It was difficult to quiet the dying man, for, in his last hour, the clean streak in him had come out uppermost, and he was beside himself in his desire to prevent any hurt coming to the girl, Heloise Reys.
But he was quieted in the end. Suddenly he seemed to realize that he was about to die, and he ceased to rave and struggle. Abruptly he lay quiet.
“A fool all the time,” he said with a wry grin upon Seadon. “I muddled my life; I’m going to muddle my death if I’m not careful. Sit down beside me and listen. I’m going to straighten things out while I can.”
It was then that Clement heard the full story of the plot against Heloise Reys. It had been planned very much as he had thought.
Henry Gunning, a wastrel, had fallen into the power of Adolf Neuburg and his gang. One day Gunning had read in the paper a notice of the death of Heloise’s father. He had forgotten all about Heloise, but that paragraph had recalled their boy and girl affair, and, being the man he was, he had bragged, declaring that he might marry a millionairess if he chose.
Adolf Neuburg had in this way learned the whole story and seen its possibilities. He had at once begun to plot. He had arranged for the purchase of worthless mining claims, and had dictated the letter with which Gunning reawakened the girlhood emotions in Heloise’s heart. Then he had gone to England, bought out the old companion and seen that Méduse took her place, and so on through the story.
But the object all through was money, insisted Gunning. They had meant Heloise to sign away first the cash and securities she had brought to Canada, and then they hoped to get hold of the rest of the million. He was to make love to Heloise, even marry her to attain this end—but murder her, No!
He died on that profession of guiltlessness in the major crime. It had been impossible to argue with him, as well as useless. A muddler of his sort could not see the logical end to the plot. Could not see that the simplified end was to kill Heloise rather than turn her loose penniless, as seemed to be Gunning’s vague idea.
And his ignorance of what was being done to the motor boat supported his contention.