The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1895-02-14

face.
and there among the wires. Brown
stood impassive, with critical eyes,
There was a sharp bur from the ma
chine. The huge yellow wings gave
convulsive flap; then another; then a
third, slower and stronger, with a fuller
sweep; then fourth, which filed the
barn with blast of driven air. At the
fifth the bag of bricks began to dance
upon the trestles. At the sixth it sprang
into the air and would have fallen to
the ground, but the seventh came in
time to save it and fluttered forward
through the air. Slowly rising, it flap.
ped heavily round in circle, like some
great clumsy bird, filling the barn with
its buzzing and whirring In the uncer-
tain yellow light Of the single lamp it
was strange to see the loom of the un-
calmly thing Tapping off into the shad.
ows and then circling back into the mar.
row zone Of light.
The two men stood for awhile in ST.
lence. Then Perioord threw his long
arms up into the air. ''It acts!" he
cried. ''The Brown-Pericord motor
actsl' He danced about like mailman
in his delight. Browns eyes twinkled,
and he began to whistle.
"See how smoothly it goes, Brownp
cried the inventor. "And the rudder-.
how we'll it acts! We must register it
tomorrow"
His comrades face darkened and set.
1T is registered, he said, with fore
ed laugh.
"RegisteredW said Pericord Greg
istered!" He repeated the word first in
q whisper and then in kind of scream.
"Who has dared to register my inven-
tion?''
II did it this morning. There is
nothing to be excited about 1t is all
right"
"You registered the motor? Under
whose name?"
"Under my own," said Brown sui
lenly. II consider that have the best
right to it.
"And my name does not appear2''
'No, butt
"You villainP' screamed Pericord
"You thief and villain! You would
steal my worki You would filch my
creditl will have that patent back if
have to tear your throat out" A som.
ber fire burned in his black eyes, and
his hands writhed themselves together
with passion. Brown was no coward,
but he shrank back as the other advanc.
ed upon him.
Keep your hands off, he said,
drawing knife from his pocket. ~
will defend myself if you attack me-"
"You threaten mel" cried Pericord,
whose face was livid with anger. "You
are bully as we'll as a cheat. Will
you give up the patent?'
''No, will not. -
Brown, say, give it up
81 will not did the work. -
Pericord sprang madly forward, with
blazing eyes and clutching fingers. His
companion writhed out of his grasp
but dashed against the packing case,
over which he fell. The lamp was ex.
tinguished and the whole barn plunged
into darkness. A single ray of moon
light, shining through a narrow chink
f1ickered over the great waving fans as
they came and went.
| Wa Jou SAsO w eho poe0dSs
Brown?''
! There was no answer. "Will you
! give it up?" Again no answer. Not a
sound save the humming and breaking
overhead. A cold pang Of fear and doubt
struck through Perioord's heart. He
felt aimlessly about in the dark, and
his fingers closed upon hand. It was
cold and unresponsive With all his
anger turned to icy horror, he struck a
match, set the lamp up and lit it.
Brown lay huddled up upon the other
side Of the packing case Pericord seized
him in his arms. and with convulsive
strength lifted him across. Then the
mystery Of his silence was explained.
He had fallen with his right arm dou.
bled up under him. and his own weight
had driven the knife deeply into his
body. He had died without q groan.
The tragedy had been sudden, horrible
and complete.
Perioord sat silently ON the edge Of
tha oaaa staring hlanklv down and ahiv.