The Washington times., 1931-06-16
CHAPTER 40

There came the time, in one
of those tall. somber twilights,
the kind that Rarick loved as
they came stalking as If on
stills into the vaultings of his
library, when the pile Of his
writings, which he had kept
stacked in a high and shaggy
manuscript on a Side-table
was replaced by a single piece
af typewriter paper, held IN
place by a paperweight Of al
legged B. C. limestone, in cursive
Egyptian writing.
AT 5 O'Clock, Grafton Davies,
who had walked his wire
haired terrier up a twilit Fifth
Avenue, vaulted the SnowleSs
stoop of the house with the
Campanile doors. gave over his
dog to the keeping of Peacock,
and was promptly admitted to
the presence of Rarick.
It was the first time they
had met subsequent to that
evening when Jennifer had
damned a hit below the belt
world to her father.
''I am glad you sent for me,
SIR" said Grafton, who was
easy in all personal contacts.
''I've been meaning for a long
while to have a visit with you."
"Sit there"
The Birthstone
"Shall remove this array of
lapidarian loot of yours?" he
said. as, seating himself, his
arm brushed a ring of Pectun-
culus shell and sent it scurrying
toward the hearth.
"Say, that's an aquamarine
there, isn't it? My birthstone"
He scooped the stones into his
hand, pouring them into Rar-
ick's. II once had pretty fine
pair Of aquamarine cuff-linkS.
Traded them for an Oxford
Dictionary. I'm a great trader
Mr.. Rarick. Belong back in the
days when men bartered mer-
chandise for merchandise Must
seem strange to a man like you,
who has built his fortune on
the modern rudiments of big
business, but I'm like the old
Thraciar1s, who couldn't get
accustomed to the idea of just
a small coin in exchange for a
whole flask of wine.
"I'll trade my aquamarine
cuff-linkS for an Oxford Die
tionary much more quickly than
for cold cash. That disqualifies
me, doesn't it, as too unimagi-
native for business?"
Perhaps you do yourself an
injustice. One Of the most out
standing business dickerS of all
time was that of a soul in ex-
change for a mess Of pottage."
THAT is one kind of trade
I don't expect to fall for, Mr..
Rarick."
II believe that"
"You may we'll believe it,"
What is it you want most
out of life. anyway, Gratton?"
That's a large order. You
mean it in a specific relation
to what you've sent for me
about, Or"
Rather
Something to Tell
"Good. but before we get to
It, there is something I have
wanted to say to you ever since
It happened. I tried to put it in
to a message at the time. No.
one could understand better. Mr..
Rarick, what the death of your
son means to you than
"It's because, Of course; I
realize the workings of that boy
SO well. I fought his same
kind Of losing fight back in
those years; only, where he
went through the door I man.
aged to Jump back. won't
bore you: but I could have been
that boy of yours, Mr.. Rarick
Il think know what his
kind of aloneneSs meant, and
the kind of black waters it can
put between even those who
need most desperately to clutch
to one another-well, know
what it meanS-I know AV-
cry"
A row of little cords popped
out in Rarick's neck, and it was
a moment before his throat
would unflex enough to swal
low.
"Yi." He had wanted to say
ayes"
avery wasn't able to swim
across to you, and you didn't
see his hands go up for the
third time. I made my swim
to an island of sanity. I've
clung to it ever since. Avery
couldn't-make it, You