Under Handicap Page 24

  CHAPTER XXIV

  It was the twentieth day of September by the calendar--ten days beforethe first of October as every man, woman, and child in the Valleymeasured time.

  Conniston came and went superintending every part of the work, and,although he was still the gaunt, tired man he had been two weeks ago,he was no longer tight-lipped and somber-eyed. He smiled often; helaughed readily, like a boy. Argyl, her clean, healthy, resilientyoung body and spirit having shaken off the effects of the clutch ofthe desert, was the same Argyl who had raced for the Overland Limitedthat day when Conniston had first seen her; her laugh was asspontaneous as his, sparkling and free and buoyantly youthful. Mr.Crawford was quiet, saying few words, but the little lines of care hadgone from the corners of eyes and mouth. Tommy Garton was theproverbial cricket on the hearth of the Valley's big family. Brayleylooked upon his ditches with the gleam in his eye bespeaking a deeppride like the pride of ownership and a big, strong love. Jimmie Kentassured whomever would listen that he was glad that he had stayed, andthat he had a mind to call on his old friend Oliver to see how he wasfeeling. Rattlesnake Valley had become the Happy Valley. With thefirst of October ten days off there was no shadow of doubt in a singleheart that the Great Work would be a finished, actual, successfulthing before the dawn of the Great Day.

  Upon the twentieth day of September Greek Conniston, being in ValleyCity, received a telegram which puzzled him. It was from EdwinCorliss, private secretary and confidential man of affairs of WilliamConniston, Senior, of Wall Street. Conniston replied immediately andby wire. During the three days following he received and despatchedseveral telegrams. Since the messages have a certain bearing upon theGreat Work, they are given below in the order in which they werereceived in the Valley and despatched from it:

  "WM. CONNISTON, Jr.,

  "Rattlesnake Valley.

  "Drop everything. Come home immediately. Your father insists. Particulars when you arrive.

  "CORLISS."

  "EDW. CORLISS,

  "New York.

  "Can't get away. Under contract. Love to dad.

  "WM. CONNISTON, Jr."

  "WM. CONNISTON, Jr.

  "Rattlesnake Valley.

  "Smash contract. Will pay damages. Your father wants you in New York in five days.

  "CORLISS."

  "EDW. CORLISS,

  "New York.

  "Impossible. Can make hurried trip East after October first.

  "WM. CONNISTON, JR."

  "WM. CONNISTON, JR.,

  "Rattlesnake Valley.

  "Orders imperative from your father. Cables from Paris drop everything immediately and come home.

  "CORLISS."

  "EDW. CORLISS,

  "New York.

  "I refer you to wire of yesterday.

  "WM. CONNISTON, Jr."

  Then came a message which puzzled Greek Conniston more deeply than theothers had done--a message _via_ cable and telegraph and telephonefrom his father himself:

  "WM. CONNISTON, Jr.,

  "Rattlesnake Valley.

  "Come home. Leave that work alone. Start minute you get this. Wiring you thousand dollars Crawfordsville. Corliss will advance all you want in New York. Do as I command immediately or I disinherit you.

  "WM. CONNISTON, Sr."

  "WM. CONNISTON, Jr.,

  "Rattlesnake Valley.

  "At your father's orders have wired thousand to you Crawfordsville.

  "CORLISS."

  "EDW. CORLISS,

  "New York.

  "Money you wired remains subject your orders. I don't need it. Inform dad.

  "WM. CONNISTON, Jr."

  When William Conniston, Junior, received the second message fromWilliam Conniston, Senior, a swift understanding came to him, anunderstanding not only of the reason for the attitude Corliss hadtaken, but of what Oliver Swinnerton had had in mind when he hadtalked slyly of Conniston's intentions, and had expressed hisconfidence that the young superintendent was preparing to double crosshis employer.

  "WM. CONNISTON, JR.,

  "Rattlesnake Valley.

  "Am starting for New York. Meet me. Drop work. I have a million dollars at stake in Oliver Swinnerton project. Will lose all if you don't quit.

  "WM. CONNISTON, Sr."

  And it gave Greek Conniston a great, unbounded joy to answer:

  "WM. CONNISTON, Sr.,

  "Paris.

  "Sorry, dad. You lose million. I have reputation at stake.

  "WM. CONNISTON, Jr."