The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-31
Ou~ B lily Sbcrt Story

/"None at all" replied Pelham. Heartily. f
 Then if come to you with an ann pie fortune--you to be the judge as to size--and Grace will consent, you will withdraw your objections" The manufacturer hesitated. With in how long timer" he asked. You know time is the essence of con- tract"
 Within six months" replied the young man, cooIly. A mighty light had flashed across his mental vision dur Ing the conversation.
 "Yes," responded Pelham, much re-
 lieved. "only no ,edgagement or un- derstanding, mind"
 And so it was left. Dillman was ac-
 corded one interview with Grace upon promise that no further relations were
 to be held during the six months. They parted with much suppressed joy on Dillmafl's face. Pelham, also, was overcome with suppressed chuckles
 over his port and cigar. So everybody seemed content.
 On the following morning Dillman rented a small room in big building devoted to pattern makers and ma- chine, shops. He put a strong lock on
 the ddor and plunged into work which
 kept jnlm in the shop sometimes for twenty hours Il day As he drilled and
 turned and screwed and fitted and
 braced and riveted, he would chuckle to himself and the burden of fhis
 chuckle was this:
 fThe old fool, let me out with the problem only half solved. And the unsolved part of as much importance
 as that solved. And me holding the key to the whole solution. By the time he gets his new Pelham Excel sior Reaper on the market, I think there1l be patents out for the | Dill
 man Reaper that will put his new ma chine as far in the rear as his will nut the new ones now on the market
 Just two missing links and I've got 1t" Four months later Dillman stood be- fore two completed reapers and watch ed with a mothers delight the perfect workings of all the intricate parts. Its taken a month longer than l expected he said to himself, "but can fit the new improvement to the
 Pelham machine or any of the others. On the same day Pelham read two alarming things. One was the copy or A patent just issued to Arthur Dill- man for certain improvements in reap CTS He turned pale as he realized that it absolutely relegated his new
 machine to the dump heap.
 'gThe scroundreI!" he exclaimed. ITO leave me knowing all the time that this could be done" And he did not blush.
 The other thing he read was small paragraph in the daily paper announc- ing the issuing of a license to ineor- porate "The Dillman Reaper company with a capital stock of $1,00o,000. The incorporators were Arthur Dillman, Ira Heminway and Cortland Brock-Jones'
 Ira Hemingway was a member or firm of corporation lawyers allied with
 Pelham's most bitter rival. Brock Jones was a son of one of the wealth. fest families in the city. Pelham groaned in spirit. He saw his own
 business doomed and his great invest
 ment consisting of nearly all his for
 tune, wiped out. Then with the de-
 cision which had won him success he sent for Dfllman. Dillman was too busy to come so he went to Dillman-
 "is your stock all subscribedT he
 asked.
 "No." replied Dillman. "Brock-Jones wants all the other half---I retain half' you know-and Hemingway's folks
 want 1t, too. So they are fighting 1t out"
 'T'n tell you what I'll do, Arthur"
 said Pelham. 'I'll put in my enprs
 wosk'. patents, business and all againsr | your patent. The plant Is worth a million and the business Is well organ ized It's a big offer, but I've got to
 have that patent or go down."
 Would a half interest in your busi- ness and my patent make me sufft- cIently wealthy to be fit husband for Grace?' asked Dillman, innocently.
 Tt would" replied MT. Pelham,
 solemnly.