The Rockwell Combine

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 246, 18 November 1929, Page 11

The Rockwell Combine

BY CHARLES PROCTER

t^*owcwwwwi>^>PMwapMBwa>aeMwaw»gaae^w»*ai a N ■ I"T 1 ■ p ""*■ nir>("T| ■' > | A POWERFU L STORY BY A BRILLIANT WRITER

Aufchor of "Thou Art the Man," "The Sinoke of Judgment," , » "The Dice of God," ete., eto.

parera CHAPTER IX.— (Continued). "/^RMSBY'S!" gasped Julian. He ^ dropped his peu, sat back in liis cliair and stared at Deidreicli as if lic imagined the fellew liad suddeuly gone crazy. ' 'Oniisby's-?'' -he -repeated in blank ama/.ement. "You mean Peter Ormsby's?" "Yes." Deidreicli nodded, but did not met Julian's eycs. "Mr Ormsby offered liie the post when he fell ill, and I accepted it." "Oli!" Julian rose from his cliair, paced the length of the ofiice twice, and sat doivn again. "No wonder the governor ivas ratlier cross with you, Deidreicli!" lie conunented with a gnin sunile. "He would regard it as treaeliery, or something very life it. Personafiy, I don't know how to tako it after wliat lias happened. I suppose you realise what you are doing?" Deidreich slirugged his slioulders and looked uncoinfortable, but he made no response. "Miss Ormsby is in command at her father's place, I understand," resumed Julian significantly. "She will be your cliief ?" Yf. % * " "Yes^ THE ARRANGEMENT was that I sliould assist her to run the business." "Y'es." Deidreich's voice took on a defiant'note. "I was not content to remain always a secretarv, without any real power, and I thought the post of manager at Ormsby's would provide full scope for iny ahilities. It was unfortunate that it was with an opposition firm, but a man must consider his own prospects." "Quite so, Deidreich, quite so." Julian's voice sounded ironic, and he was still grimly lialf smiling. "You feel comfortable at the prospect, 110 doubt. You are going to work with the girl wlio — as you told ine — killed your late employer, and presumahly you are going to fight the combine you know so much ahout. I trust the prospect pleases you." "You forget that I accepted the post a fortnight ago before tho combine liad started working. I cannot witlidraw now without riskjng an action for breacli of contract. You cannot blame me, Mr Julian. Everything has been quite etraightforward." * * * "0E1TE SO— Oh, exactly !" commented Julian, and- :it~seemed. to Deidreich that his tone was still ironic. "Miss Ormsby approves of the arrangement, of course." _ "I believe so," Deidreich answered. "It will be difficult for me — kuqwing wliat I do — to work in unison with Miss Ormsby, but I must do my best. Believe me, Mr Julian, I deeply regret "being compelled to leave you now, and I hope you won't think baclly of me." Julian sat staring at him for a few moments in thoughtful silence before replyi "I "t like it, Deidreich," he said at leii. -u, very deliberately. "You haven't played th© game. You professed to my father that you were cultivating tlie friendship of Peter Ormsby in order to persuade him to join the conibine, but all along you must have been playing a double game." "You v rong me!" exclaimed Deidreich wannly. "I never deeeived your father. I did try to persuade" Mr Ormsby to join the combine, but he would not listen. Theu, wheu he was stricken with illness he sent for me, begged me to leave tlie combine and become his manager. He has a high opinion of me, and he made me a good offer, so I accepted. I am not the first man who has gone over to an opposition liouse." "IVTO, BITT THE C'lRCUMSTANCES in this case are somewhat un•usual, to say the least of it," remarked Julian drily. "This is the first I have heard of your resignation, and although you are going over to Ormsby's you have been doipg your best to persuade me to have Miss Ormsby-^who will he your chief — arrested on a chax-ge of murder. Really, Deidreich, you seem to have some extraordinary ideas regarding your duty to your employers !" "Every man must look after himself," responded Deidreieli sulkily. "I have done my best for you, and. after Monday I will do my best for Miss Ormsby. The combine has 'no claim on me." The words nettled Julian, and he rose quickly fo his reet. "I agree," he said abruptly. "The combine has no claim upon you, and doubtless will manage to exist without you. I sball instruct the cashier to

pay you your salary at once, and will commeuce doing without you forthwith." "You mcan that you do not trust mc ?" "I mean — to use your own words — j 'that every man must look after him1 self," and this is my first step towards lookiug after myself. Your interests are centred now in Ormsby's, and a man cannot serve two masters." Deidreich's fair, round face flushed angrily, and his eyes narrowcd. For a moinent he scowled at Julian, tben laughed harslily. * * # YOUR INTERESTS are centred in Ormsby's, too," he said insolently, "but Miss Ormsby knows better tlian to; lmye anything to do with you. It is at her request that I become manager, and I think we shall do very well together. You can send me a cheque for the salary due to me." He slirugged his shoulders and strode out of the office with an air of bravado, leaving Julian white with anger. It was not so much Deidreich's iinpudenc^, as what his words had implied that roused Julian to -fury, and for a long time after Deidreicli had left he sat very still, his face white ahd set, tliinking furiously. "So tliat's how the land lies, is it?" he said aloud at last. "It is she who has tempted Deidreich to desert .and place his knowledge of the inner workings of the combine at her disposal. But why the deuce, if what the heggar said is true, did he tell me that Grace murdered my father and urge me to denounce her? He should have been as anxious as I to shield her. I can't understand his motive at all. But one thing is clear — that Grace Ormsby does not care a straw for me, and is_ utterlv unscrupulous. If what Deidreich toki me is true — and I see no reason to doubt it — she killed my father, and now she has induced Deidreich himself to leave me in the lurch. Great heavens! And I believed her to he the very iucarnation of every virtue!" HE LAUGHED mirthlessly, rose from his chair, and paced to and fro in agitation. "I should telephone to the police at once, tell them all I know, and have her arrested at once," he mutterecl between clenched teeth. "I am an accessor.v after the fact if I keep silence, and Grace "Ormsbv is nothing to me now. I'll do it!" He went quickly to the desk, picked up the telephone, then paused, hesitating. "I can't do it," he breathed, setting dorvii the instrumeut again. "I'm a fool, a poor, weak, iniserable fool. I can't do it — hecause— thrice-accursed fool that I am— I still love her. God lielp me !" (To be Continued.)