Show GENTLEMAN j CHAPTER XII continued 20 lie he wiped his glas glasses seq anil and went on id written a cable ordering your arrest there seem much sense in sending it I 1 was stuck in end bad my fy son was locked up in the tombs you yon seemed bent on getting him out it was a chance I 1 telegraphed harwood to give you every possible aid I 1 told him to raise your salary and I 1 signed a check for my w wife ife to send you she know that you tier her boy and slie she know I 1 knew anything nobody knew I 1 kept my mouth shut and the wires busy two weeks ago I 1 learned that accomplished nothing and that the date of the trial was set I 1 went to my doctor and he fie said I 1 could make the tripe after id booked passage liar wood cabled about the morano clew then I 1 told my wife everything and fame came home to deal with me yes apparently that was all ridder had made his statement coldly calmly is as a judge mi might have spoken in charging a jury the charge over he waited again so long that the pause became unendurable harry barry was standing like a prisoner in the dock after a moment he said what are you going to do listen to your explanation 1 I rny any theres a police officer in the next room 4 yes barry answered 1 I felt sure there would he be Is there any reason I 1 sli turn you over to him none that you dont know about he was as cold and as c dim calm ns as r ridder ad two cold calm men looking at each other bidder k knew new everything he knew what barry had done for ills his son and had bad a police officer in the next room knowing everything lie he waited until barry could be of no further use and then sent for the cops A hard bard man and a mean one that was that im not going to beg off it if what you want barry blurted you know what I 1 did 1 I want to know why you did it 1 I dont know myself no no 1 I think I 1 do know said ills his glasses were still in his hand and he was scrutinizing barry through naked narrow eyes half a dozen people have been here to plead for you one of ems ema still here to listen to them suppose you broke into my house to do me a good turn you yon exactly do that did youl you no barry answered 1 I the obvious thing seems to be that you yoa broke in to help yourself the servants arrived and mistook you for my son that enabled you to stay on then my sons wife appeared you yon silenced her by undertaking to get the bo boy y off the story it pretty nearly and then you remained to face me because you thought you could bluff your way out that was the game it blackmail barry was getting angry it was unbearable this hard mean old man twisting his motives incapable of admitting that a single one of them might have been honest why should he be remain silent lie he was in f for ort it anyway As a matter of fact he found himself saying that my pune game the story you told my story its merely what happened with will all t the lie truth left out of it then why dont you yon tell roe me the truth you believe me you because you understand I 1 broke into your house because I 1 was cold and wet and hungry I 1 stayed at first because I 1 was nuts about a girl and wanted to be near dear her then peggy canie came sties your daughter in law you know and told we me her story I 1 was sorry for her terribly sorry but of course you dont believe that why not because you yon knew the story too you had em trailed all about florida you knew the fight hed made and shed made for him and yo you u sire give a damn 1 I got a friend in the hie world she said just a sick kid and a husband im strong for shut up in the tombs why I 1 stayed on in your house using your name to help tier her at least I 1 think it Is you dont you you never felt avil sorry y lor for anybody youve got the alie truth now the whole truth send for your cop lind and lets have it over the old man sat watching him and add then suddenly he thrust for ward the paper hed been reading when barry ent entered pred how do you explain that he asked what Is it the wireless you sent my wife two to days after you broke into my house to make her think that you were tier her son when you wrote that never seen peggy you know you could be help anybody you were perpetrating u cruel hoax to stay on in my house and feather your nest Is that true or it it then why did you send that me message hairy bairy answer how could one answer to that hard menn old man inan 1 I 1 sent it be cause I 1 never had bad it i mother aind aini ivied pretend irig that I 1 liap how canull uil ano in say sat 1 I 1 mt fell sorra for her birr too ti I 1 wanted tier to iii abat li r li eimil her ito it o ailen ii 1 at ao larry barry sema remained ined sli si liitt I by channing pollock copyright channing pollock service the old man was waiting go on barry said get your cop if I 1 have you arrested the cats out of the bag 1 I dont get you every ones going to know that the inan in my house my son eliat my iny son was vas in the tombs barrys eyes flashed you would think of that well go ahead ring my mouths shut to too 0 1 I did this to give those two kids a break im not likely to spoil it now am I 1 II 11 go on ring and lets have it over the old mans hand descended upon the button btitton then the bis big door opened and a secretary entered lie ile glanced at barry and whispered to ridder bidder all right were finished the secretary glanced at carry barry again and left the room with cold calm eyes ridder bidder indicated 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 wao 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 bidders office barry closed the door behind him and stood trying to accustom himself to the new dimness there was only one window here and that heavily curtained no way in or out except that eliat by which barry had come A smallish board room this wa was s for start meetings barry made out a ion long table with chairs about it and several file cabinets beside these some one was waiting the cop before barry could answer his own question the figure turned and came forward patricia patricia a blue tailored ensemble barry laughed catl he exclaimed 1 I thou thought ailt you were a policeman no she replied grimly theres one outside though sly my father warned I 1 e 4 r if 50 51 ra 7 4 LA then pat said 1 I love you YO you u about sir ridder but I 1 I 1 think hini an anybody could be as us as granite as that old man youre tellin me barry grinned weve been at hlin him ever since lie be arrived lifs his son peggy father and I 1 ae peter ter winslow his own wife A ife we eap exp expect act friendship to count not after the way his paper went after fattier father but we e talked reason peter with his wife sick at home peter said you ve worked harder for your brother what was answer to that lie ile had to this girl meaning deanin peggy this girl ve kept tier her mouth shut if she thought he was tier her one chance yes peter argued but he was really woi boiking king lie as getting a good salary for doing it and good clothes and a good home and servants he paying fur for edve worked in his place so my mother pleaded too barry reminded himself swiftly with ith curious satisfaction then lie he grinned again at having thought of that old mans wife as his mother id like to meet mrs ridder ti said aloud id like to thank tier her and winslow of course and a all 11 oi 01 you it do much good pat responded spon ded but peters letor 3 going to take anke lour case and fight to a finish lie ile says hell stay home from europe liu rope if necessary 1 I dont want to fight carry barry answered im nut lint exactly eager to go to jail but it looks as khouli th ouli I 1 was hooked boole I for it and I 1 dont want w mt to lo niale make any ru pus that would only huit hint jack anti ami peggy I 1 aalt ant to wipe all ills ort off the slate and start I 1 resh fresh 1111 nodded no diled 1 I 1 imm you kept baling lets 11 0 oneri our U ul co codire kire I 1 listened shamelessly kid did it matter so much to you barry asked and then was sorry hed said it weve all been long on eavesdropping he added quickly old bidder your father weve all had good reason she was standing beside the long table you asked if it mattered to I 1 me she sat said dont you know why should it matter dont you know that weve been good pals he began she was staring at him fixedly dont talk nonsense the she commanded barry sat next to her listen he said youre a lady she IZ laid her hand on his bis arm ive only one question to ask she declared and I 1 count on your answering that honestly you can you said to ridder 1 11 I stayed at first because I 1 was nuts aboud about a girl yes W was that true yes who was she 1 I told you a month ago under considerable stress and you never repeated it are you still nuts about tier her she used the absurd colloquialism as gravely as though it were shakespearian english an invisible hand clutched at barrys throat there was a lump there something that had to be swallowed immediately ue he felt an hysterical desire to laugh or to cry then we wont talk about that now he said calmly why not ue ile answer was that pre pretense tease too suddenly he bear it you know damned well it he burst forth inexcusably you know exactly how I 1 feet feel youve always known always known everything about me it seems im as much a failure at faking as I 1 am at everything else the sense of discussing it now this may be our last chance to als discuss it they were both standing looking straight at each other then pat said 1 I love you for gods sake listen im the son of a neer do well 1 I love you im a bum and a vagabond 1 I love you before night ill be a jailbird jail bird 1 I love you pat ill wait for you pat said and then well both start fresh she was smiling now will you marry me mr gilbert for answer lie he caught her up to la his arms ue lie was as still holding her when the old man came through the door will you step in here please the old man asked as unemotionally as though he fie had seen people embracing one another in this board room ever every day of his life without replying barry released pat then he pressed her shoulder reassuringly surin gly and followed ridder at the big desk mrs bidder was standing ue he recognized tier her at once though she was younger and prettier than lie he had expected forty barry guessed glancing at her wavy dark hair and then realized that she must be mole moie th than an that she looked very much like her son barry thought curious that was the stronger strain then even though she seemed as soft and gentle as tier her husband was hard and domineering she was a small woman with plump arms and tiny wrists and ankles she had large brown eyes with shadows under them they had shown suffering those eyes though they were bright enough now snappy barry described them sly my wife wilder ridder nodded toward tier curtly she came forward her hand han d extended to barry 1 I want to thank you she said quietly before harry could answer asked why you tell me left all this at southampton all what your accounts mrs airs explained pla ined evans gave them to me this morning but I 1 open the envelope until just now dow then I 1 brought it straight to mr ridder this mummery about paying your board come in miss bidge TO ISE BE CONTINUED |