Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-12-06

what 1 pay for patentsy" exclaimed
Durant angrfly.
Bradley, still unrufded, turned to
Marsh with a smile.
Suppose you tell him, Marsh he
suggested.
Nothing at all, SIR" the inventor
muttered hastily.
Pinckney would have broken In
again. but the detective stopped him
sharply with a gesture
wait, Marsh, can you tell me
straight to my face that it would mean
nothing to you to know that Mr.. Du-
rant pays a royalty for the Rhinestrom
gun of a thousand dollars an inchT
An expression Of amazement swept
over the face Of the badgered witness.
zone thousand?' he gasped; then he
stopped short, looking at Pinckney
venomously. The chief conspirator
caught the look and realized its dam
ger.
MARSH won't believe" he cried has
thy. But again Bradley cut in, STEP
ping between Pinckney and the wit
ness so that neither could see the
other.
Keep quiet, Mr. Pincmey," he de-
manded sternly. 81 can prove what I
say. Now, Marsh, what do you say to
a royalty of a thousand dollars an
inchY'
The little man was past the stage of
fear now. He saw the whole trick.
He realized how he had been duped.
He had only to tell the truth and ruin
both Pinckney and himself, but then
he hesitated. To tell the truth-what
would that mean? 1t would mean
state prison possibly and disgrace
And Marsh was not big enough to take
a great revenge. Finally he looked
down
Nothing" he said at last
''Nothing" demanded Bradley.
Again Mr. Durant interfered.
''AIr. Bradley" he exclaimed sharp
lions or your attitude. / can't for the
life Of me see what you are getting
at"
81 can" supplemented Pinckney,
sneering. I've had experience with
Mr.. Bradley's style of bluff"
Bradley paid no attention to the gen
eral manager. but turned, speaking to
Mr. Durant, but looking at Marsh.
Il will explain. Mr.. Durant. Lieu
tenant Sommers is an honest man. II
is to him and the girl he loves that MIR.
Pinckney and your wife and l and
score of others owe our lives. Tomor-
row he is to answer in Washington for
an accident in which two men were
killed and others MANNED and crippled
for life. One man is totally blind" A
sharp intake of breath and gasp of
horror from Marsh made him pause.
then repeat over solemnly with en-
phasis: "One forever and ever blind,
a lad Of twenty, who must grope his
way through this world to the end of
his way Marsh was shuddering now,
for the picture brought up to him that
other lad OF twenty, his own son. who
had died blind. With inexorabIe cool
ness Bradley continued:
81 know Lieutenant Sommers is
blameless in this affair, and l am here
to find some one to answer the cry of
Justice which comes through the tears
and sobs of the mothers, sisters and
sweethearts of those boys. And III
find him, Mr.. Durant; I'll find him"
A pitiful picture was Marsh, half
stopped, half crouched. shuddering
with horror at the thought of what he
had helped to do. Frances saw and
completely misunderstood his attitude
Her eyes filed with tears of sympathy.
She stepped over and put he- hand
gently on the arm Of the shuddering
man.
Mr.. Bradley. I beg Of you not to
question AR. Marsh any further" she
pleaded I'm sure if Mr.. Marsh knew
anything about the forging he would
tell you. No one knows the horrors of
that accident better than he. No one
could know. He had a son who was
blinded fr~an accident
Her voice grew very gentle as she
continued: II was with him at his
boys bedside when he died. l know
the anguish that he felt then" She
let her arm slip gently around the old
mans shoulder. And 1 know If there
was anything to tell he''-
She got no further for, with a shuc
dering cry of terrible anguish. tt
man drew away from her arm.
Don't" he moaned-'don't say any
more. l can't stand it. I'm going to
strip my soul naked to God and end
this"
He stood up straight to face Brad
ley. no longer the frightened. shud-
dering coward, with guilty secret.
but man who had done wrong and
knew it, a repentant sinner eager to
tell all. There was a look not merely
of anguish. but almost of exaltation. on
bis face. Pinckney saw st and made
his last desperate appeal
Here. Marsh1' he shouted sharply
But the little man u,oa ras+ hts a.