The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1931-04-17

into with Claire Cleveland -only she
was called Clara Bowman then-and
the man who was your secretary-I
think his name was Stafford"
Martin held his breath as he looked
from one of their faces to the other.
"You don't know what you're talking
about" Forster wheezed. But the con-
sternation in his face proclaimed that
she did know.
"You had your secretary hire her."
Rhoda went on. THAT'S why you
didn't know who she was when she
came back here and got job in your
Office. You didn't know that STAFF
ford had told her who you we're. And
when he died you thought you were
safe. You thought you didn't have
to pay the money you'd promised her
for running my father"
She turned away from him as If the
sight Of his goat-like face had become
uncomfortable to her, and went on
speaking to Martin. That's what he
did. They hired this woman-Staf-
ford found her-to go west on the
same train my father was going on.
She was to cry and pretend she'd lost
her ticket and her money, and get him
to take pity on her and pay her fare.
They must have known how kind he
was and how innocent he was or they
wouldn't have thought the trick would
work. 1t did work, partly. He paid
20, %I,o nh a< n ho, o~fI
her some money besides to buy her
meals with on the train. The rest of
the plan didn't work. He didn't even
look at her. She said so herself to-
him, just now. He never even guessed
what she was trying to make him do.
But she went ahead just the same
suppose they'd promised her more
money--and made her complaint be-
fore the district attorney. And she tes-
tilted against him at the trial, only the
jury didn't believe her and set father
free. But enough other people be-
lieved her so that he had to resign
from the university and come out here,
like man in hiding, to go to work,
without knowing it, for the very man
who had ruined him." She whipped
around upon Forster again, her eyes
blazing with furious anger. II wish
she had shot you, instead!" she told
him deliberately. II wish she'd shot
you dead. You deserve it, if anyone
ever did"
She happened to be standing, with
out knowing it, almost over the re-
volver, where she had only to stoop to
pick it up. Forster knew it, though,
He was staring at the thing in per-
feet nightmare of terror. Rhoda,
pulled up by the look in his face, fol-
lowed the direction of his stare and
glanced down too to see what he was
looking at.
That glance was all 1t needed to
demolish him completely. He Topped
out of his chair and sprawlad down
upon his knees on the carpet, holding
out his palsied hands, imploring mercy
'Wait!' he pleaded. swat! I'll tell
you all about it. 1t isn't what you
think. It's nowhere near as bad as
you think. I didn't mean him any
real harm. I thought he'd thank me
for it."
Rhoda> went little whittier and
turned her face away. do you mind
picking him up, Martin, and putting
him back in his chair" she asked.
Martin, feeling in his bewilderment
like a man in "a dream, tugged away
and finally managed to haul the poor
old ruin back into his chair again. It
must have been minute before the
millionaire could find breath enough
to speak with, but when he did 1t
was-strangely enough-in the voice
of man with grievance.
mcfarland was wasted, where he
was. He knew as much about the
chemistry Of petroleum as any man
in the world; more in some ways. And
he was nothing but college professor
working along line was interested
in, and when saw he was going to
read a paper in Cleveland before the
Oil Chemists institute went down to
hear him. Luckily he hadn't got far
enough with his discoveries to give
anything really practical away, but he
came near enough to it to make me
sweat. So saw him after the meet
ing and talked to him. had Stafford
with me and we came back with him
as far as Chicago. Spent most of the
night trying to get him to listen to
reason. Here he was on the edge of
thing that might be worth millions
to him personally, to say nothing of
anybody else, and he was getting ready
to broadcast it. wanted him to leave
the university and let me fit him up
laboratory. I'd pay all the expenses
of his research and give him con-
tract that would make his fortune as
soon as he had the thing on prac-
tical basis
II never saw anybody as stubborn
as he was. He'd hardly listen. Prac-
tically told me to go to h-rl. He said
the university had financed his re-
searches up to now and 1t would be
disloyal to leave them. 1t didn't do
any good to talk big figures to him.