The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1932-02-05
CHAPTER vI-Continued

'Of course you do" mother agreed,
Instantly, "and you shall" All the
same, she paused a moment, there,
and the next thing she did was to ask
a question. did your father get hold
Of Bert willard? He wanted to have
q talk with him this morning"
II guess So" Edith told her. eve
left them together at the station
This seemed to be something off
mothers mind, though she didn't ex.
actly brighten up at the news;
turned, if anything, little graver
and more thoughtful. Finally she
said, "Why, the situation is just
about what 1t was when you went
away, 1 guess. I don't think there's
been any real change, as far as the
actual prospects go. TherS was one
little furry, last week, but don't be-
Heve 1t amounts to anything. A firm
Of patent lawyers wrote to say that
some clients Of theirs were making
something along the lines of the choke
and were interested in the Mariner
patents. Your father went to see
them. They talked in vague sort of
way about infringements and lawsuits
and then they suggested that they
might consider buying our patents If
they could get them at what they
called a reasonable price. Your father
asked them what their notion of
reasonable price was and they said
about a hundred and fifty or two hun.
dred dollars. OF course dad told them
he wouldn't consider it and came
away, but 1t left him feeling rather
blue"
"Big bluffs!" Edith said, furiously.
"They're afraid dad will sue them.
That's what's the matter with them"
"Oh, yes" mother agreed. SIT wasn't
anything 4 don't believe there's any
thing else" she went on, except
that man who has been buying quite
. lot Of chokes apparently isn't going
to pay for them. It makes things
pretty hard just now, of course"
Poor old dadw The girls voice
betrayed her by breaking over the
words and the next moment she was
crying. Sand there was, all the
eime," she jerked out desperately
through her sobs, "p-playing golf and
eating five-dollar meals in b-beastly
big hoteli"
Mother held out her arms. "Come
here. chicken" she said. After the
girl had Struggled down in this refuge
and had got little quieter she added,
~You stayed and helped him as long
ms you could. / don't believe you'll
ever know, even il he tries to tell you,
how much you helped him."
"Is Mr.. Willard going to help him,
do you suppose?" Edith asked when
she'd got control of her voice again.
''That's why he wanted to talk to him
this morning, isn't it? To see II he
could borrow some money!"
II think so" mother admitted. Hell
have to get some from somebody"
'Didn't dad try to get him to go in
before / went away?" Edith asked.
Mother turned to look at her and
countered with another question. did
he say anything to you about it?'
mot thingl" Edith assured her.
~oh, it was just bunch. I noticed
MIR. Willard never asked anything
about the business. He seemed to be
sort Of keeping away from it the night
he drove me home from the club. And
then. i thought dad acted as If his
feelings had been hurt. when they
wanted me to go to Asheville with
them. / didn't know why, then. But
n he wouldn't do it before, why does
dad think he will now2"
"He asked him to invest in the bust
ness" mother explained, "and Bert