Williams news., 1922-08-04
CHAPTER VII-continued.

'Tm afraid you've taken rather 6
 bad time, Lawrence. Can't we get to-
 Rether later-this afternoon? You'll
 be about here this afternoon?"
 q think I can be here this after
 noon." Alan said.
 Let's say two-thirty, then" Spear
 man turned and noted the hour almost
 solicitously among the scrawled ap-
 pointments on his desk pad; straight
 ening, after this act of dismissal, he
 walked with them to the door, his
 hand on SherrilPs shoulder.
 Circumstances have put us-Mr.
 sherrin and nyself-in a very diff
 cult position, Conrad" he remarked.
 eve want much to be fair to all con-
 cerned-''
 He did not finish the sentence, but halted at the door. Sherrill went out, and Alan followed him; eXasperation half outrage yet half admiration-at Spearman's bearing, held Alan speech less. If every movement of Spear mans great, handsome body had not recalled to him their struggle of the night before-if, as Spearman's hand rested cordially on SherriIIs shoulder, Alan had not seemed to feel again that big hand at his throat-he would al- most have been ready to believe that this was not the man whom he had fought. But he could not doubt that; he had recognized Spearman beyond question. And Spearman had recog- niZed him-he was sure of that; he could not for an instant doubt it; Epearman had known it was Alan whom he had fought in Corvet's house even before Sherrill had brought them together. Was there not further proof of that in Spearman's subsequent man. ner toward him? For what was all this cordiality except defiance?
 Power and possession-both far ex- ceeding Alan's most extravagant dream-were promised him by those papers which SherriII had shown him. When he had read down the list of those properties, he had had no more feeling that such things could be his than he had mad at first that Corvet's house could be his--until he had heard the Intruder moving in that house. And now it was the sense that another was going to make him fight for those properties that was bringing to him the realization of his new power He ''had' something on that man-on Epearman. He did not know what that thing was; no stretch of his thought, l nothing that he knew about himself | or others, could tell him; but, at sight | l Spearman had cried out in horror. he | had screamed at him the name of a | sunken ship, and in terror had hurled | his electric torch. It was true, Spear | mans terror had not been at Alan Con- rad; 1t had been because Spearman | had mistaken him for some one else Tor ghost But, after learning that | Alan was not ghost, Spearman's at titude had not very greatly changed; | he had fought, he had been willing to kill rather than to be caught there
 Alan thought an instant; he would make sure he still "had" that some thing on Spearman and would learn now far 1t went. He took up the re- ceiver and asked for Spearman.
 A voice answered-"Yes.''
 Alan said, evenly: "I think you and | had better have a talk before we meet with MT. Sherrill this afternoon. am here in MT. Corvet's office now and will be here for half an hour then I'm going out"
 Spearman made no reply, but hung 1p the receiver. Alan sat waiting, his watch upon the desk before him tense, expectant, with f1ushes of hot and cold passing over him. Ten min- ltes passed; then twenty. The tele- phone under Corvet's desk buzzed.
 "Mr. Spearman says he will give you five minutes now" the switchboard girl said.
 Alan breathed deep with relief; spearman had wanted to refuse to see he had not refused he had sent for him within the time Alan had appointed and after waiting until just 1eforS it exSSreS-