Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-02-26
The Sealed Trunk
BY Henry KiseheII Webster
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HE didn't hold anything out"
Martin said. There was nothing
In that trunk that you didn't ind
the exact duplicate OF when you
took possession or the laboratory.
And 70 put II the other way
around. there was nothing among
tile notes Ia the laboratory that
there wasn't an exact duplicate Of
In that trunk"
whats thatrS cried Uncle Will
ham. 80 sharply that Forster start
ed in his chair.
Martin turned TO Rhoda- Don't
you see how II was? Your father
safeguarded himself against the
very thing that finally happened.
During the whole four years that
he worked IN Forster's laboratory
he kept q daily record, q sort or
log. or everything he did, Of his ex-
periments. OF his calculations, even
his guesses Is they occurred to
him. He wrote them all down In
tablets which had alternate pages
that could be torn out, and he kept
n carbon copy Of every note and
diagram. every pencil scratch that
he made. Every night he brought
home the dated carbon copies OF
that days notes and threw them IN
that trunk.
That's what be almost always
did; nlnety-nine times out or a
hundred. But once In q hundred
times It happened that what he
brought home weren't the carbons
but the original penciled notes.
From bis point OF view II wasn't
important which he brought home
He had with him In his personal
possession all the time an absolute
ly complete record Of all the work
he had done, against the chance
that Forster might some tine Try
to beat him cut Of his dues
well. be completed bis process
right up to the outline OF the last
conhrmatory experiments. He had
Il right, at last, the day before he
died"
"You can't prove that Forster
snarled.
You're ecing Do prove n for
me" Martin answered. within Eve
minutes Then he turned back To
Rhoda.
Forster had his process and he
didn't doubt that he was safe In
stealing your fathers share OF &c.
He made his deal and his contracts.
collected his rpyaltieA The prob
able existence Of your fathers copy
Of their contract didn't bother him
n bit He could say what he said
10 as Just now and there was, he
thought NO proof TO the contrary.
But at some tine or other, not 20
very long ago 7 imagine, looking
over the log that he'd found IN
the laboratory. he discovered here
and there q carbon sheet In place
OF the original And then he knew
what your father had done He
knew that n these sheets hadn't
been destroyed and ever fell into
the hands OF any friend OF yours
who recognized what they were,
he could be forced TO an account
Ing and made to pay every cent
that the contract called FOR. When
he realized that he began to adver-
tise for the whereabouts OF Rhoda
Mcfarland"
Forsters face was shining with
sweat but once more be bleated
stubbornly. You can't prove It'll"
4 said you were going to prove
it, Martin reminded him. You
have proved II to my satisfaction
by coming here today. But I'll tell
you what Tn going to do. II you
insist that the process you are Us
ing isn't Professor McFariand's
process but something else, I'll pub
lish these notes OF his and make
the world a present Of them
Forster sank back in his chair
with q groan. AN right" he said,
~rn buy them Of you How much
do you wantT"
Martin turned to Uncle william.
II think wen leave the price In
money TO the legal department"
he said. But Rhoda wants some
thing more out OF Forster than
the money her father earned
He paused an instant, then
turned TO Forster. 'She isn't vim
HIrefve and Bhe doesn't want any
revenge She wont prosecute you
and your nephew's wife for con
spiracy unless she's forced TO- But
nhe wants a EGEnxn stakemank from