The Rockwell Combine

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 244, 15 November 1929, Page 11

The Rockwell Combine

BY CHARLES PROCTER

Author of "Thou Art the Man," "The Sinoke of dudgment, '' ' ' "The Dice of God," etc., eto.

A POWERFUL QTORY BY A BRILLIANT WRITER

SYNOPSTS OF PREVTOIJS CHAPTERS. OHAi'TERS I. and 11. — Julian Rockwell, vvhilst playing golf with Grace Ormsby, makes an appointment witb her for the same evening. Grace only knows him as Mr Julian. Meanwhile Julian's father, Justus Rockwell, is forming a drapers' conibine. and intends to ruin all the' large snopowners w.ho will not join. Peter Ormsby refuses to join, and determines to fight the combine. • When Julian leaves Grace he goes to his office and inforins his father's secretary, Carl Deidreicb, that he has an appointment with Grace tliat evening. Later, when he is with Grace, Peter Ormsby appears and ,informs his daughter that the nian she knows as Mr Julian is really Julian Rockwell. CHAPTERS 111. and IV.— Later. Peter Ormsby is taken ill, and Grace determines to fight the combine on his behalf, and is given i'ull power of attorney. Nest day Julian calls on Grace and endeaVours to make terms, but she will .not listen to him. CHAPTERS. V. & VI.— Carl JDeidrenh tells a friend that he is tired of working and intends marrying Grace so that he can have the - Ormsby Emporium for himself. Meanwhile Petqr Ormsby inforins Grace t'hat Deidreicb is to become second .in command of his establishment. Grace buys a seasonJs goods," so tliat whatever steps Rockwell takes he cannot ruin her for some time. Later she has an interview with Justns Rockwell, and when she has left him he is found dead in his chair. •, . CHAPTER VIII. — (Continued) . ISUPPOSE THAT is the view the police might be disposed to take if they knew all the facts. But I decline to believe that Miss Ormsby did any such thing. The very. idea of Miss Ormsby carrying a revolver seems to be absurd." "Why not go and see her?" suggested Deidreicb. "Ask her point-blank if she knows anything about ' your father's death." "What !" ' Julian looked startled. "Do you mean to suggest that I should piactically charge her with rnurder? Don't me ridiculous, Carl. In the first place I don't suppose she would see me if' I did call, aud even if ' she did I could not put such a question to her." "Then why not let me go and interview Miss Ormbsv ?" Deidreich lesponded. "She will not refuse to see me, and I shall be able, I fancy, to diseover whether or- not she knows anything about your father's death." "If you are suggesting that you go and ask her point-blank jr she murdered my father — no," said Julian. "But, for my own peaoe of mind,. I should like to hear that she is absolutelv innocent, and that my father was alive when she left him. Not that I suspect anything to the cohtrary, but yc-ur constant repetitions of your suspicions seein to have raised doubts in my .niand." ... 5 * * * v'T SHOULD MAKE NO Accusation, . but handle the situation diplomatically,"'.' . said Deidreich. "I .'an suggest in the first plaee that you have sent me to see if Miss Ormsby would prefer to have her name kept out of the case, suggest. that you thought it likely that she would pre fer not to be called as a . witness at the. inquest. Tliat. will give me an opening, then I cah speak o.f the tragedy., ask a few questions, and form my own conclusion as to whether Miss Ormsby is iunocent, as you believe her. Oh, I agsure you I shall be mo§t tactful, and will be careful not to give offence. It would be best to diseover the truth before the inquest, don't you think?" "Yes, perhaps you are right," answered Julian. "By all means go and see Miss Ormsby. I know the result will be that you will feturn convineed that you have wronged her in suspecting her. Yes, go at once." Less than half an hour later C,arl Deidrich was shown into the principal's room at Ormsby's, where he found Grace busily engaged in dealing with her morning post. "You have, of course, heard the news, Miss Ormsby ?" he inquired, after-GraCe had greeted hun-.somewhat coldly.- - - * * * 'VES aNI> IT CALIE quite as a '-fl- shock to me," responded Grace. "Jt must have happened vei'y shortly after I left. Mr Rockwell— Mr Julian Rockwell— is'of 'the' bpinidn that it was rnurder." "That, my dear Miss Ormsby, is why I am here-" • •• Grace stared hack atj, him in perplexity. ' "I don't understand, Mr Deidreich," she- said guietly. : "To put it frankly, Miss Ormsby, Julian Rockwell believes that you murdered his father." Deidreich's voice. was quite steady as he made the statement, and his earnest gaze did not waver. "I have had the greatest difficulty in restraining him from having you arrested." "Having me arrested?" gasped Grace in astonishment. "But — oh, this is preposterous; Mr Deidreich !" "Please sit down and hear me out, Miss Ormsby," pleaded Deidreicb, as Grace sprang to her feet . in indignation. "I know, of: course, that you had nothing to do with the tragedv, and jf Justus Rockwell was murdered, . i think I could hazard a guess as to who killed him. But your position is serious in the extteme. and unless 1 can restrain Julian R'ocliwell from giving information,. you certainly will be' arrested." . "If Julian ITockwell imagines for 'a moment that he ea n prove anythina against me, let him have jne arrested !" exclaimed Grace recldessly, anger m her voice. "T sfiall ,go to ihe police myself and tell them all I know, and all you have told me." . * * . .* "IV0, NO YOU,' MUST .NOT do that," Deidreich hastily. "Consider the_ matter, Miss Ormsby. Circumstantial evide#c.e ' is very stroug against you." . .'..1 i. .- He' plunged into details resneqtin" ihe- arguments he had used in his' en "" denvour to convjnre Julian of Grace'^ suilt. but elajb'oratina them, emnhasia Xng .the danger. and the possihility of serious. results: if Grace allowerl tlm nolice to know' that she was in JuRtps' Rockweli's office immediately "beforethe" tragedv. So convincing. were his wprds, and so earnest his'. .attitude, that he succeeded in scaring Grace, although she tried to conceal any sign bf fear. "To mv mind," he continued; "Ju-' lian Rockwell knows that it'-wohld he nossible to prpve vou gnijtv of rnurder, but he ahso -kuo,w.s that: if he denoqric-eiiL-you, you would undoubtedly hear- , rested and detained for some time. At

the root of the whole plan lies the idea that if vou were aiwested and kept in prison for a week or two, the combine could easily smash up a concern without a heacl, as Ormsby's would be during your absence. Do you grasp the idea now, Miss Ormsby?" ^ (pRACE NODDED, too upset at the moment to' trust herself to speak. "You are running a douhle danger, and it is rather fortunate that I have some influence with Julian Rockwell — some liold over him — otlierwise I am •afraid that ere this you would have been in_Hollowav awaiting trial on the cnpitnl charge. For your own sake, for the sake bf your father and the business you are running, you must kcep silenee regarding your call." "I see it all now," said Grace after a pause. "It is simply a plot to get liold of the business, and it might sucoeed." "No, I think not. if you liold your peace, and leave matters to me. I can force Julian Rockwell to abandon his plan, I fanry ; indeed, I will pledge you my word that.I will do so. Trust in me, Miss Ormsby, and all will be well." . Grace sat gazing at his round, earnest face, lialf ashamed of her own feelings of distrust and dislike of the man before her. He seemed so earnest and sincre, so anxious to serve lier, yt she had uneasy feelings still that she was being tricked. "Why have you told me all this, Mr Deidreich — you who are a Rockwell employee?" she inquired at length. * 5jt * "VOU SEEM TO FORGET, Miss Ormsby, that I liave always disapproved of the combine, and that I refused to sei've under it," responded Deidreich reproachfully. "You seem to forget, too, that next Monday I become your employee and helper. I regard it as an honour to serve you, and I am glad that it is to my efforts that you owe your safety now." He smiled as he walkecl quickly away from Ormsby a few minutes later, smiled trium.pliantly, for his deep-laid plqns bade fair to succeed even beyond his expectations. When he faced Julian Rockwell a little later, however, he seemed greatly distressed, and no one would have dreamt that he was laughing up his sleeve at Julian. "I interviewed Miss Ormsby, Mr Julian," he reported, speaking as if the words cost him an effort. "Well?" Julian's voice was sharp with anxiety. "I am very sorry, very sorry indeed, to tell you that my worst_ fears are corrohorated," proceeded Deidreich impressivel. "Miss Ormsby practically admitted that slie shot your father not in as many words — but tlie several admissions amounted to a confession." * * * IilPOSSIBLE!" ejaculated Julian. "There must be some mistake. What did she say? Gobd heayens, maiij you can't mean — out with it!" Haltingly, Deidreich told an elahorate tissue of .falsehoods, wliich, ho\yover, sounded like- trutli, related with a. wealth of detail liow he had elicited . from . Grace answers which amounted to an admission of her guilt. "To me, the most distressing feature was that she seemed almost to glory in the crime," he added. "She had effectually, stopped Justus Rockwell's campaign, she said, and there was no fear of Ormsby's being ruined now. She had vowed to break the combine, she boasted, and she had fulfilled her vow. You must have- "been mistaken,. Mr Jnlian, in thinking that she was ever in Iove with you. In any case, ghe makes no secret of her hatred for you now." He stopped, glancing quickly at Julian, who seemed stunned at the news, and was sitting with his head sunk on his chest, and his hands locked together in anguish. His face was grey, and he seemed suddenly to have grown old. "What are you going to do?" asked Deidreich, after a long pause. "Do you still wish me to keOp silenee, and keep Miss Ormsby visit to your father a secret?" (To be Continued.)