Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-01-25

w nat 90 you mean! uelLdHueu
Mortimer boarsely. what the devil
slo you mean by asking me If ! exI"act.
ed to find you here? If had, I'd not
have travelled down to your office to-
day to see you: I'd have come here for
you. Naturally people suppose that an
engaged man is likely to give up this
sort of thing"
Quarter. motionless white TO the
lips, turned his eyes from one to the
other. He looked .at Lydia, and his
lips moved you asked me to come
he said.
mo; you offered to. l wished to
talk to you over the wire. but'-her
lip curled, and she shrugged her Shout
ders-"you seemed to be afraid of
something or other"
Il couldn't talk to you in my own
house, with guests in the ROOM
Zone moment" interposed Mortimer
blandly. LAS long as | Travelled down
town to see you and find you here so
unexpectedly l may as well take ad-
vantage of this opportunity to regu-
late a little matter. You don't mind
our talking shop for moment, Lydia!
Thank you. It's just little business
matter between Mr.. Quarter and my
self, matter concerning few shares
of stock which l once held in one OF
his companies bought at par and tum-
bled to ten and What is the fraction.
Quarter? forget"
Quarter thought deeply for mo-
ment; then he raised his head. looking
full at Mortimer, and under his silky
beard an edge of teeth glimmered.
did you wish me to take back those
shares at par?" he asked.
Exactly! l knew you would!
knew you'd see it in that way" cried
Mortimer heartily. "Confound it all,
Quarter, I've always said you were
that sort of man; that you'd never let
a friend in ON the top floor and kick
him clear to the cellar. AS matter of
fact, sold out at 1925. Wait! Here's
pencil. Lydia. give me that pad On
your desk. Here you are, Quarter.
It's easy enough to figure out how
much you owe me. Lydia. would you
mind hunting up that check book l
left here before dim
He had made a mistake. The girl
flushed. He choked up and cast star
tied glance at Quarter. But Quarter
If he heard made no motion Of under
standing. Perhaps it had not been
necessary to convince him Of the con-
spiracy.
When he had finiS""d his figures he
reviewed them, tracing each total with
his pencils point; then quietly handed
the pad to Mortimer, who went over
it and nodded that it was correct.
Lydia rose. Quarter said, without
looking at her: II have blank check
with me. May use one OF these
pens?"
So he had brought check! Had he
supposed that check might be neces-
sary when Lydia called him up? Was
he prepared to meet any demand OF
hers, too, even before Mortimer APP
peared on the scene?
"As long as you have a check with
you, Howard" said Lydia quietly,
suppose you simply add to Mr.. Nor
timers amount what you had intended
to offer me-
He stared at her without answering.
THAT little remembrance for old
times sake. Don't you recollect"
NO" said Quarter.
why, Howard! Didn't you promise
me all sorts of things when | wanted
to go to your friend, Mr. Siward, and
explain that it was not his fault got
into the PATRONS club? Don't you re-
member l felt dreadfully that he was
expeled-that I was simply wild to
write to the governors and tell them
how took Merkle's clothes and drove
to the club and waited until l saw a
lot Of men go in and then crowded in
with the push?'
Mortimer was staring at Quarter out
of his protruding eyes. The girl lean
\ al Ia.