Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-02
By
Gardner
Hunting.

3, t1ent quite lntolerant OF questioning or
curiosity as to what were his pursuits.
John was openly sneering cynic-un-
| approachable, and not posing in the
| least. And Carols once amusing, If
startling, frankness was becoming ri
baldry. All of them were absorbed
each in his own way, by vicarious living.
And Relief Brainard mostly free from
her occasional vague apprehensions
was like pigtailed youngster at the
circus. AS to servants-Charles re-
| tanned most of his placid superiority
to the common considerations of men,
but he had troubles uncounted with
his staff.
Yet Phyllis herself went daily, night
| ly, to see what people were seeing. II
was impossible to do otherwise; there
| was no other life about her-and nc
human mind was capable of sitting
| the impulse that constantly renewed
itself. More and more she knew that
| 1t was reaching out after a greater
share of life-an intenSification of life
that drove her, like every one else
on and on. Yet often and often she
recalled what Van Wrinkle had sale
about the soullessness of those living
walking beings of yesterday whose
company they courted. His remarks
!
+, humorously turned. One day he said
You can judge a world, too, can't you
by the company it keeps?" And meant
it as a joke.
| OF course, all pretenSe that Brainard
himself did any censoring of what was
shown either publicly or privately was
dropped. Phyllis knew from observa-
| ton that he selected his aids with care
and that he kept a sharp eye on gen.
eral evidences of what they did; but
she could not analyze the standards on
which his selection of men or materials
was based She asked him one day if
| he had not sacrificed all his own free
dom to this captivation of others. He
| laughed and asked her what she would
| call freedom. He laughed at every
satire than at fun.
| He laughed at a story that suddenly
obtained currency one day of gigan-
| tic conspiracy to steal his whole plant
| from under him by a concerted coup
she thought it could be done, when by
| spending an hour in his studio he
| could know what men met whom and
what they said and wrote to each other
He defied alike law and the laWless. He
could call police inspector in and
ask him to do thing the other dare
not refuse. He held balance of power
not merely in legislatures, but in the
| decisions of individual legislators. He
had no need to bride jurors who might
hesitate over the eXpedient course. He
feared neither the hatreds nor the con-
sciences of men. He commanded abject
allegiance.
II hold the string on which mer
Gance, Phyl," he said in all serious
ness.
TT can't be done Radley," she tolc
him. quite past any display of mere
emotion.
Il know it can't" he answered; "but
I'm doing it."
She could only look at him. HI
looked back at her; and then with
sudden curious attention he said:
You're getting thin, Phyl''
She wondered If the thing thai
crossed his eyes at the instant was g
consciousness that he held the string
on which she danced.
That night the whole front of the
first three floors of the Bonmar was
blown out by an air bomb dropped
| from a plane in a pitch-black sky
The explosive had undoubtedly beer
intended for the court in the heart Of
the building-and had missed by
luck!
There's no use beating about thu
bush, Brainard. I'm here to listen tx
your terms"
Jerry Ballard sat by Brainard'.
south window looking like whipped
man.
IT know what you want" he said
and held out sealed envelope. Here
it is"
Brainard was becoming accustomed
TO shocks. But as he looked at tha
square of white, despite all his prep.
aration for such a scene. he dared no.
take his hands from his pockets; HI
was afraid they would shake.
whats this?" he asked, noddinl
toward the envelope Ballard held, ane
making no move to accept 1t.
TITS what Homer left me, telling
me it was lost index you were anxious
to have. Is that frank enough To-
you?"
yes" said Brainard. taken by sur
prise "But-what is it?"
He set his teeth to keep down tn,
tremor in him; and then realized tina
Billiards. gray eyes were calmly scan
ming him, and relaxed his jaw.
well" Ballard began, an,
stopped. Yes. he would stop with that
He would let it be thought he knew
what the lost index represented. Blu
if he did, would he be here now a
all?
Brainard allowed himself to smile
Then he shook his head. Keep II
Ballard" he said. you've got moth
ing I want" And he saw the littl
muscles about Billiards. eyes twitch
Better look at it, hadn't you?" tn
other man asked. Homer may hav
been lying. OF course you know h
knew he could hold us up. We want
ed to get you"
| THAT sounds natural enough" re
1E0W1VgyIgIIlTg2EUNUTlZIVIWEIg