Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-04-07

i my nearing ana ! picKed tnem ups 1, That's all"
 "It is fearfully short-the time.
 mean" he said after another pause.
 We can't count on any help from
 any one in authority. Guilford's
 broom has swept the high-salaried of- fcial corners clean. But the wage-
 people are mutinous and ripe for any"
 thing. I'll go and find out where
 we stand" And he groped on the floor of the veranda for his hat.
 ''No, wait a minute" she interposed.
 We are not quite ready to adjourn l yet. There remains little matter of
 compensation your compensation-to
 be considered. You are still on the
 company's pay-rolls?' l "In a way, yes; as it's legal repre-
 sentative on the ground" That won't do. If you carry this thing through successfully it must be : on your own account, and not as the company's paid servant. You must resign and make terms with Boston beforehand; and that, too, without tell ing Boston what you propose to do."
 He haggled a little at that "The compahy is entitled to my ser vices," he asserted.
 "It is entitled to what it pays for your legal services But this is en- | tirely different. You will be acting ! upon your own initiative, and you'll have to spend money like water at your own risk. You must be free to ; deal with Boston as an outsider" But have no money to spend," he objected.
 Again the brown eyes grew lumi- nous; and again she said: What would you do without me? Happily. my information came early enough to enable me to get letter to MT. Ormsby. He answered promptly by wire this morning. Here Is his tele- gram"
 She had. been winding tightly folded slip of paper around her fingers, and she smoothed it out and gave it to him. He held 1t in a patch of the electric light between the dancing leaf shadows and read:
 Plot Number Two approved. Have wired one hundred thousand to Rents order Security Bank. Have him draw as he needs"
 "So now you see," she went on, you have the sinews of war. But you must regard it as an advance and name your fee to the Boston folk so you can pay it back"
 He protested again, rather weakly.
 ''It looks like extortion; like another graft" he said; and now she lost pa tience with him.
 "Of all the Puritan fanatics!" she cried. "If it were simple commer-. cial transaction by which you would save your clients a round $70,00O, 900. which would otherwise be lost, would you scruple to take a proportionate fee?"
 No; certainly not"
 "Well, then; you go and tell Mr. Lo- r'1g to wire his Advisory Board, and to do 1t tonight"
 ''But I'll have to name a figure" said Kent.
 "Of course," she replied. i|
 Kent thought about it for long minute. Then he said: 'T wonder if 10000, and expenses, would paralyze them?"
 Miss Van Brooks comment wAs ait tie shriek of derision.
 'I knew you'd make difficulties when it came to the paying part of it. and since I didn't know, myself. wired Mir. Ormsby again. Here is what he says" and she untwisted a second tel egram and read it to him. Fee should not be less than five per cent. of bonded indebtedness; four-fifth in stock at par; one-fifth cash; no cure, no pay"
 Three million five hundred thou sand dollars!" gasped Kent
 "It's only nominally that much" she laughed. "The stock part of it is mere- ly your guaranty of good faith: it is worth next to nothing now, and it will be many long day before it goes to par, even if you are successful in sav- ing it's life. So your magnificent fee shrinks to $700,0O0, less your expen- ses."
 But heavens and earth! that's aw- full" said Kent.
 Not when you consider it as sur geon's risk. You happen to be the one l man who has the idea. and if 1t isn't | carried out, the patient is going to die | tomorrow night, permanently. You are the specialist in this case, and spe- cialists come high. Now you may go and attend to the preliminary details, if you like"
 He found his hat and stood up. She stood with him; but when he took her hand she made him sit down again.
 You have at least three degrees of fever!" she exclaimed: GOT is it only the s3.500.000 shock? What have you been doing to yourself?"
 Nothing. I assure you. haven't been sleeping very we'll for a few nights. But that is only natural"
 And I said you must have a cool head, Will you do exactly as I tell you to?"
 "'If you don't make 1t too hard"
 Take the car dovn-town-don't walk-and after you have made Mir. Loring send his message to Boston, you 70 straight to Dr. Riddle. Tell him what is the matter with you. and that you need to sleep the clock around"
 But the time!" he protested. "I shall need every hour between now and tomorrow nishti"
 "One eIear-headed hour is worth