CHAPTER XXII

I'

I

F THE Norton Manufacturing Company had been

deprived of its guiding genius prior to the meet

ing of its Board of Directors at which William Stewart ventured to take issue with Norton, he would have been the last member of the Board, in spite of his large holding of stock, to be considered in the reorganization now necessitated. As it was, the other Directors turned to Stewart as, next to Norton, the outstanding figure in the Company. During all these years of close association they had never really known him, and it had required that single hour of self-assertion to disclose the real Stewart, and to correct the previous impression that his dreaming expressed rather than concealed his personality. And William Stewart found the new experience of leading instead of following a sensation as agreeable as it was novel.

The tragedy forced a truce in the hostilities between the Company and the men. The strikers were dazed by the sudden removal of the dominating figure which had ruled them for so many years. The bitterness many of them had felt became tempered by the grim fact that this man whom they had regarded as their

personal enemy had paid the supreme price for his dogged determination to have his own way. More than that no man could do. Tony Lemholtz and his radicals were now deprived of a target for their vituperative slings. The new management might later provide one, but at present there was nothing to do except await developments. Without the inciting influence of radical leadership, labor is always reasonable, so there remained no obstacle to the proposal for arbitration which was promptly issued by the management.

Under these circumstances conditions gradually approached normal in the works. The strike-breakers were dismissed, the men returned to their machines, and the great industry of the town, as far as outward appearances went, proceeded at slackened speed but in due fashion as if no untoward event had threatened to destroy even its massive foundations. The smoke curling listlessly from the tall chimneys at first seemed ironical in its tranquility, but Norcross soon accepted it as a symbol that man is but a fleeting incident in the life of a community.

tranquil as the James Norton

Inside the works affairs were not as curling smoke might seem to indicate. had kept within himself so much of the routine of the business that to unravel it without his aid was a vexatious undertaking. Treadway proved to be of the greatest assistance, for he had stood nearest to the master, and possessed at least a superficial knowledge of the workings of the great man's mind. On him, therefore, fell the chief burden of the executive management, and he met his new responsibilities with an energy

and ability which delighted the Directors. Alec Sterling was fully competent to handle the manufacturing end of the business, so gradually affairs straightened out at least to the extent of conducting the Company without jeopardy until the proper successor to James Norton could be found.

II

Stewart, as chairman of the Board, was in no haste to discover this successor. Richard Norton, as his father's heir, was now the chief stockholder in the Company, and his wishes in the matter must be consulted. If Richard was acquitted, as Stewart believed he must be, there was much to say in favor of considering him as the logical incumbent of James Norton's position. This might mean a tempering of his advanced ideas or a revision of the attitude always taken by the Directors in their relations toward the employees, or a compromise between the two; but whatever might be the final outcome, Stewart was determined that Richard's interests in the Company should be carefully safeguarded.

In talking the matter over with Treadway, Stewart encountered his first obstacle. . . should Richard return, the former secretary made it quite clear that he would retire from the Company. Stewart realized that because of Treadway's value to the business this threatened action would carry much weight against his plan when presented to the Directors.

"Why do you take this attitude, Treadway?" he in

quired. "Had there been any trouble between you and Richard?"

"Not the slightest," was the emphatic response. "Personally I should be glad to see Dick take what seems to be his logical position in the Company, and I should be willing to work with him if I could. But the fact remains that we differ so radically in our ideas of conducting a business that our relations would be intolerable. I see nothing but failure ahead if his ideas were permitted to dominate, and of course I couldn't afford to injure my personal reputation by becoming part of a failure, even though I was in no way responsible for it."

"I am sorry to have you oppose me in this," Stewart said frankly; "my heart is set on it."

"Aren't we crossing our bridge before we come to it?" Treadway asked. "There is no question whatever that Richard shot his father. The only possible escape for him is through a plea of insanity, and if that prevails he will of course prefer to live anywhere rather than in Norcross. Whichever way the trial results, it seems to me that the facts themselves preclude the remotest possibility of his returning here."

"You may be right," Stewart admitted reluctantly, "but I fervently hope that you are not. Nothing but his own admission will ever convince me that Richard Norton is the guilty man."

"I fear your faith is based too much on Lola's confidence, Mr. Stewart; but the unfortunate facts remain." "There are no facts as yet beyond the murder itself. The evidence is purely circumstantial. ..

"You forget the gun . . .”

"But no one actually saw Richard use it . . . I understand that from a strategic position any one of four of you might have used it."

"I saw him fire the shot, Mr. Stewart!"

The older man started violently.

"You told me, in Lola's presence, that you did not see the shot fired."

Treadway regarded him steadily for a moment.

"I also made the same statement in my testimony before the Grand Jury," he said calmly.

"You would have done the same under similar circumstances. Richard Norton has been my friend. His father was my benefactor. The situation is desperate enough for Dick at best. Until now, I have kept my own counsel, for with the truth once shared by any one, the danger to Richard is increased. But I know that it is safe with you. I have told you in order to save you unnecessary embarrassment later, and to impress you with the importance of entering a plea of temporary insanity."

Stewart was staggered, and he glanced nervously around as if seeking some avenue of escape from the damning testimony he had just heard.

"I may have to make this statement at the trial," Treadway continued; "but I hope not. I am not afraid of suffering from perjury charges. Every one knows of my peculiar relation to the Norton family, and will appreciate the fact that I tried to protect my friend. If Richard's guilt is admitted, and his temporary irre