Ranching For Sylvia Volume-554 by Harold Bindloss (chrome ebook reader .TXT) 📕

"Wait.  You May Be Thankful Lansing Didn't Sell Your Shares.  I Found

That The Company Could Be Placed Upon A Paying Basis, And, What Is

More, That The Older One Possessed Resources Its Promoters Had Never

Suspected.  In Fact, I Discovered How Its Output Could Be Greatly

Increased At An Insignificant Cost.  I Came Home At Once With A Scheme

Which Has Been Adopted, And I've Every Reason To Believe That There

Will Be Marked Rise In The Shares Before Long.  Anyway, There's No

Doubt That The Company Will Be Able To Place High-Class Rubber On The

Market At A Cost Which Will Leave A Very Satisfactory Margin."

George Was Conscious Of Strong Relief.  It Looked As If His Loss Would

Be Small, And There Was A Chance Of His Stock Becoming Valuable; But

Another Thought Struck Him.

"When Was It That Herbert Sold His Shares?"

"At The Beginning Of Last Winter."

"Shortly Before We Mentioned That You Might Come Home," West Interposed

Pointedly.

This Confirmed George's Suspicions; He Could Readily Understand

Herbert's Preferring That He Should Stay Away, But He Remembered That

It Was Sylvia's Letter Which Had Decided Him To Remain In Canada.  In

The Statement Left Him, He Had Been Charged With Half Of Certain Loans

Herbert Had Made To Her, And He Wondered Whether This Pointed To Some

Collusion Between Them.  He Thought It By No Means Improbable.

"I Understand That Herbert Knows Nothing About These New Developments,

And Has No Idea That The Future Of The Two Undertakings Is Promising?"

He Said.

Singleton Laughed.

"Not The Slightest Notion.  If He Suspected It, There Would Be Nothing

To Prevent His Buying Shares; Nothing Will Transpire Until The

Shareholders' Meeting, Which Will Not Be Held For Some Time.  Lansing

Retired And Sold Out, Because He Was Convinced That Both Companies Were

Worthless."  He Paused And Added Dryly: "I Can't See Why We Should

Enlighten Him."

"Nor Can I," Responded George; And West Nodded.

"Then," Said Singleton, "When Lansing Learns The Truth, It Will Be Too

Late For Him To Profit By The Knowledge.  I Believe He Has Thrown Away

The Best Chance He Ever Had."

Shortly Afterward Edgar Came In And They Talked Of Something Else; But

Two Days Later Herbert Returned And George Went Over To Brantholme.  He

Was Shown Into The Library Where Herbert Was Sitting, And The Latter

Was On His Guard When He Saw His Cousin's Face.  He Greeted Him

Affably, However, And Made A Few Inquiries About His Farming.

George Stood Looking At Him With A Fixed Expression.

"I Think," He Said Shortly, "We Had Better Talk Business."

"Oh, Well," Replied Herbert.  "I Suppose You Have Studied My Statement.

I Needn't Say That I Regret The Way Matters Have Turned Out; But One

Can't Foresee Every Turn Of The Market, Or Avoid A Miscalculation Now

And Then.  It Would Hurt Me If I Thought This Thing Had Anything To Do

With Your Going To Stephen's."

"We Won't Discuss That.  I Gave You Authority To Look After My Affairs;

I Want It Back."

Herbert Took A Document From A Drawer And Laid It On The Table.

"Here It Is.  But Won't You Let Me Try To Straighten Matters Out?"

"Can They Be Straightened Out?"

"Well," Said Herbert With Some Embarrassment, "I'm Afraid There's A

Serious Loss, But It Would Be Wiser To Face It And Sell Off The Shares."

"I Can Do What Seems Most Desirable Without Any Further Assistance."

George Leaned Forward And, As He Picked Up The Document, A Flush Crept

Into His Cousin's Face.

"I Hardly Expected You Would Take This Line.  Do You Think It's Right

To Blame Me Because I Couldn't Anticipate The Fall In Value?"

"It Strikes Me That The Situation Is One That Had Better Not Be

Discussed Between Us," George Rejoined, With Marked Coldness.

"Besides, My Opinion Won't Count For Much In Face Of The Very

Satisfactory Financial Results You Have Secured.  I'm Sorry For What

Has Happened, On Muriel's Account."

He Turned And Went Out; And Met Ethel On Reaching West's House.

"I Must Try To Arrange For An Interview With Sylvia And Captain Bland,"

He Told Her.  "There Are Matters That Should Be Explained To Them."

"Won't It Be Painful?"

"That Can't Be Allowed To Count."

"After All," Said Ethel Thoughtfully, "It's No Doubt The Proper Course."

A Week Later He Visited Mrs. Kettering's, And Was Shown Into A Room

Where Sylvia Awaited Him Alone.  After The First Glance At Him, She

Turned Her Eyes Away.

"George," She Said, "I'm Afraid I've Behaved Badly.  Can You Forgive

Me?"

"I Think So," He Answered With A Forced Smile.  "Anyway, I'll Try, And

I'd Like You To Be Happy.  But It Wouldn't Be Flattering If I Pretended

That I Wasn't Hurt."

"Ah," She Exclaimed, "You Were Always So Generous!"

He Stood Silent A Moment Or Two Looking At Her.

She Had Cunningly Tricked Him And Killed His Love; But She Was Very

Attractive With Her Pretty, Helpless Air.  He Knew This Was False, But

There Was No Profit In Bitterness; He Would Not Cause Her Pain.

"It's More To The Purpose That I'm Hard, Which Is Fortunate In Several

Ways.  But I Came To Talk About The Farm; That Is Why I Suggested That

Captain Bland Should Be Present."

"The Farm?"  Sylvia Regarded Him With A Trace Of Mockery.  "That You

Should Think Of It Is So Characteristic Of You!"

George Smiled.

"I Can't Help My Matter-Of-Fact Nature, And I've Found It Serviceable.

Anyway, The Farm Must Be Thought Of."  He Laid A Hand Gently On Her

Shoulder.  "Sylvia, I'm Told That Bland Isn't Rich.  If He Loves You,

Take Him Fully Into Your Confidence."

She Blushed, Which He Had Scarcely Expected.

"I Have Done So--At Least, I Allowed Herbert To Explain--There Is

Nothing Hidden."  Then Her Tone Changed To One Of Light Raillery.  "You

Were Always An Extremist, George; You Can't Hit The Happy Medium.  Once

You Believed I Was Everything That Was Most Admirable, And Now--"

"I Think You Have Done Right And Wisely In Letting Bland Know How

Things Stand.  It Was Only My Interest In Your Future That Warranted

What I Said."

"Well," She Replied, "We Will Go Up And Talk To Him; He's Waiting.  You

Can Give Your Account To Him."

George Followed Her, But For A While He Was Conscious Of A Certain

Restraint, Which He Fancied Was Shared By Bland.  It Was Difficult To

Talk About Indifferent Subjects, And He Took Out Some Papers.

"I Came To Explain The State Of Sylvia's Canadian Affairs; She Wished

You To Know," He Said.  "If You Will Give Me A Few Minutes, I'll Try To

Make Things Clear."

Bland Listened Gravely, And Then Made A Sign Of Satisfaction.

"It's Obvious That Sylvia Placed Her Property In Most Capable Hands.

We Can Only Give You Our Sincere Thanks."

"There's A Point To Be Considered," George Resumed.  "Have You Decided

What To Do With The Property?"

"Sylvia And I Have Talked It Over; We Thought Of Selling.  I Don't See

How We Could Carry On The Farm."

"If You Will Let The Matter Stand Over For A Few Weeks, I Might Be A

Purchaser.  The Land's Poor, But There's A Good Deal Of It, And I

Believe That, With Proper Treatment, It Could Be Made To Pay."

Sylvia Looked Astonished, Bland Slightly Embarrassed.

"We Never Contemplated Your Buying The Place," He Said.

"I've Grown Fond Of It; I Believe I Understand How It Should Be Worked.

There's No Reason Why Either Of You Should Object To My Becoming A

Purchaser."

"I Suppose That's True," Bland Agreed.  "Anyway, I Can Promise That

We'll Do Nothing About The Matter Until We Hear From You; I Don't Think

There's Any Likelihood Of Our Disputing About The Price.  You Can Fix

That At What It's Worth To You."

George Changed The Subject; And When He Went Out, Sylvia Smiled At

Bland.

"You Needn't Have Been So Sensitive About His Buying The Farm," She

Said.  "It Will Have To Be Sold."

"I Suppose So, But I Wish We Could Have Given It To Him."

Sylvia Touched His Cheek Caressingly.

"Don't Be Foolish; It's Out Of The Question.  You Will Have To Be

Economical Enough As It Is, But You Shan't Make Any Sacrifice That

Isn't Strictly Necessary."

During The Next Few Weeks George Made Some Visits Among His Friends,

But He Returned To The Wests Shortly Before Edgar Sailed For Canada.

On The Night Preceding His Departure They Were Sitting Together When

Edgar Looked At Him Thoughtfully.

"George," He Remarked, "I Wonder If It Has Ever Struck You That You're

A Very Short-Sighted Person?  I Mean That You Don't Realize Where Your

Interest Lies."

"It's Possible," Said George.  "What Particular Oversight Are You

Referring To?"

"It Isn't Easy To Answer Bluntly, And If I Threw Out Any Delicate

Suggestions, They'd Probably Be Wasted.  You Saw A Good Deal Of Flora

Grant, And If You Had Any Sense You Would Have Recognized What Kind Of

Girl She Is."

"Miss Grant Doesn't Need Your Praise."

"I'm Glad You Admit It; Appreciation's Sometimes Mutual.  Now I Can't

Undertake To Say What Flora Implied From Your Visits, But I've No Doubt

About What Her Father Expected."

The