Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-12-16
BY Will Payne

~ W. ,0IAo AAdI ~OOO "dS "a AA6
to himself, " Even If his story is true and he
should ever try to turn this confession
against ne his affirmation will not stand for
a moment against my denial"
Then followed q sordid contentlon-both (
mon with composed faces ard controlled
voices. krom argued that the invention was
completed; had seen the proofs Of
that with his own eyes; Krom would turn
the apparatus over to him and give him the
technical descriptions to be put into the APP
plications for patent: Harwood would then
pay Krom $250,000. This was Monday: the
payment should be made Thursday,
But HARDWOOD countered: seeing the pc.
lures and the apparatus was a different thing
from having the patents; somebody else
might slip in ahead Of them before their pat
emit applications were filed; besides he had
no money in hand; his funds were all. tied
up; 1t would take him much longer than
Thursday to raise s250,O0o. In short, when
the patents were in his hand he'd pay Krom
J. $3.50, 900; but not before.
They kept their faces straight and their
voices subdued, each sticking to his point
=. and each with a hatred for the other. Final
ly Krom observed phlegmatically:
We'll, seems no use arguing it any rAc",.
You say you've got an engagement. It's
overdue now. But I got to have the money
by Thursday. That's sure"
got to have the money by Thursday"
krom had said.
1t was like that crucial moment in q poker
game when a man must decide whether or
not he will call what he believes to be a bluff.
HARDWOOD, with a deep irritation, hardened
his resolution and decided to call. So he
arose, his face composed, and replied in a
pleasant intonation. My engagement is
overdue. l must CO."
He walked toward the door, his nerves
hoping that Krom would call him back and
open the way to an acceptable compromises.
Eut krom silently watched him go, thinking
unprintable things; and as Harwood disap-
reared he said to himself in a burst Of rage:
you --, III trim you to the bone
YETI
. For at the end Of the interview each man
hated the other. "Blackguard! Cutthroat!
Liar" HARDWOOD was saying to himself as he
went downstairs. his nerves in a janglc.
Would krom fly the track-perhaps taking
the invention to Curlin's? But Krom
couldn't be such a fool as to do that! Thus
agitated. he \stepped>into the cabinet; and
'BcSs, looking UP, was struck with surprise
at his dark face.
Ibid you see them? Didn't you like
them?%-she asked quickly, wondering.
HARDWOOD realized he had given himself
away and recovered his facial composure.
saying: 80, yes; the pictures are fine" But
some explanation seemed necessary.
lin worried about Kron, Bessie he told
her conHdentially. "Doggone him: He
urlnkS, you KNOW. VI course, ltS important
to keep MIN on the track until tlliS jobs
finished. Can't have him going off on a spree
now. I was pitching into him about it."
From Aunty Prothroe's report and other
wise Bess had gathered an idea that krom
had a weakness for drink. 1t was important
that he shouldn't go on a spree now-or
.u ever. for that matter; he was u very able
man, which made it trebly a pity he should
degrade himself with drink.
HARDWOOD went on to his room in Il turmoil.
Would Kronl try to jump the track now?
The lawyer realized his own situation was
precarious; his hold on the invention doubt.
full. II only he had that apparatus. espe-
cially the lenses, in his own hands! He had
banked on the fact that krom and Steinnlun
could do better by dealing with him than by
going to anybody else. He still banked ON it.
Krom must be sensible enough to see that
his own interest lay in dealing straight with
Harwood: surely he'd set much more that
way than by going TO Curtin. for example.
First and last HarWood had put q good
deal Of money into this ~thing-chiefy by
taking an option on that motion picture
stock in New York after Bess telephoned
about the new pictures. He had long sus-
pected that Krom was something Of a
grafter-overcharging him for materials and
tools and the like; but that was small game.
maybe a couple Of thousand dollars all told:
the lawyer fairly ignored it..
And Steininan! HARDWOOD again felt that
Sn0Slly GILL. diAA ia ASSi AL klS
cellar! There was a loathing of krom when
he thought about it. But Krom was such a
liar! Would q mar commit 4 murder like
that and confess it like that? AS the law
yer's sanguine temper worked at the problem
lie began to perceive quite clearly that a
man wouldn't. He could ignore all that
stuff about Steinman because 1t was a lie.
What would Krom do next? HARDWOOD
mustn't weaken now; he must let krom
make the next move This afternoon, or to-
? morrow. Krom. would be coming around.
An hour after came down from
the roof room Bess was going out to luncheon.
In the ot1ice-except at some moments when
they were alone-Harwood still preserved the
attitude Of a benevolent employer. they
never went out to luncheon together nor
went home together. She understood that
his strict propriety in that regard was a
compliment to her-needing no instructress
in prophecies to tell her that a young woman
who received marked attentions OF an I'M
businesslike nature from her employer would
be offering herself as a subject for gossip.
She left the office alone, going out through
the double glass doors Of the big workroom
into the white tiled public corridor which ran
along that side of the building. The ele-
vators were just ahead of her. She pushed
q button and waited for a car, and CHANGED
to look down the corridor.
Mr., Robert Whiteside was coming toward
her from that further end of the corridor. A
small blank door down there opened to the
stairway room by which one could gain the
roof. That door ought to be locked on the
inside, yet he and his uncle had got in that
way once. And he had solemnly promised
her not to go to the roof that way again. At
sight Of him she changed her. intention of
taking the next car down. stepping back and
waiting, erect. She had something to say to
him.
He seemed not much embarrassed. as he
came up. hat in hand, and his first words
were. with n smile:t "NO, I haven't broken
my parole / only went to that door. It's
locked"
: !" Is that why you didn't break the rarcle?''
she asked, coolly.
His face sobered and he told her, ruefully:'
I'm always unlucky about you. don't
seem to have much luck about anything
lately. For fair play you might give me, a
little boost. I'm licked. Won see-run over