Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-09-23

God 20 with you! AND remember. I'm always
here to back you up in anything you may
do" and Smell put his hands upon Bancrotts
shoulders and gently pushed him toward the
door. ' n
1t was a long day. Bancroft spent some
Of it riding the busses up and down Fiftn
avenue, some Of 1t in the public library. some
Of it on the park benches. It was exactly
four o'clock when he opened the door OF the
Bolivian Emerald Company and entered tho
outer Office. It was like any other ONCE
typewriter girl and an elderly ~bookkeeper
behind q grill. Maps and diagrams hune
from the walls. He was quite astonisheo
at the %steadiness Of his nerves.; 1t had been
Willing away the time that had trked MIN
and made him fidgety.
The typist-middle aged and Kindly OF
counterance-cane to the gaze ana anQune"
what his business was: TX SAB.
IL have an appointment with Mr.. Stew
art"
Are you Mr.. Collingswood?"
yes" ~.
Go right in: Mr.. Stewart is waiting FOR
xo,, - She indicated the inner door marked
private. " @
Bancroft opened this and stood on tho
threshold Of he knew not what
Rattle. murder, and sudden death-or tom
foolery. That was the madding part OF II.
Suddenly he felt himself profoundly youns
and inefficient. 11&}
"Come in and draw up a chair, Ceilings
wood" said the emerald merchant.
Stewart held out his hand. which Ban
croft took with open embarrassment. inc
hand was warm and dry and powerful. out'
behold-the man smiled! There was mocKery
in the smile; but it suggested to Bancroit
old Professor Miller's mile when the pupil
marched boldly into some mistakehe snould
have known better than to make. .
On the desk, which was a roller.top. lay .
heavy automatic. Stewart patted It,
Bandits: you never know where they'll
turn up next" explained Stewart. But l
never carry more than three or four thou
sand dollars worth Of stones. The market
sobbles them up as they come. Just a mo.
ment, and I'll show you some OF the stones"
He opened the safe and returned with q
tray of tissue paper packets. He unfolded
one Of these packets and displayed q score of
beautiful green stones that made Bancroft
recall the bottom Of the trout stream at
home.
"Green things. eh?" said Stewart. He
shifted the stones. using a small pair OF
metal tweezers. "Half-carat stones. I EN-.
ploy two cutters. Amsterdam experts; but
where they live is known only to me. Look
nice, wouldn't they, on the white flesh OF a
Young woman's arm? BY the way. did you
find your umbrella at the hotel3
Forgot all about it," Bancroft admitted,
still In a daze over the manner Of his recep.
ton.
1T was a rough night. + had a'puncture.
half way to town." said Stewart. See any
thing here you like?"
How much for the lot?" asked Bancroft.
Stewart made some computations on a tab.
% N~,>1,, I,,odraS. ~ ~ nr}ra ~ tho market
I'll take them" SAID Bancroft. abruptly.
He drew out his wallet and counted out the
sum.
Twelve hundred for stones in which he
had only a casual interest and which he had
not the least conception what to do with!
He could not offer them to Nancy; he could
not offer them even to Jenny. He would
have to carry them about or resell them. He
was a cowardly fool! <
I'D like to have a look at that Great Ad.
venture Company contract" he said. almost
shouting the words. i
"Sh!-not 80 loud" warned Stewart.
"Those two out there know nothing of this
side Of the business. Are you sure you wish
to see it,"
Absolutely sure" Bancroft declared, sud.
denly finding himself at ease.
Stewart went to the safe for the document
and stored the tray Of emeralds. He re-
turned shortly and laid upon the desk a set
Of ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS were as original
as the first perpetual.motion contract, but
executed with a far better understanding of
human emotions. - 49,"
Take a chair over to the window said
Stewart, and read them carefully. I don't
want you to imagine that there will be a
clause or a comma in one that is not in the
other. You still look upon it as a fool
thing? "-curiously. u 1..
Eyes. But, as In something Of a fool
myself" said Bancroft, 1T doesn't matter"
"A young fool: Don't make any mistake.
Mr.. Bancroft. There is nothing else so
glorious as a young fool. III I could be young
again I'd be a fool with all my heart. We
don't go forth with lance and shield any
more. but we so forth with the same spirit.
a. bag Of tools hanging from the Shout.
der, or a painters brush, or a writer's pen.
in the pocket. Life is. has always been, and
always will be, q quest. Read them over
carefully"
Bancroft did So. studying the documents
word for word, comma for comma. and
found them identically the same. It was
an ordinary agreement between tho Great
Adventure Company and whoever signed it:
there were no f1ourishes, no rodomontades; a
document Of less than five hundred words.
as unvarnished as anything Lawyer Smell
could have produced. All the bombast began
and ended in the prospectus. No typewrit.
a oAi6A 6IlSSk " DADer
known as velluE,, Imitation sheepskin. !:
IT is also herein stipulated that the party
of the second part absolves completely the
party OF the first part from all Antoward &C.
cident or n,i%schance. I" There t|lay
thought Bancroft. All untoward accident or.
mischance. This man could kill him and,
this document would absolve him: partly. 1t
any rate. And yet It was perfectly logical
that this clause should be inserted. IfSthere
was q trick. a menace. what. in Gods name
did the mat ,ant Of Collingswood Jeremiah
Bancroft?
He returned to the desk. winch one do
you wish me to sign1"
Silence. save that from the adjoining room
came the conventional clatter OF the tvns.
writer. 60 It goes. In all great mmuo,hhent,
some matter Of ordinary daily routine In.
trudes upon the eye or uponsthe ear.
Whichever one you please" stewart
pressed q call.button on his desk. The clatte,
Of the. typewriter ceased, and the woman al.
peared. go across the hall and ask Nj
Dorrnan to coms in with his notary seal.v
Yes. sir" sis5l
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