uld hold our
conference on his yacht, the _Now-Then_, at that time one of the fastest
steam-yachts afloat.

It was a night of memorable beauty. In the golden light of a dazzling
sunset we flew up the majestic Hudson. From under the awning I watched
the serried edges of the Palisades as we slipped swiftly by them to the
broad reaches of tinted waters above Yonkers. Every natural influence
conspired to make acute to me the warning whisper of my soul, which
flashed the caution as I crossed the gang-plank, "Watch out!" But, as I
said before, Fate hangs no red lights at the cross-roads of a man's
career, and I plunged recklessly into the toils my Mephistophelian
companion so artfully wove around me.

The _Now-Then_ was hardly in mid-stream before Addicks had got down to
business. His demeanor had changed since the previous evening. All his
bravado had disappeared; he was simple, frank, direct, and, in the
manner of one who has made a mistake and regrets it, he commenced
without any delay:

"I didn't think last night I'd pay your price, Lawson. It staggered me a
bit, but I gave it considerable thought after you left, and when this
morning's prices showed me you were again on the war-path, I saw my
error."

"Mr. Addicks," said I, "let's have no fooling about this matter. If we
do business together, it will only be after there is some
plain--brutally plain talk between us. It will do no good to trick,
because some one will get slaughtered when the trickery is discovered,
as it surely would be, after we hitched up together."

Then, straight from the shoulder, free from all attempt to gloss over
the raw truth, I detailed to him the things I knew he had done to his
former associates, and it was a tale of unbroken duplicity and
double-dealing on his part, loss and misery for his lieutenants, and
profits and curses for him. I ended by saying: "If we get together,
Addicks, it will be upon my terms, and I'll see to it that you never put
me in the position in which you have put all the others you've been
connected with. I don't trust you and I'll watch you all the time."

When I had finished Addicks looked at me sadly with a wounded,
"how-this-man-has misjudged-me" expression in his eyes.

"Lawson," he said, "you were never more mistaken in your life, but it's
a matter I don't want to argue about. You'll tell me you were all wrong
after you know me better. I'll do business with you--yes, and I'll allow
you to make your own ter