ON THE ROCKS
Charles Garton was seated in his cosy study smoking his after-dinner
cigar. It was unusual for him to be alone at this hour of the evening,
as his wife and children were generally with him. But he had been late
coming from the office and by the time he had finished his dinner the
children were put to bed, as this was the maid's evening out. Mrs.
Garton was attending a church "affair" and would not be home until ten,
so she had phoned.
Garton was glad to be alone as it afforded him a quiet time for
thought. As a rule he tried to leave his business concerns behind him
when he left the office. But to-night it was different, and his eyes
often turned toward two letters lying open on the little stand by his
side. At length, picking up one of them, he read it again, and as he
did so his face brightened and he gave a deep sigh of relief. But as
he scanned the other his brow knitted in perplexity and, leaning back,
he blew great wreaths of smoke into the air.
"Strange," he mused, "how that mine has recovered. I had given up all
hope of getting anything from it, and now it is booming. My, won't Kit
be surprised! I would feel happy to-night but for this other letter.
I wonder what I had better do about it. Things are certainly in a bad
shape there. He's on the rocks sure enough, and will go to pieces if
we don't come to his assistance, so he says."
Garton's reverie was broken by the clear insistent ring of the
door-bell.
"Confound it!" he muttered, as he rose from the chair, and hurried out
of the room. "Can't I have a little peace for one night at least?"
But no sooner had he thrown open the door than his tone of anger gave
way to one of joy, when he beheld Douglas Stanton standing before him.
"Well, 'pon my word!" he cried, seizing his visitor by the arm and
dragging him unceremoniously into the study. "Where in the world have
you dropped from? And what duds! Where did you get them? And your
face! My! it's some colour; bronzed, unshaven, and----"
"Unwashed," Douglas laughingly interrupted, as he threw himself into an
easy chair. "Any more remarks to make, eh? I am afraid your manners
haven't improved any more than my personal appearance since last we
met."
"No, I haven't changed one bit, but you have," and Garton's eyes gazed
approvingly upon his companion. "I would give almost anything to be as
strong and husky as you are."
"Live as I have for the last few weeks and your wife won't know you,"
Douglas replied, as he reached out and helped himself to a cigar. "But
how are Mrs. Garton and the kids? You seem to be keeping bachelor's
hall. Anything wrong? Married life a failure?"
"No, not at all. The family are fine; children in bed and wife at a
church 'tea fight.' But, we can talk about them when they show up. I
want to know now about yourself, and how you have been making out.
It's a comfort, anyway, to know that you are alive."
"That's about all, I guess," Douglas replied, as he flicked off the end
of his cigar into the ash-tray.
"Have they driven you out?" Garton eagerly questioned.
"It hasn't come to that yet, though attempts have been made to do so.
But I fear they will succeed unless you come to my rescue."
"Why, what can I do?" and Garton looked his surprise. "Surely you are
not going to get me into any trouble up there!"
"Lawyers generally like trouble, don't they? More trouble, more money,
is their motto, so I understand."
"Yes, as a rule. But, you see, this has to do with Church matters, and
I like to keep out of them."
"Too little money in the parsons' pockets, eh? Well, I don't blame
you. But I want your advice. You told me to come to you whenever I
needed help, and here I am. I want it now as never before."
"And you shall have it. Give me your story, and then I shall see what
can be done. I hope to goodness you haven't killed anybody."
"Not exactly killed with my hands, though perhaps I have with my heart,
which is just as bad, according to Scripture."
As briefly and as concisely as possible Douglas related his experiences
at Rixton. He told about his work on the farm, his conflict with the
Stubbles, the sorrow of the shoemaker and his wife over their daughter,
of Mrs. Dempster and Empty, and the professor and his daughters. He
was as cautious as possible when speaking about Nell, and from his
words the lawyer received not the slightest idea of his love for her.
Douglas told his story well, and before he was through Garton was
pacing up and down the study. He was unusually excited and at times he
found it difficult to restrain his feelings.
"Good heavens, man!" he exclaimed when Douglas had finished, "you've
been having a wild west show up there. You might have called upon your
neighbours to see the fun."
"I am calling upon one now to see the finish," was the laconic reply.
"If he doesn't take a hand in the matter at once there'll soon be a
finish to the chief actor. You can't do anything when British justice
is perverted through cowardice and partiality. Simon Stubbles rules
the parish, and will continue to rule it in his own way unless he is
checked."
"And checked he shall be," Garton emphatically replied, bringing his
fist down hard upon the study table. "I am glad you have come to see
me to-night, for your story has solved a problem which has been
perplexing me all day. Simon Stubbles is on the rocks and has appealed
to me for help."
"On the rocks!" Douglas vaguely repeated.
"Yes, on the rocks. He is financially embarrassed, and has signalled
to me for assistance."
"That's news to me. I thought he was very wealthy."
"And so did every one. But here is his letter," and the lawyer picked
it up from the stand. "I received it this morning, and in it he tells
me that unless he has ten thousand dollars immediately he will go
under. He wishes to mortgage the whole of his property, mill, house
and timber lands."
"This is certainly remarkable news to me," Douglas replied. "I am sure
that the people of Rixton have no knowledge of this. They consider him
very wealthy, and not without reason for he does a big business. Have
you any idea as to the cause of his embarrassment? He seems to live
very quietly, and attends strictly to business."
"The letter does not say what it is. But since hearing your story I
have formed my own conclusion."
"And what is that?"
"It is his son. From what you have told me, that young man has been
leading a very fast life. He does not work at all, and therefore his
father must have been providing the money for his headlong career. I
do not think I am far astray as cases similar to this have come to my
notice. There are too many such young men abroad to-day, doing nothing
for themselves, a menace to society, and wretched parasites upon their
fathers. I always get furious whenever I think of them. That must be
the trouble with Stubbles senior."
"Do you intend to help him?" Douglas asked as calmly as possible. He
would have been more than human had he not thrilled at the news he had
just heard. Here was a chance, perhaps, to get even for his harsh
treatment at Simon Stubbles' hands.
"That is the trouble which has been perplexing me all day," Garton
replied. "Before you came I had about made up my mind to do so. I did
not know anything about that reckless son of his then. Neither had I
any idea that he is such a tyrant at Rixton, nor how he has treated the
clergymen who have been there. I thought he was an active and an
earnest Church worker, and that was one of the reasons in his favour.
But now I see things in a different light."
"But his reign will soon be over, though, if you do not help him,"
Douglas replied. "I had no idea that assistance would come to me in
such an unexpected manner. But, say," and he leaned suddenly forward,
"now I understand something. Strange that it never occurred to me
before."
"What is it?"
Douglas then told about the mortgage on Professor Strong's place, and
how Stubbles was about to foreclose as he needed money. He said
nothing, however, about Ben's part in the affair with Nell. He could
not trust himself to mention this.
"Who is this Strong?" Garton asked. "The name sounds familiar. There
was a professor by that name at Passdale."
"He is the same man, but he is blind now, and helpless, depending upon
his daughter for support. He lost what money he had saved, so I
understand."
"You don't tell me that Professor Strong is living in Rixton!" Garton
exclaimed in astonishment. "Why, he was considered a very able man
when he was at Passdale I have heard a great deal about him. But how
did he come to lose his money?"
"He invested it, like so many other simpletons, in that Big Chief
mining concern. I did the same, and so lost what little I had."
"No, you haven't," and Garton picked up one of the letters by his side.
"I have good news for you and the professor. The Big Chief has revived
and is going stronger than ever. This is a letter I received to-day
telling me about it. I invested largely in that concern, and so am
greatly interested."
Douglas made no reply to this most gratifying information. His mind
had gone back to Rixton and the little cottage by the river-side. He
pictured to himself the expression upon Nell's face and the look of joy
in her eyes when she heard the good news. How he longed to start right
off and tell her. What a relief it would be to her to know that the
little place would be saved from Simon Stubbles' grasp, and that all
the gnawing financial cares would be ended. It seemed almost too good
to be true.
"How much did the professor invest?" Garton at length enquired.
"I do not know. But it must have been quite a sum. Anyway, it was his
all, and the failure meant so much to him and his daughters."
"He can sell now at a good profit, as the stock is higher than ever it
was before. You can tell him to come to me if he wishes to dispose of
his interest."
"I can hardly believe that what you have told me is true," Douglas
replied, "as it will mean so much for the Strongs. Simon Stubbles
won't be able to worry them any longer."
"Indeed he won't. He's got his own troubles to attend to, and they
will be much heavier than they are now, if he isn't careful."
"What do you propose to do? Help him out?"
"That all depends upon you, Stanton."
"Upon me! Why, what can I do?"
"Say the word, and I will refuse to assist him. He can go under, and
the parish will be rid of him. Isn't that what you want?"
For a while Douglas was silent. It would be a choice revenge to see
the blustering and impudent bully crushed by a single word. He thought
of Ben and the haughty and sarcastic sisters. How delightful it would
be to see them wince under the blow of financial failure. This
temptation was only of short duration, however, for it was succeeded by
a nobler feeling. He must not allow the spirit of revenge to affect
him in the least. All that he wanted was justice, and freedom for
Church work in Rixton. The Stubbles were in the way, and if pressure
could now be brought to bear, either to bring them to their senses or
to force them out of the parish, then it was right to do so.
"Is it hard to decide?" the lawyer asked, noting his hesitation and
preoccupied air.
"Yes, it is. I wish to do what is fair. The tempter's advice is to
get even now for the injury that has been done. But a nobler voice
bids me to rise above such a feeling and do nothing in the spirit of
revenge, but merely for the welfare of Rixton."
"But should not the Stubbles be taught a severe lesson? Is it right
that they should escape all punishment?"
"I suppose not, but punishment should not be carried out in the spirit
of revenge. When the State punishes a man, say with imprisonment, for
some crime, it is not done in the spirit of revenge, but in order to
safeguard society in general, as well as to teach a severe lesson. The
same applies to parental authority over children. Now, I want to do
something similar to that in this affair. I wish to do it without any
vindictiveness on my part."
"You are quite right, Stanton," the lawyer replied. "I see your point,
and I admire you for it. But we must do something."
"Certainly. But let us do nothing hastily. Let me think this over
to-night, and we can discuss it again in the morning. You have told me
so much that I am anxious to consider every point very carefully. Will
that do?"
Further conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Mrs. Garton.
She was delighted to see Douglas, and at once began to question him
about his adventures at Rixton.
"Let us have a cup of cocoa first, Kit," her husband suggested. "And a
piece of your nice cake, too," he added.
"Starving as usual," Mrs. Garton smilingly replied. "Didn't you have
your dinner?"
"Why, yes, but it's nearly eleven now, and you promised to be home at
ten."
When the cocoa had been made and brought into the study, Mrs. Garton
looked quizzically at Douglas.
"If I met you on the street I would not recognise you," she remarked.
"So that's the way you treat your friends, is it!" her husband bantered.
"Oh, I don't mean that, Charles," she protested. "But I never saw Mr.
Stanton dressed that way before."
"No wonder you wouldn't recognise me," Douglas smilingly replied. "It
is a splendid disguise at times. Even Dr. Rannage didn't know me when
he came to Rixton."
"What, were you at that meeting?" Garton asked.
"So you heard of it, then?"
"Sure. Why, Dr. Rannage was furious when he came home, and at a recent
session of the Board of Missions he expressed his opinion in no
uncertain manner, so I understand."
"And he is not over it yet," Mrs. Garton remarked. "I was talking to
him for a while to-night, and he told me about his terrible experience
up there. He said that it was not a fit place to send any man, and
that the people were most ignorant and uncouth."
"They were too much for Dr. Rannage, though," Douglas replied. He then
told them in detail about the meeting that night at the Corner. "Dr.
Rannage made a fool of himself," he said in conclusion. "He was not
the proper person to send there."
"Won't you tell me something about Rixton?" Mrs. Garton asked, "and
what you have been doing since you left the city?"
"Tell her about your wrestling bout with Jake Jukes," Garton suggested,
"and the widow and her news-bag of a son, and also about the old
shoemaker and his wayward daughter. Yes, and about the old professor
and his daughters."
"You have given me a big contract," Douglas laughingly replied.
"I know I have, but Kit must hear it."
It was late when the three at last rose to retire. But Douglas did not
mind, for he was glad to have such interested listeners. But the part
of his story that was nearest his heart he did not tell. Not even to
the Gartons would he reveal his love for Nell, and all that she meant
to him.
Douglas walked with Garton down the street the next morning toward the
lawyer's office.
"Well, what is your decision as to the Stubbles' affair?" the latter
asked. "I suppose you have it all cut and dried."
"Not altogether," was the reply. "I spent much of the night thinking
it over, but am not fully decided yet. But there is one thing I would
like you to do."
"What is that?"
"Come to Rixton and let us both meet Stubbles and have it out with him.
What do you think of the idea?"
"It is a good one, and it has been in my mind ever since you told me
your story last night."
"When can you come? To-day? I am going back this afternoon."
"I cannot go until to-morrow. I shall go in my auto in the morning and
not bother with the train."
"Come right to Jake Jukes' house and I shall get Mrs. Jukes to have
dinner ready. I know it will be a good one, so bring your appetite
with you. Don't be too late."
"Oh, I'll be on time. When we get through with Stubbles, I want to
have a few words with Squire Hawkins. We mustn't let him off too
easily."