The Washington times., 1911-01-30
, tered and looked questioningly a

tered and looked questioningly at
you underestimate had to do it?'
YES" said Doavid. taking the hand
| he held out.
Rogers sent Tom out on an errand
After the boy had gone. anger slow
/ ly lit its fires in Rogers thin white
cheeks.
''The hardest part of 1t all is.
out fiercely. you don't know how
heavy and revolving this mask OF dis
cretion. Of control. OF subserviency.
been kicked out. stamped on! All! to
be afraid of nothing the
greatest thing in the worldr
He stood leaning on his frightened
eyes blazing across at David. But
after a moment the red flame began
TO die from his eyes, and face,
There's something 1 want to say to
you"
They took chairs. i've been thinking
OF a plan for several weeks, and I
ers began. LAS you know, the land syn
| dicate that's been secretly buying land
| up along the Palisades has been sending
| its agents to me. The syndicate is still
keeping itelf in the dark, but I've
learned that it's called the New Jersey
| Home Company, and that Alexander
Chambers is its president. The active
work of making a deal with them has
gust begun, and the deal ought to come
| to a head in month or six weeks"
He paused and gaZed steadily at Da-
vid, his thin face drawing with despair.
Then he said in a low voice:
Haven't you noticed-during the last
year-Tve been losing strengthT'
David nodded.
"Yes-these prison lungsw he breathed,
with fierce bitterness. Il saw my doctor
last week. He told me that IN this cli-
mate 1 might last a year. a little more,
little less. If went to Colorado or
New Mexico, might last several years.
might even get well. That's what l
want to do-fnish up this deal, then
drop everything and go West.
He told me I must do no work: and
keep away from excitement. knew
that already. Yet this deals going to
mean a lot of both. 1 simply haven't
got the strength to see 1t through.
must have some one to help me-and
want that some one to be you"
know the first thing about real es-
tate"
You don't need to. The chief thing
will be just to stick to the price I set
can do that. And Mr. Hoffman will
help some; he's got little interest in
the deal"
But my record. They'll doubtless
learn ABOUT IL. Aren't you AFRAID that
may endanger you?'
Il count that they'll say I've taken
you in to give you a new chance in
life-and perhaps think no more about
it. As for the danger, I'd rather have
a man l can trust whose record they
who may find out my record-and tell"
David nodded. Il see your point"
You'll be with me. won't your
Can drowning man refuse a rope
thrown him?"
They shook hands.
The financial situation is like this"
Rogers went on. In nv option I guar
anteed the owners to sell the land for
$ll5,OOO; had to guarantee high to keep
the land. / am to have half of all 1
get over that amount, and, in addition,
an agents commission of per cent of
the sale price. l am demanding from
the syndicate a very much larger price
than it has been paying for similar
tracts. And I'll get my price, too-for
they must have the land; and, besides,
the price is fair; much less than the !
land is worth to the syndicate. I'm
asking S150O0O
thousand. And 1 shall have earned II. |
Several times in the last five years the |
ownerS-they re pretty weak lot-have
wanted to sell at insignificant prices. |
but l wouldn't let them. And if |
hadn't been holding them together, they
would have sold out months ago to the !
syndicate at the syndicate's price-eigh- |
ty or ninety thousand. So you see I'm |
doing mighty good thing for the own |
ers.
Now, as to terms between you and |
me. Twenty-Five thousand is more than |
I'll need even If l live longer than the |
doctor has promised me- Now, 1 know
what you want to do about the mission |
money. If the deal comes off as I ex-
pect, five thousand will be your share"
Five thousand dollarsT gasped Da-
vid. For months work? can't take |
It. shall not have earned the smallest |
fraction Of it!'
Yes, you will take it. without your
help, I fail-so you'll earn it all right. |
Besides, even If YOU didn't earn 1t, with |
whom should divide the money I don't |
need, IL not with your
David still objected, and at length
Rogers cried out:
"Oh, take it as a loan then, and pay
off the mission! You'd rather owe me |
than Ii, wouldn't your You can pay me
back when need it. The proposition
is the same either way, for I'll be dead |
before I need it, and I'll make you a
present of the amount in my WILL
In the end David consented. Rogers
went on with the other details of his |
plan. David should live with him, and |
Tom could sleep on cot in the office. /
1t would be wise, with this big deal on, |
Kate Morgan Che spoke of her calmly,
bat David surmised the quality of the |
calmness within). who had recently fin
ished her business course and was look
ing for better place than her present |
one, should he their stenographer For
the sake of the help IL would be to her,
and to try the effect Of the work-cure