Evening star., 1919-02-23

since he bought his presses. or being
able to refuse other business except
upon decently paying basis. 1t gave
him power to end his reputation as
a man who had to take work at any
figure.
Soon he had to return to the press
room. AS he was alone, except for a
boy press feeder, that morning, he abb
sorbed himself as fully as possible in
mechanical labor. He ate lunch has
tily in the pressroom. In the after
noon other orders came to him, hich,
with the big order secured, he now
dared TO refuse, except at a higher
rate than he had received before. They
were small orders, but he got them
upon the better basis. He had not ex-
pected the Fanston order to change
circumstances for him so soon. He
was closing up at 80 o'clock, about
TO go home-happy, confident. exult-
ant-when the telephone bell rang.
and Fanston himself, speaking on the
wire, Cancelled his order. The can
collation. was short, sharp, without
appeal Ralph hung up the receiver
and sat, duly dazed. as the light
tailed without and the office darkened.
Then il was o'clock. and he knew IL
he did not go home Edith would teIe-
phone to him.
He forced himself to his feet and
went out into the lamp-l lighted streets.
AS he approached Corey's square
building he looked up fearfully to his
front windows. They were dark
Probably she was resting from her ex-
element Perhaps she was asleep. He
hoped so. He went up quietly and un-
locked his door.
She was not in the living room.
Ralph" He heard her voice. softly,
from the bedroom, and he had to go
She had been kneeling In the dark
at the side of their bed. She was in
housedress and slippers, with her
thick. dark hair falling over her
shoulders. Enough light came in
through the window from the high are
lamp on the street to show her in the
silhouette before him and to let her
see his face
Why, Ralph! What is it?" she
cried. softly.
He drew back from her, not daring
to touch her
..,," The ae order, Edith" he stammered
oh" she followed him. II know
You haven't been able to understand
now l. got the order; | haven't been
able to understand it myself some
times"
Don't, Edith" he begged, weakly
yes, must. I have to tell Won
now. Ihere's some special things
L
you, so you'll know how I got ~
lie tried to check her, but she ran
on without needing.
Listen, Ralph: You remember.
started out straight to Fanston.s from
mere late this morning. Well, Incv
Hlllyer was on the car. with her chill.
dren. l got on and sat next 10 bsr
and--oh! what am I saying? That
had nothing to do with it-po. I mean
It had everything, l guess, but not
directly What l meant to tell Won
was. there was man sitting NEXT IN
me-Mr. Hastings-the lawyer FOR the
farrows in their claim against Far
ston for the rights Of the patents
didn't recognize him at first. Of conrse
he didn't know me. He was resdinT,
some legal papers. l Just sIanceS
toward them. as one does, and read a
line or two--quite by accident
didn't think anything at ali ahout 81
until all of sudden he tuned ON mo
and then. in flash, I knew what "a
discovered, 1t was the date and con
ditions of the original papers about
the patents which Fanston has bsen
trying to find out and which mean
everything to him In his lawsuit with
the Yarrows. '
II never thought to use that ipfor.