Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1910-04-01
invariably decided against those cursed

secret up his sleeve and had not even
set a value upon It?
Martin Ellison evidently saw the
Doubling Thomas in Dobell's eye. He
produced from an inner pocket q large
sheaf Of documents and h%arangued.
Some men can harangue with con-
viction. 1t Is the essence Of successful
oratory In every rank Of life-from
the man who gathers a crowd and sells
dozens Of useless girn-cracks in the
street to the man whose ~glibness de.
ceives ON electorate and gets him into
Parliament. Dobell's visitor had the
gift In abundance, and he turned it, so
to speak, full tap on. Dobell felt that
he was in danger Of being submerged
beneath the flood.
A"But-" he protested for the sixth
time.
Ellison flourished a paper before
Dobell's eyes.
Mark the signature on that!' he
cried with emphasis.
The signature looked like the trail
of a fly hat had been w%rathfully beat
ing its way home after sudden INNER
sion in an ink-pot, but Dobell was pre-
pared to be properly impressed.
"Of course. you recognize it?'
We'll, l don't collect autographs,
and it's not absolutely familiar"
Ellison chanted the full and august
name of IN engineering authority OF
whom even Dobell had heard.
Really" he observed.
Yes, and you can read for yourself
what he says"
The report-luckily, in a different
handwriting-was clothed in severe
technique, but the ommon words that
occasionally occurred were Of an en-
couraging and yer enthusiastic char
acter. 1t was hardly likely that an
engineer of such eminence would COM
NIT himself to SO definite a statement
If there were nothing in the thing.
Il know what you are thinking of.
You would like to meet the author Of
that report?"
"Precisely!" returned Dobell.
Nothing easier! l can bring him
here any evening next week you like
to name. We shall have a model with
us that will give ocular demonstration
in the Anti-Skid in action"
Dobell's hopes began to rise. They
were getting from theory to fact now,
and the atmosphere was clearer. But
one small doubt obtruded itself.
May 1 ask n thing? Why have
you not got your friend-this engineer
Ito take up the thing for you?'
For a very simple reason! Don't
you know hat he is Head Engineer
to the biggest Tube Railway system in
London? The Tubes and the omnibus
es are now, as o know, at daggers
drawn; the battle of the fares is being
holly ragged. Picture the situation If
he-the servant of the Tubes-had
anything to do with an invention that
would pave the way for buses! Why,
his position wouldn't be worth a
months screw!"
The explanation was more than sat.
isfactory.
"Im engaged on Monday" said Do
bell. Shall we say Tuesday night at
s:30?"
1T will suit me perfectly"
Il shall take the liberty Of asking a
friend of mine in. He's a bit OF a me-
chanic and a wealthy man. AS a large
shareholder in the Rearguard Omnibus
Company he has been looking very
dismal lately, and will be extraordi-
narily interested in your invention"
my dear Mr.. Dobell, the arrange
ment is a perfect one. Tuesday night
at half-past s, then! ! cannot sufi-
GENTLY express my sense Of obligation
~ vN,, .. Ac n cr,o11 rof,,rr no,Iox,
you will allow me to christen the in
vention the Dobell Anti-Skid. l don't
care two straws for fame myself. My
very dear sir, goodnight" y
He was gone. Dobell sat down, his
eyes cleaning.
Clearly the man was no impostor.
Judged by infallible City standards, an
impostor would certainly have borrow
ed ten shillings to tide him over till
Tuesday. He had not even suggested
arriving in time for dinner on Tues
day evening. The nan was wholly gen.
uine and sincere, If a little simple.
Dobell lit his pipe, and a fairy pal
ace reared itself through the tobacco
smoke. He was going to get even with
those Nicholsons. Fame such as theirs
-ay, greater than theirs-was acre
within his grasp. He would marry
Beryl and yet hold his head proudly
aloft. In the Nicholson courts of fame
other celebrities would speak his name
with bated breath.
The Dobell Anti-Skid was going
down to posterity with the Gladstone
bag and Macadam pavement.
Four hours later Arthur Dobell en-
tered the Nicholson portals with a de-
lightful sense of elation.
Those famous names, the majority
grotesquely mispronounced by the but
Ter at the door, did not appall him in
the least. At his own announcement
not a head had turned, as usual. but
this time the neglect was powerless to
affect him. A little while, and Arthur
Dobell, of Anti-Skid fame, would be
the center of all eyes. He would be
able to greet many of those celebrities
with the merest nod; some he would
absolutely cut. The prospect was deli
cious.
Beryl's father greeted him in a
manner that was-for the professor
distinctly exaggerated.
MY dear Arthur, l was afraid l
might never see you here again."
Dobell Redeemed, Had his face re-