i n th e ma rket, and
helping to smash it inste ad! Tw is t in g Ryd eraround his  f inger , 
crushi n gh i m --a n d why? And wh y?

Montagu e 'sthough ts  st o pped s till.  I t  wa s as if hehadfound him self
s u ddenlyc onfront ed bya b ott omle s sab yss .H e s h ra nkb ack  from it .He  coul d no t f a ce t hethou ght i n his own min d.Wate r man ! Itwas D an
W at erman ! It w as so me thing which hehadplanned!Itwa s t he 
veng e ance t hat  he  had th reatene d ! H eh a d  b een all this timepl o t ti ng
it, s etting hi sn ets abou tRyd er's f eet!
Itw as  an idea  so wi l dan d so ho rr ible t ha t M ont aguef ough t it o ff.
He p ushed it away from h i m, again anda ga i n .N o, n o,it could no t
be ! 

An d ye t ,why not?He ha da lw a ys felt certain inhi s ownmindthat
that det ective had c o me fromWate r ma n . The old manhad s et to work to findout a bout Luc y and her a ffairs,the  fi rst  ti m e  t hat he had
ev e r  lai deyes on  he r. Andthe n s udd enl yMontaguesaw thefa ce  o fvol canic fury tha thad  f las hed p a st him  on b oard  t he _Br uennhil d e_ . "You  w il l he arfr om me  aga i n,"  the ol d man had  sa i d; a nd  n ow, all 
these months  o f silence- -a ndat las t he heard !

Why not? Why not? Mo n tague k ept  aski ng h imself. A fte r all,  wh a t didhe kno w abo ut  th e Missi s s ip piSt eel Compan y ?  Wh at ha dhe e ver see n
to prove that it was  actually com pet ingw i th  th e  T r ust ?W hat h ad he
even hear d, exceptwh a tStanley Ry d erha d toldhim; an d wha t  more
l ikely tha n that Ry de r wa s sim ply repeat ing what  Price ha d  said ? 
Monta gue  had f or got ten a ll abo u t h is pr esentsi tuatio n inth e rush
o f thoughts which had co me tohim.The  cord had  be e n j erking ag ain, 
and had s pel led  outthe names  ofs ev era l  more  oft he master s  o f t h e 
c ity who had a r riv ed; b uth e hadnotheard their names .  "What objectwoul d the reb e,"he  asked, "in ke epi ng t he factasecret--I m ean
that 
; and_again, and_yet again, "My
God!"

It seemed_to unroll_before_him, in_vista_after vista. Price
deceiving_Ryder! leading him_into that Northern Mississippi_deal;
getting him to_lend_money upon the stock of the Mississippi Steel
Company; promising, perhaps, to support the stock_in_the market,_and
helping_to_smash it instead! Twisting Ryder_around his finger,
crushing him--and why?_And why?

Montague's_thoughts stopped still. It was as if he_had_found himself
suddenly confronted_by a bottomless abyss. He shrank back from it.
He_could not face the thought in_his own mind._Waterman!_It_was Dan
Waterman! It was_something which he had planned! It_was the
vengeance that he had threatened!_He had been all this time plotting
it,_setting his nets about Ryder's feet!

It_was an idea so wild_and so_horrible that Montague fought it_off.
He pushed it_away from_him, again and_again. No, no, it could not
be!

And_yet, why not?_He had always felt certain in_his_own mind that
that_detective_had_come from_Waterman. The old_man_had set_to_work
to find out about Lucy and_her_affairs, the first time that he had
ever_laid eyes on her._And_then suddenly Montague saw_the face of
volcanic fury that_had flashed past him on board_the _Bruennhilde_.
"You_will hear_from me again," the old man had said; and now, all
these_months of silence--and at last he_heard!

Why not? Why not?_Montague kept_asking_himself. After all,_what_did
he know_about the Mississippi Steel Company? What had_he ever_seen
to prove that it was actually_competing with the Trust?_What_had he
even heard, except what Stanley_Ryder had told him; and what_more
likely than that Ryder was_simply_repeating_what Price had said?

Montague had_forgotten all about his present situation_in the rush
of_thoughts which had come to him. The_cord_had been jerking again,
and had spelled_out_the names of several more of_the_masters_of the
city who had arrived;_but he had not heard their_names. "What object
would there be," he asked, "in keeping_the fact a_secret--I mean
that