White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1932-03-31
help. Not a rich man .essssauas


had succeeded in putting by amounted
outside his house and his life insur
ance, to just little more than that
If anybody yfelued to Mariners spell
it would be somebody in 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. 1t was only 8
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 Julias step in the halli
Was she coming to his door? Oh
Cd!
He wouldn't go home yet. There
was 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 little with a note of exaspera.
ton. ooh, 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" II
wasn't an accepted nickname Of his
At least he'd never heard it before
But there was no MISLEADING 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 a 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 sis
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 hurry. He made
himself solemn promise while he
waited for Mariner that he wouldn't
bind himself to anything tonight
He'd make 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
a hard man to resist. The mere pos
sibility that he'd found 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. III
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 1t 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.
erallty. 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 1t mine. But
I've got to have help"
Edward chung to his promise. I'm
not going to agree to go in tonight"
he said. "Tll think 1t over. and I'll
come out to your place In the morn.