Show SYNTHETIC six GENTLEMAN GENTL EMAN CHAPTER XII continued 20 ile he wiped ills his glasses and went on id written a cable ordering your arrest there seem much sense in sending it I 1 was stuck in bad nau helm belm sly my son was locked up in the tombs you seemed bent on getting him out it was a chance I 1 telegraphed harwood to give aou ou every possible aid I 1 told him to raise your salary and I 1 signed a check for my wife to send you she know that you her boy and she know I 1 knew kner anything nobody knew I 1 kept my bouth 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 be said I 1 could make the trip after id booked passage liar wood cabled about the morano clew then I 1 told tod my wife ife everything and am came home to deal with me Y yes 11 apparently that was all bidder had imade bikle liis ills statement coldly calmly as a judge might have spoken in charging a jury tile the charge over he waited again so long that the pause became mn unendurable endurable carry barry was sta standing like a prisoner in the dock after a 11 moment ho be said what are you going to do ILl listen sten to your explanation 1 I any theres a police officer in the next nest room yes barry ansi answered cred 1 I felt sure there here would be Is there any reason I 1 turn you yon over to him none that you dont know about ile he was as cold and as calm is as ridder two cold calm men looking at each other ridder knew everything yle he knew what barry had done for his li son and had a police officer in the next room inov knowing ing everything lie he waited until barry could ile he of no further nae 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 bat I 1 did 1 I want to know why you lid did it 11 1 I dont know myself no no 1 I think I 1 do know bidder said ills his glasses were still in ills his hand and he was scrutinizing barry through naked narrow eyes half a dozen people have hare been here to plead for you one of eras ems still here to listen to them suppose you broke into my house to do me a good turn you exactly do that did you no barry an answered sered 1 I tile the obvious thing seems to be that you broke in to help yourself the servants arrived and mp took you for ray my son sen that enabled you to stay on then my sons wife appeared you silenced tier lier by undertaking to get tile the boy off tile the story it pretty nearly and then you remained to fa face me because you thought thou glit you could bluff your way out that was the game it blackmail barry was getting angry it was unbearable this hard mean old man an twisting his mo motives thies incapable of admitting that a single one of them might have been honest bonest why should he remain silent lie ile was in for it anyway As a matter of 0 fact he be found himself saying that my gome game the story you told my story I 1 its ts merely what happened with all the truth left out of it then why dont you tell me the truth you bellee believe me you because you understand I 1 broke into your house because I 1 was colt cold and wet and hungry I 1 stayed at first because I 1 was vas nuts about a girl and wanted to be near lier her then peggy came ashes your daughter in law you know and told me her story I 1 vas nas sorry tor for her terribly sorry but of course you dont believe that wily why not because you knew the story too you had em cm trailed fill all about florida you knew tile II 11 dijt hed made and shed made for him and you give a damn 1 I got a friend in tile the world she said just a sick kid and a husband burband im strong tor for shut up in the tombs why I 1 stayed on in your house using your name to help lier ker at least I 1 think it Is you dont s you you never felt sorry for ry anybody youre got the truth now the whole truth send for your cop and lets have it over the old mau man sat watching him and then suddenly he thrust for ward the paper hed been reading when barry entered allow do you explain that he be asked what Is it the wireless tr eless you sent my wife two days after you brol broke e into my houst house to make her think that you were her son pon when you wrote that never seen peggy you know you could help anybody you were perpetrating ii a cruel hoax boa to stay on in my house and feather your nest Is that true or it it then why did you send that nii ines 4 sage BO per barry answer ilow how could one answer to obit hard bard mean old man 1 sent gent it because I 1 ni ivr lind had a und liked pretending that I 1 had ilow could ame ane say 1 I 1 fait sorry shirry fur for tier her tim I 1 wanted tier to bel bellois lovs 1144 4 inn imi loved tier her one sini iv aisch tu ko silent by channing pollock copyright channing pollock service the of old man was waiting go flo on barry said get your cop if I 1 have you arrested tile the cats out of tile lie bag t 1 I dont get you every ones going to know that the man in my house my son that my son was in the tombs harrys barrys eyes eves flashed dashed you would think of that well go ahead ring sly my mouths shut too I 1 did this to give those two kids a break im not likely to spoil it now am 17 I 1 on go on ring and lets have it over tile the old mans hand descended upon the button 48 then tile the big door opened and a secretary entered lie he glanced at harry barry and whispered to ridder all right were finished tile the secretary glanced at narry barry again and left the room with cold calm eyes inda bated the door behind him in there lie ho said rising and walking away barry looked after him tough guy barry muttered quite audibly quoting peggy ills hand was on the knob now tough guy that bird then lie braced himself and opened the lie door it was dark in the next nest room quite dark after the dazzling sunlight of ridders office barry closed the door behind him and stood trying to accustom himself to the lie new dimness there was only one window here and that he headly aIly 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 ille 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 Ilam bidge in a blue tailored ensemble barry laughed pat lie exclaimed 1 I thought you were a policeman no she replied grimly theres one outside though sly my father warned 14 A e r 1 x 4 A then pat said 1 I love you you about mr ridder but I 1 think RBY anybody bOdy could be as as granite as that old man youre tellin me barry grinned weve been at him ever since lie arrived his son soil peggy father and 1 I peter winslow his bis own wife we expect friendship to count not after the way his paper went after father iut but vie talked reason peter with his wife sick at honie peter said you ve worked harder for jour brother what was ridders answer to that lie ile had to this girl giff rue meaning aning peggy this girl ve kept her mouth shut if she thought he was tier her one chance yes peter argued but he was really working lie he vas nas getting a good salary for doing it and good clothes and a good home and servants he paying for edve worked lo in his place 11 I 1 so my mother pleaded too barry reminded himself swiftly with curious satisfaction then lie grinned again at having thought of that old mans wife as his mother id like to meet mrs bidder hc h said aloud id like to thank her and winslow of course and ull all oj 01 you it do much good pat responded but peters going to take our case and light fight to a finish ile he says hell stay home from europe if necessary 1 I dont want to light fight barry answered ini im not exactly eager to go to jail but it looks as though I 1 was booked for it and I 1 dont want to make any rumpus that would only hurt jack anti and peggy I 1 want to wipe all this off tile the slate anti and start fresh pat lil nodded 1 I know illow you kept lets aale ii li it ner mer you heard hc ird wr of coure cour t e I 1 shamelessly did it matter so much to you barry asked and then was sorry hed said it it weve all been long on eavesdropping he added quickly old ald der your father weve were all had bad good reason she was standing beside tb the le long ion table able you asked it if it mattered to me she 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 she commanded barry sat next to her listen he sald youre a lady she laid her hand band on oil his 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 1 I stayed at first because I 1 was nuts about a girl tes res was that true yes who was she ehe 1 I told you a month ago under considerable stress and you neier neer repeated it are you still nuts about her she used tile 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 lie ile felt an hysterical desire to laugh or to cry then we wont talk about that now lie be said calmly why not ile he answer was that pretense too suddenly he be bear it you know damned well it lie he burst forth inexcusably you know exactly how I 1 teel 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 discuss it they were both standing looking straight at each other then pat fat 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 waft for you pat said and then well both start fresh she was smiling now will you marry roe me air gilbert cilbert for answer lie he caught her up la in his arms lie he nas as still holding bolding tier her when the old man mail came through the door will you step in here please the old man asked as unemotionally as though he had seen people embracing one another in ibis board room every day of ills his life without replying barry released pat then be pressed tier her shoulder reassuringly surin gly and fol followed loed bidder at the big desk sirs mrs ridder was standing lie he recognized her at once thou though h she was younger and prettier than he be had expected forty barry guessed glancing at her wavy dark hair and then realized that she must be more than 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 her husband was 1 hard and domineering she was a small woman with plump arms and tiny wrists and ankles she had large brown eyes with shadows under tinder them they bad shown suffering those eyes though they were bright enough now snappy carry barry described them thein sly wife nodded toward her curtly she came forward her hand extended to barry 1 I want to thank you she said quietly before barry could answer anser ridder asked why you tell me left all this at southampton I 1 all hat your accounts sirs mrs ridder 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 air ridder this mummery about paying your board come in miss bliss clarn bidge TO HE BE |