Carnac's Folly, Volume 1.

it was that a thing was done without which there might have been no real story t

It was a real figure of the river, buoyant, daring, almost vicious. The head was bare; there were plain gold rings in the ears; and the stark, half-malevolent eyes looked out, a

ips were curled in a half-cynical mood. The old look of activity was fading; something vital had struck soul and body. He ha

nctive; his capacity for organization was rare, and he had health unbounded and serene. It was hard to tell what were the principles controlling Tarboe-there was always an element of suspicion in his brown and brilliant eyes. Yet he loved work.

is arm, smiling and self-contained, it seemed as thoug

that out of the river- life. That's one of the best men you ever had, and he's only one of a thousand. He doesn't belong

up the accounts for the year," he said. "It's been the best year I've had in seven. I've taken the starch

e use, hasn't he?" was

It's my record. That's what I'm worth. That's what you might have handled!" He took a cigar from his pocket, cut off the blunt end, and continued: "You threw your chance aside." He tapped the paper with the point of the cigar. "That's what Tarboe has helped do. What have you got to show?" He poi

of the match gave a curious, fantastic glimmer to his powerful, weird, hagg

a drift of snow," the only thing worth doing is making the

e's a Minister, and he can make you rich or poor by planning legislation at Ottawa that'll benefit or hamper you. That's the kind of business that's worth doing-seeing into the future, fashioning laws that make good men happy and bad men afraid. Don't I know! I

to Paris,' eh!" interr

uebec. How long did it take you to make tha

ke that for three hours out of the six. He was great, but

have a sense of Hell. That prevents you from spoiling y

with a smile. He lit a cigarette. "You do your job in style. It's been

business, and the fundamental thing is to have machinery to work with when you start life. I

id Carnac, with admiration

r had a grip upon essentials lacking in himself; he had his tooth in the orange, as it were, and was sucking the juice of good prof

with savage instincts could work successfully with John Grier; he knew that Grier was without mercy in his business, and that his best year's work had been marked by a mandatory power

a horse and lungs like the ocean. When he's got a thing, he's got it like a nail in a branch of young elm. He's a dandy, that fellow." Suddenly passion came to his eyes. "You might have done it, you've got the brains, and the sens

n that a man should stick to one thing, if he finds out he's been wrong ab

face. Something came into his eye

our chance with me, and you threw it

rned Carnac. "I've paid my own wa

gh to make a prince rich, and if I'd been treated right by those I brought into the world I'd be worth twice as much. Fabian was good as far as he went, but he was a coward. You"-

g up of your bank balance. The only thing that could have induced me to work in your business is the looking ahead and planning, seeing the one thing to be played off against the other, the fighting of strong men, the politics,

words with an intensity

in his eyes. A cloud s

hanged Tarboe, had not altered his sturdy, strenuous nature. His brown eyes under the rough thatch of his eyebrow took in the room with lightn

tood. "Go ahead.

it till I'm introduced

rb

ds called Carnac, had points worthy of respect. On the instant, there was admiration on the part of each-admiration and dislike. Carnac liked the new-comer for his healthy bearing, for the iron hardness of his head, and for the intelligence of his dark eyes. He di

rave independence, a fervid, and perhaps futile, challenge to all the world. Tarboe understood that this young man had a frankness dangerous to the business of life, yet w

to himself, "it's a woman. H

one else had done-he had pierced the c

rked Carnac civilly. "He says"-pointing to Jo

oss his face. "I don't think we've lost anything c

push the brush and use the chisel, don't you?" asked T

the brush," answered Carnac

d pointing to the statue of the riverman. Carnac nodded. "Ye

s knee-boots, with their muddied soles, and then at the statue again

the old man: "It's good news I've got. I've made

ed the other with a gr

ve made the contracts wit

d the old man. Tarboe nodd

ne in the time." Grier rubbed his hands cheerfully. "That's a

oul was free from malice. Evidently Tarboe was a man of power. R

in his hand. "Mrs. Grier said to give you th

and the handwriting on the letter brought trouble to his eyes. He composed h

left his face. "Good God!" he said to himself. Then he put the paper in his po

er seemed to get him in

with s

imself also. He had wondered why Carnac and Junia Shale had not come to an u

," said John Grier. "I