The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1931-12-04

Mariners help, if he got it, would be
somebody's savings. 1t was the poor
who took long chances. Six thousand
dollars in the savings bank or in Lib
erty bonds didn't amount to much, Ed
ward knew. The amount he himself
had succeeded in putting by amounted,
outside his house and his life insur-
ance, to just little more than that.
If anybody yielded to Mariners spell,
it would be somebody in a pair of
shoes very like his own. Somebody
who, in the regular course of things.
hadn't much to hope for.
His muscles frightened suddenly and
his heart gave an unexpected flutter.
There was wild idea! Nonsensical,
of course, but literally true. He could
give Mariner his six thousand dollars
tomorrow morning. It was only a
question of getting into the bank and
unlocking his strong box. Oh, no, he
wouldn't actually do anything like that
not yet. But it was an amusing
thing to have thought of. Imagine
how Julia would look when he told
her!
The day had worn itself out at last.
There was hardly anyone left in the
office. There was nothing left for him
to do but go home. Home to another
dinner of frozen silences; an evening
of pretending to read; another rest.
less, beastly night in the spare-room
bed. Was that Julia's step in the hall?
Was she coming to his door? oh,
Cd
He wouldn't go home yet. There
was a certain peacefulness in the
silence now the activities of the office
were dying down; an occasional door
opening and shutting; voice saying
good night to somebody. He'd stay
a little longer. He must telephone to
Mariner before he went home.
Two statesmen were talking frag-
mentarily as they lounged toward the
outer door. One was urging some
thing, and the other was holding back.
Presently the urgent one raised his
voice a little with a note of exaspera-
ton. "Oh, don't be crab!" he said.
you're getting more like Old Aunt
Patty every day."
Edwards face pringled at the
words. He caught his breath in some
thing like laugh before his mind had
had time to tell him whom the young
man meant by "Old Aunt Patty" 1t
wasn't an accepted nickname of his.
At least he'd never heard it before.
But there was no mistaking it.
Edward tried to tell himself he was
amused. He'd spring that nickname
himself tomorrow on one of those
young fellows and see what he looked
like. But he couldn't manage that at
titude. His lips were trembling. There
was lump in his throat. He'd had
enough and little over.
In another minute, with the re-
ceiver at his ear he was asking Mari
ner to dine with him at half past six
at the club.
He felt shaky as he walked to the
club. tremulous, exalted and depressed
at the same time. He didn't mean to
do anything, not in a hurry. He made
himself solemn promise while he
waited for Mariner that he wouldn't
bind himself to anything tonight.
He'd make a visit to the factory, too,
in order to get notion, such as his
layman's mind could form, of the act
ual physical basis Of the inventors
prospects.
This promise stood him in good
stead during their long talk over the
dinner table and after. Mariner was
hard man to resist. The mere pos
sibility that he'd found a rescuer had
restored the manner which he had for
few minutes attained during the
interview in the office. The stricken,
desperate look about him was gone.
He didn't pretend that the adven-
ture was sure thing. "Of course it
involves taking chance" he said. eff
it didn't, you wouldn't be getting in
for six thousand dollars. But if you
can see anything wrong in my calcula-
lions wish you'd tell me what it is.
know I'm not impartial. I'm telling
you how it looks to me. So If you
can find any blow-holes in it, wish
you would"
Edward couldn't see any holes. Not
If one granted the assumption that the
device would work. He couldn't seri-
ously dispute that assumption either.
Mariner must know whether it worked
or not And everything about the
story indicated his entire good faith.
He'd put in every cent he could scrape
together. And the mans manner,
every unguarded phrase and gesture,
showed that he was in deadly earnest.
Edward wondered at his self-re-
straint; and also, little, at his lib
crafty. He proposed to give Edward,
in consideration of his six thousand
dollars, 40 per cent interest in the
company.
II wouldn't surrender the control Of
it." he said quietly, "for ten times
that, nor twenty. This things mine,
and I'm going to keep it mine. But
I've got to have help"
Edward chung to his promise. SIN
nor going TO agree to 90 in tonight"