Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-03-21

posed 70 be. He sought No. = There
he made himself again presentable.
Z after which he descended TO the office.
Mr. Bland sat reading the New York
! paper before the fire. From the little
Z card room and the parlor. the two
rooms to the right and left of the no
I te'S front door. Qulmby had brought
I forth extra chairs. He stood now by
. the large chair that held Professor
! Bolton. engaged IN conversation with
that gentleman.
Yes" he was saying, 81 lived three
! years I'm Reuton and five years I'm New
York. 1t took me eight years-eight
I years to realize the truth"
II heard about IL from John Bent
/ ley" the professor said gently.
Hes been pretty kind to me. Mr..
Bentley has" replied Quimby. when
the money was all gone he offered me
this job. Once the Quimbys owned
most OF the land around Baldpate
mountain. 1t all went in those eight
years. To think that it took all those
years for me to find It outr'
IF I'm not impertinent, Quimby,"
put in Magee. ito find what out?"
THAT what I wanted. the railroad
men didn't want" replied Quimby bit
terly, and that was-the safety OF the
public. You see. l invented n new
rail joint. one that was a great i'm
provement on the old kind. 1 had sort
OF an idea. when L was doing .it-an
idea OF service to the world-you
know. God, what a joke, 1 sold all
the Quimby lands, and went to Reu-
ton, and then TO New York to place it.
Not one of the railroad men but ad-
mitted that il was an improvement.
and big one-and not one but fought
like mad to keep me from getting 1t
down where the public would see it
They didn't want the expense of a
change"
Mr. Quimby looked out at the sunlit
stretch Of snow.
Eight years" he repeated. Il fought
and pleaded. No. l begged-that was
the world begged. You'd be surpris-
ed to know the names OF some of the
men who kept me waiting in their pri-
vate Offices and sneered at me over
their polished desks. They turned me
down-every one. Some OF them play
ed meas though I'd been a fish. They
referred me to other ends OF the same
big game. laughing in their sleeves. l
guess. at the knowledge OF how hope
less it was. oh. they made n fine fool
Of me-
You might have put down some of
your joints at your own expense" sug
sested the professor.
Didn't try:" cried Quimby. do
you think they'd let me? No. the pub
lie might see them and demand them
everywhere. Once / thought I had
convinced somebody. 1t WINS down In
Reuton-the Suburban railway" There
was a rustic as Mr.. Bland let his paper
fall to the floor. "Old Henry Thorn
hill was president OF the road-he is
vet. I guess-but young Hayden and a
fellow named David Kendrick were
running It. Kendrick was on my side |
he almost had Hayden. They wers |
going to let me lay n stretch OF track |
with my joints. Then something hap |
pened. Maybe you remember. Ken
drick disappeared in the night-he's |
never been seen since"
Il do remember" said the professor
softly.
Hayden turned me down" went on
Quimby. The money was all gone
So ! came back 10 Upper Asquewan-
rnretaker OF an inn that overlooks the
property my father owned-the prop
erty ] squanIered for chance 10 save
human lives"
He moved away. and the men sat In
silence for time. Then the professor
spoke very gently:
Poor devil-to have had his dream
Of service-and then grow old on Bald
pate"
well. everything's shipshape In the
kitchen" announced the hermit cheer
fully. hurrying into the room. 81
couldn't 90 without seeing to that.
wish you the best OF luck. gentlemen.
md gOodby"
'Goodby?" cried the professor.
by the gods. he's leaving u.s. al
most wept Mr.. Bland.
1T can't be-" said Mr.. Magee.
1T has to be-" said the hermit of
Baldpate, solemnly shaking. his head.
I'D like TO stay with you. and would
4 they hadn't come. But here they
ire. and when women come in the !
loor I fly out OF the window. as the
aging is.