Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1909-12-31

kIl 3Ou 0O0V " CfCtJ "a y -
and under and 500 an inch for every
gun wei six inches turned u at the
factory. 1t will be a competence for
you. man. and you can quit your
drudgery and work for the rest of your
life as you please on your inventions.
Now. | have proved myself fair"
Marsh nodded apologetically.
81 wronged you. Mr.. Pinckney," he
said at last II see you intend to do
the fair thing. All right. l won't say
anything more"
But, remember said Pinekney
warnlngly, the least word and the
contract would be off. You must trust
me. And another thing"-he hesitated
a moment, then spoke meaningly-
'the contract will be nc good on earth
should the Sommers gun turn out to be
better thar the Rhinestrom gun"
Marsh nodded with the confidence of
the inventor In his own work.
THAT is "A chance we have to take.
but | think we will come out all right.
The Rhinestrom gun is a winner"
After the head draughtsman was
gone Pinckney pondered a long time.
Finally be called in his stenographer
and dictated to her a contract between
the Durant Steel company and Will
helm Rhinestrom by which the Durant
Steel company agreed to TAKE over tn"
Rhinestrom patents and pay the IT,
ventor $4,000 royalty on every gun six
inches or under and $1,000 an inch for
every additional inch above six. The
contract he signed as manager OF the
steel company. Then he sent a long
cable explaining what he had done to
Durant, although he knew Durant was
on the ocean and would not receive 1t.
That night in his own room the man.
ager figured just what he would make
-on every gun six inches and under
S5.4OO and 5000 for every additional
inch above six.
and at that" he said to himself
with a sneer. everybody will be hap
py. That fool Marsh will make his
5000 and his 500. That is enough
for him, and Durant car stand the
price. II means wealth and that girl.
too'-he paused. and a sinister light
came into his eyes-''if only that Som
mers gun Is a failure. ! wonder
George. l was ashamed Of you-posi-
lively ashamed of you. Your first night
home and you sit up at the table
and talk nothing but steel and ar
cenary and croop guns and that sort
of thing. and when W. have a guest
here too! | don't know what Lieuten-
ami Sommers thought of you"
Mrs. Durant spoke irritably. but her
husband, who knew her ideas on busi-
ness matters from long experience.
merely smiled with federation.
1t was the first night after his return
from a trip abroad on business, and
Sommers ard P~inckney had both beer
to dinner with the family.
"Now, now. my dear" the steel man
is interested In what | have to say. l.
he invents guns himself he ought to
be interested. and he certainly paid
attention.
Mrs Durant's lip curled.
paid attention. she shifted. II
guess he paid attention because you
are Frances father. not for any other
reason"
Durant pricked up his ears at once.
Frances fatherY' he asked. How
should that interest this fellowT
The father was plainly put out. he
had too long held the Idea that the
name of Durant in the steel world
would be perpetuated by the marriage
of Frances and his protege. Edward
Pinckney, for him to hear with equa-
nimity that a penniless naval officer
was paying her any attention.
"Now, look here, George Durant,"
exclaimed his wife Indignantly, don't
you dare to pretend yourself that
Frances is not attractive~
II never pretended any such thing"
he protested.
"You didr' she declared insistently.
"But. my dear
"Didn't you say you were surprised
that this naval man was paying her
attention? That's the same thing as
saying she's not attractive. and | want
to tell you that Frances is the pref
test girl In Pittsburg. even If she is
your daughter"
George Durant smiled placidly.
"Well. my dear, you see. she's bound
to be pretty. Think of her mother"
Nov. don't try to soft soap me just
because Pm your wife, George. Re-
member I've had twenty years of your
blarney and | recognize it"
"All right. my dear" he agreed.
Wen let 1t go at that. Let the naval
man pay attention to her. 1t won't
do him any good"
81 should hope notr" exclaimed his
wife piously. 1.-The Idea of any girl
marrying a man Who couldn't come
home nights more than one-tenth of
the time!"
Edward Pinckney entered from the
library. where he had been to arrange
ora4 ht.c4nocC paofforo for hic ohiaf