Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-11
By
E. Phillips OPpenheim
of Making a

| usual time on the following morning,
| glanced through the few letters placed
| before him and sent a polite message
requesting the favor of visit from his
| partner. AS soon as Hope was we'll in
the room Mr.. Pitt locked the door.
''Sit down there in my chair, he di-
| rected, dragging another one to the
| opposite side of the desk.
what do you mean?" Hope de
| manded, moving, however, a little
closer to the chair in question.
you'll find out when I've done with
YOU" was the curt retort.
Look here, Pitt" Hope said, Tets
discuss this matter like reasonable
men. | can guess what's up, of
course. You've found out about my
having a packet of shares in luke &
Co"
"You are luke & Co. You practical
ly started and own the firm. You've
used the brains of this business on
their behalf"
Come. Gomez Hope protested pat
ronizingly. Il am not even director
of the firm. 1 simply happen to hold a
considerable number of shares
Il know all about it. I've been to
see a lawyer this morning. You've
kept on the safe side-legally. You're
Il
this business dry for the sake of luke
& Co. That order for East Indian
| spices last week, for instance-it be-
| longed to us. You saw that we never
| got it. You worked it through luke
& Co. Pretty sort Of scoundrel, aren't
you?"
Sinclair Hope rose to his feet
! Il say" he protested. Il see no rea-
son why should sit here to be abused
| by you. l am like every one else in
! the world m out to make money for
| myself. It's no part of my business
to take care Of other peaple's."
'Sit down." Numbered Mr.. Pitt.
| His partner stared at him, open.
mouthed. This little man. with fierce.
ness bristling all over him, was I'M
recognizable He sat down. Mr.. Pitt
calmly produced a document from his
! pocket and passed it across the table:
| You had better look it through" he
suggested, because you are going to
| sign it"
Mr.. Sinclair Hope adjusted his mon
ocle and took up the document with
the air of one disposed to humor a
petuant child.
After the first few lines, the slight
! froWn upon his forehead deepened
About halfway through his reading,
! it disappeared altogether When he
had finished. he burst out laughing.
| Capital" he exclaimed. so we are
to amalgamate. luke & Co and Pitt
& Hope shares to be pooled, profits ac-
cruing in the last two years to be
divided-capital, Pitt! What do l do
with this little effort at humor?"
Sign it" was the brief response
And how did you learn of my activ-
tiles, may I ask"
Il forced the truth out of Bessie last
night. What have you got to say for
yourself? Any reason why you
shouldn't sign?"
Sinclair Hope shrugged his shout
! ders. On the whole, as a man of the
world, he preferred to say nothing.
Bessie was a great help when she
worked here" Pitt went on. 'She did
her job well and looked after the
| house, too. 1t was q decent place to
live in then. It's pigsty now"
when she told me she'd been of
fered 80 shillings a week more than
we'd been giving her. / was hurt. but
l let her go. The business couldn't
afford any more expenses. 1t was you
yourself who decided that. She never
told me until later where her new
place was.''
!
ished finger-nails upon the table.
My dear Pitt" he said, a little con.
descendingly, Bessie is 25 years old
old enough to know her own mind
and girls nowadayS-"
Down came Mr.. Pitts looking
little fist upon the table.
Not another word. Sign that
paper"
Sinclair Hope gave a very fair imi-
tation of yawn.
Look here. Pitt" he begged, Tets
come to an understanding. 1t seems to
me you're trying to play the bully. The
whole thing is farcical. l haven't the
faintest intention of signing that pre-
cious document of yours. Get that into
your head Now, what about it?''
Mr.. Pitts hand dived into his pocket
and he produced y brand-new. fully
loaded, wicked looking automatic
pistol.
"This"' he replied
H. * X
THE man on the other side of the
table nearly fell off his chair. He
stared aghast, and with fascinated
eyes, at the weapon.
Take care, Pitt he exclaimed.
What in blazes are you doing with a
thing like that?"
Il will tell you" Pitt replied. and
his tone, at last, had become quite
calm. You are no fool, Hope, when it
comes to grasping situation. Try to
get this properly. It's important. I'm
broken in business and the only rel
alive have in the world-my daughter
has been disloyal to me because of
you. What have / left to live for?
Nothing. I'm not proposing to kill you
in any fit of anger. I'm going to kill
you coldly and deliberately if you don't
sign those papers. | take a solemn
oath that mean what | say. Do you
believe me?"
Those weak little blue eyes were
glittering with purpose. Sinclair Hope
| looked into them, and he did believe.
Don't you know that if you did
that" he faltered, amazed at the
weakness of his own voice, you'd
| hang for it?"
II shouldn't" Mr.. Pitt replied indif
| ferantly, because l should shoot my
self afterward. You think l haven't
| the courage? l can assure you that l
have. Are you going to sign?"
| Sinclair Hope deliberated. Finally
| he took up pen. There was a cum
ming CLEAN in his eyes. To the man
who watched him, his thoughts were
reflected there.
Under compulsion," he muttered
Henry Pitt leaned across the table.
After all, Hope" he said, you're a
simple fellow. You think you're clever,
but you're not--when a mug like me
can read your thoughts. Your idea
now is to sign those documents You're
then going to clear out and shelter
yourself behind your lawyers. You
will probably apply for a summons
against me and in court you will de-
clare that you are in bodily fear of
your life. They'll bind me over or
something won't they? Look here,
Hope-listen"'