The midland journal., 1942-02-27

the window, across the darkening
fog; and that slight movement en-
phasized the stiffness with which he
sat, hardly seeming to breathe. BY
clear daylight you could see the bay
from that window, miles away and
far below. Nothing was to be seen
there now.
When James Wayne spoke again
his voice was flat and dead. 1t was
as if their interchange was over,
with nothing more to be said, and
that the words he now spoke were
routine words, hopeless of result.
''If you've talked with your broth
ers," James Wayne said, "you know
the situation here"
eyes," said Dick.
"Have you seen this man John
Colt?"
"Only at a distance, SIR"
"I've seen him." James Wayne
said, speaking without emotion. 'An
acquisitive and predatory type, al
most q piratic type; but a man
born to succeed, in his way"
"But the girl have not seen,"
Dicks uncle said now. "This Karen
Waterson - have you seen her,
Dick?"
Tonga Dick hesitated. "Yes," he
said at last.
what does she look ike?" James
Wayne demanded, his voice rising
little. "Does she look hard? Does
she appear grasping-predatory?"
Tonga Dick stirred uneasily.
''No," he said after a moment.
"Yet she must be-" James Wayne
said, his voice vibrant. 'That girl
is evidently made Of something
harder than glass;"
James Wayne had always spoken
well; but at the same time he had
always spoken briefly, choosing few
words. Except for the curtness of
anger, Dick had never seen him
speak with emotion before. Now, as
James Wayne fell silent, Dick
wished that he were away.
"Dick," James Wayne said with
deep conviction, II don't believe
she's his granddaughter at ALL"
"My brothers told me-" Dick said,
''that they had thoroughly investi-
gated that; they say that her claim
of identity can be substantiated in
any court"
II suppose" James Wayne said
YEARLY, ''we may assume that the
claim Of relationship will be SUBJ
stantiated-at least to the satisfac-
tion of the court. Beyond that-be-
yond that, what is your impression
of her case?"
'My advice" Tonga Dick said, "is
to settle at once, out of court, at the
cost of any compromise whatever.
This case must never come to trial.
If it comes to trial, they will win."
A strange thing happened then.
The immobile, apparently bloodless
figure of James Wayne suddenly gal
vanized with such an explosion of
energy as Dick had never seen
James Wayne use. The old man
shot straight up, and behind him
the heavy chair crashed onto its
back, and the blankets fell away to
a muffie about his legs. A white
blaze was in the old mans eyes, and
every muscle of his body seemed to
tremble.
mol" he shouted. "No, / sayl
Never while I live! Not one cent
not one cent"
The door opened and Charles
Wong was there, and his thick
glasses were beseeching upon Tonga
Dicks face. In the moments Si-
lence the blaze within James Wayne
seemed to die away. Charles Wong
picked up the chair, and the old man
accepted it. Deity the tall Chinese
sought to rearrange the blankets.
"Dick," James Wayne said, s'you
know and know there's way to
break this case"
Dick was silent; but it was the
silence of q tentative assent.
We've come to showdown" his
uncle said. We've got to show down
our cards-both yours and mine."
"Are you sure you want that?"
Dick asked.
'.It begins to look as if there isn't
any other way"
"I'm afraid there isn't, sir. AL
though-although-"
Later" Charles Wong put in.
There's plenty of time for this.
Mister Dick, your uncle should not
talk any more right now."
| Dick attempted to speak, but was
checked-partly by his own loss of
words and partly by Charles Wong's
shaking head. Silently, Tonga Dick
Wayne left his uncle's room.