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

-F|.
1--we something to say to you,'' she said
You go to luncheon with me" Her manner
suggested that what she had to say was
hardly flatteripg; but he instantly agreed
with a smile. .g
She knew a small, unprosperous tearoom
called the Cat and Cherub. which one
reached in a wabbly elevator. The tearoon
occupied the third floor because no other ua
could be found for that space In a building
years old and already hopelessly anti
Quated. The food was Indifferent. but the
unprosperous little establishment offered q
pleasant contrast to the cluttered. noisy pop.
ular eating places thereabouts. They found
a tahle\in a corner and gave an order. Then
she told him:
i've looked in that safe in the roof room.
There is nothing in it like the camera you
described. There's no, such article anywhere
in that room. I thought of telephoning yoI
lin the hope that it might keep you out Of
Jail. But you'd given me your word not to
so there again"
He ignored the latter thrust for the mo-
ment, repeating, with interest, " So you've
looked in that safe"
I've seen everything in It," she affirmed.
and everything in that room. There's no
such camera there" -
"Well, I'm glad to know that" he replied.
in thoughtful soberness. III tell my uncle.
l hope it will satisfy him."
You mean you nope nell assume mat 1
am telling the truth" she said, with sarcasm.
He laughed frankly at that and admitted:
" Yes, that's what l hope. But there's no
telling what my uncle will assume. You see,
l don't care a rap about this invention any
more. ] wish it was In Halifax. All I want
is to get back to my Job in Montana. I'd
just fairly started at it when I was called
here"
why don't you go?" she asked, bluntly.
lie gave her a bafled. embarrassed sort Of
smile, even a foolish sort of smile, and re-
piled, soberly: only reason is I'm afraid a.
uncle will get into Jail. Sounds ridiculous. I
know. Sounds ridiculous to me- when I say
ii. He's cracked about this in~vehtion-stcks
in his mind like a BURIAL gone off his head
about it. He's an awfully bad tempered,
cross grained old man. He's had this inven.
ton idea a long while-worked over it. you
know: neglected his business for it. He
thinks krom and Steinman stole it under his
nose. Makes him perfectly unreasonable, you
see. No telling what he might do. That's
why In sticking round"
II don't see why you should" she objected
ut random.
We'll. there's nobody else" he replied. in
that simple openness. Hes a regular
crouch, all right enough. But he has another
side. He took my mother and me in when
we We're helpless; l was only eight then. He
took care OF us a long while when Lord
knows what would have become Of us If he
hadn't. lie put me through school and col
lege and technical school. Now he's in The
hole himself, you see. I wouldn't really care
a rap about the invention if he'd only forge:
it. But you saw that day UP there at Slow
River; he'd taken a gun along. OF course /
didn't know that. Came mighty near shoot.
ms with it, too. You saw that"
His round, blue-gray eyes-under the fore.
head with the funny little horizontal crease
in it-were regarding her gravely; his voice
dropped q note:
He might even kill somebody. He's
threatened to when he was, in a tantrum.
What can Lido except stick around? I'm the
only person in the world who can do any
thing with him, when it comes to this inven.
tion-and I can't do any too much. But I
can stick around and do what I can. He took
me'in cut Of the wet when l was a kid and
couldn't help myself-and my mother. I
know it sounds sort Of ridiculous; but that's
the way it is"
1t didn't sound ridiculous to Elizabeth at
the moment That is. only the uncle sounded
ridiculous.
But he must know the lawl" she BRO.
tested.
"Same's a bulldog that's been chewed in
the ear knows he mustn't fight" Whiteside
replied. If he knew the law-to obey it,
I'd be packing up for Montana tonight. A
man can get SO all fired mad that he don't
even know the way home. That's Uncle
simon "hen ne gets to thinking that krorn
stole his invention"
She couldn't think of any further protest,
and drifted along a moment in silence. Then
she said abruptly, as though it were quite
understood between them:
"You broke into the factory at Slow River
that night-after I saw you"
Yes" he replied promptly. 1--WE broke
in. That's the most ridiculous part OF It,
you see. He's bound to do it; tells me he's
going tn. I know ahSo11ifoJxy bn will 49,
quote him a pious text and stay safe at
home. or go along and try to keep him out of
trouble. Perfectly ridiculous, Of course. But
whae can a fellow do?"
"a mailman ought to nave a keeper" she
\ declared warmly.
He smiled and replied: "sure! And Tn
elected! That's my job. The law can't do
anything, you know. Before a commission
in lunacy he'd be no more insane than I am,
The cross-grained old boy has simply rot
that invention idea stuck straight through
his nut. You couldn't blast it out with dyna.
mite. Thinking that his Inventions going to
be stolen under his nose drives him wild
He's bound to get his hands on that camera.
He can't go to law about 1t because he can't
prove anything. I was afraid he'd gone up
to that roof room today. That's why I was
in the corridor. But evidently he hadn't zone
up there. for the door was locked"
For a minute she could indnothing to say.
Then. she and asked him:
What was 1t you had in mind? You said
I might help you"
You've already done it." he replied. cit
was about that blasted camera. There's no
question at all that it's my uncle's camera
at least think so. Suppose IRON stole il
and had it up there in that roof room. Wei.
the way I looked at it there.d be nothing
wrong about your telling me II you saw II IN
there. II I could get that camera located.
You see, | could insist upon starting AN
action to recover 1t and that'd get the whole
thing into court. II I could get the thing
INTO court I'd die happy. The court action
would get my uncle's mind on burglary and:
assault and battery. But you've already
looked around up there"
" There's no such camera 2 she repeated. i
Well" he said simply ~ hope that.il.
satisfy my uncle 5I
She had to. laugh at his u~nenfhusiastsc
tone, saying: You think my word would
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