The Irish standard., 1897-02-20
..,Ihat ID ! harsh word. Mr.. Thorn.

+ ."rllat ID . harsh Mr. Thorn.
dyke ~.
Possibly, but it has the merit Of
truth
''Are you prepared to act for your
client in this matter"
II am his attorney in fact"
"What is your proposition?"
II will execute quit-claim on the
part Of my client, and will sarrender
the forged deed, upon the payment OF
$1,000 in cash or in bankable funds"
Sharpless sprang to his feet with an
oath, and Fench had almost reached
the door when Philip stopped him.
Don't go just yet, Mr.. Fench; there's
an officer in the corridor, and he has
his instructions"
The manager crept back to his chair
again, and Sharpless sat down. "That
was a good joke of yours, Mr.. Thorn
dyke" he said, with an unpleasant
smile. "Of course you know that the
original value of the land was next to
nothing
II don't care to argue that point Or
any other The question between us is
simply this: will you pay me 100000,
or shall I give you in charge for forg-
ery?'
While Thorndyke was speaking.
Sharpless was swaying gently back and
forth in the pivot-chair, with his right
arm lying upon the desk. In the little
interval of silence that followed, tho
fingers of the idle hand sought the knob
of small drawer under the pigeon
holes. When he began to speak the
lawyers voice was smooth and passion
less. LET us assume, for the sake OF
example, that what you say OF US is
true; that we are the interruptions viii
lains that your Indictment presup-
poses" The hand on the desk was me-
chanically opening and closing the
drawer, and Philip saw CLINT OF
anticipating among the papers. 'As.
suming this, doesn't it strike you that
you are little rash in coming here to
threaten us?" The idling hand dropped
carelessly into the open drawer and lay
quiescent.
Philip ignored the hypothetical
menace, and kept his eyes fixed upon
the motionless hand.
evidence is always dangerous
weapon, Mr.. sharpless," he said, quiet.
ly, land you will agree with me that
when 1t becomes necessary to employ
It, hesitation is not to be too strongly
deprecated. I'll trouble you to close
that drawer"
In the duel of words Sharpless had
been refectively measuring the dis
lance between himself and the coat
pocket into which Philip had slipped
his hand at the beginning of the inter-
view. The deductions were evidently
upon the side Of prudence, for he shut
the drawer with snap and turned away
from the desk.
"Going back to the original question
your demand is unreasonable; and il
It were not, there is not such an
amount as you name in all the banks
in the city,
"probably not; and, in any event, I
should prefer your draft on New York,
secured by mortgage on all the prop
erty Of the company in Chilmath
county"
ooh, you would? '' sharpless was los
ing his self-control. perhaps You
think own the property in fee simple.
You ought to know, if you know any
thing at all, that should have to SUBJ
nit the matter to our New York Of
hcers."
Knowing that he had the sword in.
Philip could not refrain from twisting
it little in the wound. "From my
point of view, that would seem to be
the last thing you'd care to do. You
could scarcely afford to give the facts
in the case, you know, and don't see
how anything else would answer. How
ever, that is all beside the mark. know
that you have the authority to sign
papers and to transfer propcrty"-he
looked at his watch-''my time is linn
tied, gentlemen; which is it to be, an
amicable settlement or-let us not
mince matters-the chain gang?"
For the first time during the inter-
view Fench reused himself to speak.
"For Gods sake, sharpless, don't trihe
with him; give him what he wants."
None the less, sharpless fought des-
perately, contesting every inch of
ground. It would take time to draw
up the papers; he must at least be al.
lowed to telegraph New York; he had
no idea that his draft would be honored
without explanations. To all of which
Philip turned deaf ear and pointed
inexorably to the alternative. He must
have the draft and the security, or the
law should be allowed to- take it's
course. When it finally came down TO
mere question of the time required
for the preparation of the papers,
Philip produced draft and mortgage
ready for signature, together with Il
ouit-claim deed signed by himself as
attorney in fact for John Kilgrow.
"You have notary within CALL" he
said; 'have him come in and witness
your Signatures.
The managers clerk was summoned,
and when Fench had written his name
with trembling fingers under the
scrawling signature of the attorney,
the clerk filled out the attestation, and
the mortgage and the draft were hand
ed to Thorndyke. Sharpless dismissed
the young man CURLY when His duty
was performed and turned irascibly
upon his successful opponent
"You will remember that this was
your own proposition" he said, angri-
<~:,o 70; ,r-o ;,o hot you'll