River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-08-21

on us Dutt TILL they turned WHITE IN
the murky lamplight.
you see," came in easy tones from
the STOPPING draughtsman, Il have an
| imagination which only needs slight
| FLIP from a mind like yours to send
| 1t in the desired direction. / shall not
draw an exact reproduction Of your
idea, but think you will see that l
understand it very well. How's that
for a start?"
Brotherson looked and hastily drew
back. He did not want the other to
note his surprise.
"But that is a portion you never
saw" he loudly declared.
mo, but I saw this" returned
Sweetwater, working busily on some
curves; "and these gave me the flip
l mentioned. The rest came easily"
Brotherson, in dread of his own an
ger, threw his pistol to the other end
of the she'd
you knave! You theft" he furi-
ously cried
How SOP" asked Sweetwater smil-
ingly, rising and looking him calmly
in the face. "a thief is one who ap-
propriates another mans goods, or,
let us say, another mans ideas.
have appropriated nothing-yet. I've
only shown you how easily l could do
so. Mr.. Brotherson, take me in as
your assistant. / will be faithful to
you, swear it. / want to see that
machine go up"
For how many people have you
drawn those lines?'' Numbered the in
exorable voice.
For nobody; not for myself even.
This is the first time they have left
their hiding place in my brain"
Can you swear to that?"
81 can and will, if you require it.
But you ought to believe my word, sir.
| am square as die in all matters not
connected-well, not connected with
my profession" he smiled in a burst
of that whimsical humor, which not
even the seriousness Of the moment
could quite suppress.
"And what surety have I that you
do not consider this very matter of
mine as coming within the bounds you
speak Off"
''None. But you must trust me that
far"
Brotherson surveyed him with an
irony which conveyed a very differ
ent message to the detective than any
he had intended. Then quickly:
"To how many have you spoken, di-
lating upon this device, and publish
ing abroad my secret?'
81 have spoken to no one, not even
to Mr.. Gryce. That shows my honesty
as nothing else can"
you have kept my secret intact?"
Entirely SO, SIR
$50 that no one, here or elsewhere,
shares our knowledge of the new
points in this mechanism"
81 say so, SIR
"Then if 1 should kill you," came in
ferocious accents, nowhere"
"You would be the only one to own
that knowledge. But you won't kill
me-"
"Why?"
Need l go into reasons?"
why? 1 say::'
Because your conscience is already
too heavily laden to bear the burden
Of another unprovoked crime"
Brotherson. staring back, glared
with open ferocity upon the man who
dared to face him with such an accu-
sation.
God! why didn't shoot you on en-
trance!" he cried. ''Your courage is
certainly colossal"
A fine smile, without even the hint
of humor now, touched the daring de-
tective's lip. Brotherson's anger
seemed to grow under it, and he loud
ly repeated:
Its more than colossal; it's abnor-
NAL and" A moments pause, then
with ironic pauses-"and quite unnec-
essary save as matter of display, IN
less you think you need it to sustain
you through the ordeal you are court
ing. You wish to help me finish and
prepare for fight?"
81 sincerely do"
'You consider yourself competent"
81 do"
Brotherson's eyes fell and he walked
once to the extremity Of the oval floor
ing and back.
We'll, we will grant that But that's
not all that is necessary. My require
ments demand a companion in my
first flight. viii you go up in the car
with me on Saturday night?"
A quick affirmative was on Sweet
waters lips but the glimpse which he
got of the speakers face glowering
upon him from the shadows into which
Brotherson had withdrawn, stopped its
utterance, and the silence grew heavy.
by the clock, the instant of breathless
contemplation of each others features
across the intervening space was of
incalculable moment to Sweetwater,
and, possibly, to Brotherson. AS
drowning men are said to live over
their whole history between their first
plunge and their final rise to light and
air, so through the mind of the de-
tective rushed the memories of his
past and the fast fading glories of his
future; and rebelling at the subtle
peril he saw in that sardonic eye, he
Moderated an impulsive:
mo! I'll not" and paused, caught
by new and irresistible sensation.
A breath of wind-the first he had
felt that night-had swept in through
some crevice in the curving wall, flap
ping the canvas enveloping the great
car. It acted like a peal to battle.