Carbon County news., 1936-06-12


house, using your name, to help her,
AT least, think 1t Is. You don't.
You couldn't. You never felt sorry
for anybody. You've got the truth
now-the whole truth. Send for
your cop, and let's have 1t over"
The old man sat watching him.
And then, suddenly, he thrust for
ward the paper he'd been reading
when Barry entered.
How do you explain that2" he
asked. z.S5%$'
what is it?" -.
"The wireless you sent my wife
two days after you broke into my
house. To make her think that you
were her son. When you wrote that,
you'd never seen Peggy. You didn't
know you could help anybody. You
were perpetrating q cruel hoax to
stay on in my house, and feather
your nest. Is that true, or isn't it p
1T isn't
"Then why did you send that
messager ......z.1
Barry didn't answer.
How could one ansWer-tO that
hard, mean old mani sent it be-
cause ! never had q mother, and
liked pretending that ! had?" How
could one say, II felt sorry for her,
too. I wanted her to believe that
her boy loved her." One simply
couldn't, and so Barry remained
silent. E
The old man was waiting.
"Go on" Barry said Get your
cop"
IF have you arrested, the cats
out Of the bag"
II don't get you"
"EVery ones going to know that
the man in my house wasn't my son
that my son was In the Tombs." +"
Barry's eyes flashed.
"YOu would think of that. Well,
60 ahead; ring. My mouths shut,
too. did this to give those two
kids a break. I'm not likely to
spoil it now, am /? Go on, ring,
and let's have it over"
The old mans hand descended
uponothe button.
Then the big door opened, and a
secretary entered. -
He glanced at Barry. and whis-
pered to Ridder. ".
"All right. We're finished"
The secretary glanced at Barry
again and left the room.
With cold, calmaeyes, Ridder in
dicated the door behind him.
"In there" he said, rising and
walking away.
Barry looked after him.
Tough guy" Barry muttered
quite audibly, quoting Peggy. His
hand was on the knob now. Tough
guy-that bird"
Then he braced himself and opened
the door.
It was dark in the next room.
Quite dark, after the dazzling
sunlight of Riders office.
Barry closed the door behind him
and stood trying to aeeHstom him.
self to the new dtmness.r
There was only one window here,
and that heavily curtained. No way
in or out, except that by which
Barry had come. A smallish board
room, this was, for staff meetings.
Barry made out a long table, with
chairs about it, and several file cab
fnets. Besides these, some one was
waiting.
The "cop"2
Before Barry could answer his
own question, the figure turned and
came forward.
Patricia.
Patricia Hambidge, in a blue tail
Ored ensemble.
Barry laughed.
"Patw he exclaimed, II thought
you were a policeman"
"No," she replied, grimly. "There's
one outside, though. My father
warned you about Mr.. Ridder but
I didn't think anybody could be as
AS granite as that old man."
you're tellin' me?" Barry
grinned.
"We'ye been at him ever since he
arrived-his son, Peggy, father and
/, Peter Winslow, his own wife.
We didn't expect friendship to
count-not after the way his paper
went after" father. But we talked
reason. Peter, with his wife sick
at home-Peter said you couldn't've
worked harder for your brother"
"What was Riders answer to
that?"
":He had to. This girI-mean-
ing Peggy - This girl Wouldn't've
kept her mouth shut If she hadn't
thought he was her one chance
"'Yes,' Peter argued, but he was
really working
"sHe was getting a good salary
for doing it. And good clothes, and
a good home, and servants he
wasn't paying for. I'd'Ve worked
in his place."
$50 my mother pleaded, too,"
Barry reminded himself, swiftly,
with curious satisfaction. Then he
grinned again at having thought of