Winston was at his post when the great "Overland Express" rolled into
the station at Ysleta, with clanging bell and coughing air-pump and
dazzled sunbeams dancing from its varnish.
Winston was an engineer and he was not impervious to a stimulating
thrill at the exhibition of power and progress of which the train was a
type, from the ponderous, six-wheeled locomotive, to the last car of the
shining train that it dragged. This thrill did not interfere with
business and he had imperative, pressing business on hand. His quick eye
singled out the man for whom he was waiting and almost as quickly he was
by his side.
"Good morning, Mr. Seymour."
Without any haste, Seymour's grip was in his hand, and with no conscious
volition on his part, Seymour was threading his way at Winston's side
through the throng of disembarking passengers, those waiting for
incoming friends, curious loafers, and rattling express trucks.
"Have you had breakfast?" Winston hardly paused, as they left the
station and came out upon the gravelly, palm-fringed walk.
"Yes, and a good one too. The dining service has improved. Couldn't do
much better in New York."
"That's a good deal for a New Yorker to say. It's worth money to the
road; at least, it would be if they got hold of it."
"What's the program for today?" Mr. Seymour dropped pleasantries.
"If you're not tired, we'll go to the office at once. They are expecting
us."
"Will Mr. Berl be there?"
"No. Not today."
"Hasn't he been notified."
"No."
"Why?" Seymour asked sternly.
"This, and much more, will come out at the meeting."
As Seymour swung along beside Winston, there was a meditative smile on
his face. He was not accustomed to receiving curt answers to his
inquiries. He had been watching Winston narrowly, and his first
favorable impressions were being strengthened. Besides, he had lost no
confidence in his own ability to take care of himself. They reached the
office and entered.
Winston handed Seymour's grip to a waiting boy, and, without further
ceremony, entered the private room. Uncle Sid and Helen were already
there.
"Mr. Seymour, I think you have met Miss Lonsdale?"
Seymour greeted Helen with conventional affability; she was conscious of
a piercing, though momentary, glance that seemed to read every nook of
her soul.
"Captain Harwood, shake hands with Mr. Seymour." Winston made use of the
hearty Western formula.
"Pleased to do so, Senner."
"Senner" was Uncle Sid's version of the stately Spanish senor, which had
greatly taken his fancy. Neither the cordial "senner," nor the beaming
smile, hid from Seymour the rectangular lines of the wrinkled face.
The party seated themselves, and before there was a suggestion of an
embarrassing pause, Uncle Sid broke in. His glance shot from face to
face then rested on Winston.
"We're cleared for action. Mr. Winston, it's your watch."
Seymour glanced appreciatively at Uncle Sid.
"You're naval, I see."
"Aye, aye, sir; from main truck to orange groves."
Winston began to speak. There was neither haste nor deliberation.
"There is no use in preliminaries. I take it, Mr. Seymour, that what
brought you out here, was the theft of the fifty thousand dollars of the
company's money?"
Seymour nodded curtly to Winston's question. Winston resumed.
"There's no use calling it by a softer name; but I submit that there
were modifying circumstances which may appeal to you. Miss Lonsdale will
submit them; Mr. Berl will not be here. No one knows exactly where he
is. I am sure that he took the money without, at the time, realizing
fully what his act would be called. I think I am right in saying that he
is driven to desperation, now that he is brought face to face with his
own interpretation of what he has done. If you insist, I am confident
that he can be found within twenty-four hours, and that he will come
here of his own accord, but I hope that you will not insist upon this
step. When I find him, I want to be able to tell him exactly what he is
to expect."
Without comment, Seymour turned to Helen.
"What are the modifying circumstances?"
Without a quaver, Helen met Seymour's piercing glance. She was alive to
the fact that a single false step might mean ruin to Elijah, but she did
not fear.
"For years, Mr. Berl has studied the conditions of orange growing, not
only in this country, but in others. Previous to the organization of the
Las Cruces company, he began a series of investigations as to the ranges
of temperature. These investigations were not completed at the time this
company was formed, farther than this. He had found that the greater
part of the lands now held by the Las Cruces were in a belt where the
temperature never went to freezing. He did not then know how much more
extensive the belt was. At that time he transferred every foot of land
which he controlled." Helen paused, looking at Seymour. He appeared
politely patient, questioning the bearing of her words. She resumed.
"From this time he did not act alone, nor was he alone responsible for
what was done. In my capacity of secretary, I discovered, what he did
not tell you of, that is, the frostless belt. From maps, I found that
the belt reached into territory not owned by the company, and I brought
these facts to his notice. Whether rightly or not, this does not matter,
he feared that I or others would make use of this knowledge. This fear
led him to act at once without consulting the wishes of the company.
There were movements on foot to secure this tract without knowledge of
its special value, simply for its speculative value. Mr. Berl acted at
once. At this time the Pacific Bank failed, and the fifty thousand
dollars saved to the company through his influence,--I don't pretend to
defend this,--was used by him for the purchase of the Pico ranch."
"One moment," Seymour interrupted. "Did Mr. Berl intend to restore this
money?"
"I can only give you facts, Mr. Seymour, not opinions."
"Very well. But from your own showing, if other parties had secured this
property, we would have had the revenue from the sale of the water and
our money beside."
"I don't think that follows. But the actual fact is, that other parties
did not get this tract and that Mr. Berl did."
"Has Mr. Berl got it now?"
"He has not."
Uncle Sid interrupted.
"I expect I can contribute some facts, Senner. The truth is, your
company would have been fifty thousand dollars out, if it hadn't been
for 'Lige Berl,--I don't defend him, either. As it is, you've got a bank
account fatter than it was, an' I'm owner o' the Pico ranch."
"And our money having been risked without our consent, you are getting
the sole benefit of it?" Seymour's voice was biting.
"That's just as you say, Senner. I'm goin' to let in a few others, Helen
an' Ralph, an' we've no objections to you if you want to come in."
Seymour's face flushed angrily. He mistook the kindly old man's offer
for a bribe.
"I've made money, but I've made it honestly, not by taking bribes."
Uncle Sid's face grew purple. His eyes shone from a maze of deep, hard
lines.
"Look here, Mr. Seymour, I've got a name reachin' back three hundred
years. You just shin up your jenny-logical tree an' shake out your
ancestors, an' I'll match 'em as they fall, hides, an' horns, an'
taller, an' what's more, if they line up better'n mine, I'll go along
where you're more than half minded to send 'Lige."
Seymour was quick in thought and quick in action. He saw that he had
been mistaken. A kindly, if somewhat cynical, smile softened his face.
"I beg your pardon, Captain. I won't put you to that trouble."
"No trouble at all, Senner, if 'twill ease you up any." Uncle Sid's face
relaxed.
"I think you have all of the essential facts, Mr. Seymour," Winston
began. "Mr. Berl took fifty thousand dollars of the company's money. It
has been returned. According to the strict interpretation of the law,
this restitution does not free Mr. Berl from its penalties. If you fail
to prosecute, it will have the appearance of compounding a felony; that
is, if Mr. Berl took the money with no intention of restoring it.
Whether he had such intentions, no one, not even Elijah himself, can
prove before the law. The question is, whether we will prosecute Mr.
Berl, or whether we will forgive the past, and try to restore him to
himself."
Winston looked fixedly at Seymour. There was an anxious hush as he
ceased speaking. Seymour rested motionless with his eyes on the floor.
At last he looked up.
"When I started out here, it was with the full expectation of finding
you all more or less involved in this business. From what I have seen
and heard since I have been in this office, I am prepared to say,
without reservation, that my suspicions were groundless. So far as I am
concerned, Mr. Berl is a free man with no shadow of fear. This affair
can be kept strictly to ourselves with no injustice to any one. We will
consider this episode in our history closed once and for all."
Uncle Sid's face was wreathed in smiles.
"I want to beg your pardon, Senner. You make me think of these prickly
pears out here. They're mighty fine eatin' when you get the spines off
'em."