It
lacked five minutes of two. He passed Shirley Sumner in the general
office.
"Shirley," Pennington began in a hoarse voice as she entered his
office, "what is the meaning of this directors' meeting you have
requested?"
"Be seated, Uncle Seth," the girl answered quietly. "If you will only
be quiet and reasonable, perhaps we can dispense with this directors'
meeting which appears to frighten you so."
He sat down promptly, a look of relief on his face.
"I scarcely know how to begin, Uncle Seth," Shirley commenced sadly.
"It hurts me terribly to be forced to hurt you, but there doesn't
appear to be any other way out of it. I cannot trust you to manage my
financial affairs in the future--this for a number of reasons, the
principal one being--"
"Young Cardigan," he interrupted in a low voice.
"I suppose so," she answered, "although I did think until very
recently that it was those sixteen townships of red cedar--that crown
grant in British Columbia in which you induced me to invest four
hundred thousand dollars. You will remember that you purchased that
timber for me from the Caribou Timber Company, Limited. You said it
was an unparalleled investment. Quite recently I learned--no matter
how--that you were the principal owner of the Caribou Timber Company,
Limited! Smart as you are, somebody swindled you with that red cedar.
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