er in the Cramp
Shipbuilding Company. I will not be back for several days."

"And what about the election?" deliberately replied Clayton, now
anxious to draw his enemy out. "I have nothing to do with that,"
said Ferris, dropping his eyes to veil a slight agitation. "Wade
has all that in charge, and he has given Somers his proxy."

"I thought that you held Worthington's private power of attorney,"
stoutly said Randall Clayton.

"Only for his outside matters, Clayton," coaxingly said Ferris.
"The fact is, we may expect many changes. Hugh has several plans
of great importance in his mind.

"Yes; I have lived in an atmosphere of change for some time, Ferris,"
said Clayton, bluntly. "I have only been waiting for your return
to consult with you about giving up our joint apartment.

"I reserved that privilege on May 1st, and you can either keep the
rooms or sublet them. I have paid the rental for the last three
months in your absence."

"See here, Clayton," sharply said Ferris, throwing off the mask.
"I am not a man for any mysteries. I don't know why I should be
forced to tell you things that I do not know myself.

"Now, I will be several days busy with these outside matters at
Philadelphia. You had the one opportunity of your life the other
day.

"I expect that you will have reconsidered your refusal to Wade,
to obey Hugh Worthington's orders by my return."

"So you know all about it, do you?" fiercely retorted Randall Clayton.
"I fancied that Wade was dealing directly with Hugh, himself, by the
tone of the Chief's letters and the telegrams which I have received."

"The matter has been referred to me," hotly answered Ferris, who
dared not openly use his new power. "But I will not wait here to
discuss this matter. I may miss my train."

Arthur Ferris sharply rang a bell, and then, with a nod of recognition,
directed the young Einstein to take his traps down stairs and call
him a carriage.

The door clanged and the two secret enemies were left facing each
other.

"I had fancied," said Clayton, bitterly, "that a lifetime spent
in Hugh Worthington's service would at least win me a dismissal at
first hands.

"Wade has tried to force me to throw up a position for which I was
previously named by Worthington. I imagined that the Chief was
really going abroad. He seems to have changed his plans. I have no
means of reaching him direct.

"And now, sir, you will find the keys of our rooms with the janitor
on y