THE MASTER MYSTERY. Arthur B. Reeve
Eva—thus giving Balcom a stronger hold over Brent.
Locke knew enough about Paul to dislike him thoroughly and to distrust him. Had Locke been able to see over the hedge he would have confirmed his suspicions. For Paul had actually driven up to Brent Rock in the runabout of as notorious a woman as could have been found in the night life of the city—one known as De Luxe Dora in the unsavory half-world in which both were leaders. Had his dictagraph been extended to the hedge he would have heard her voice rasp at Paul:
"Your father may make you pay attention to this girl, Paul, but remember—you had not better double cross me."
Paul's protestations of underworld fidelity, would have added to Locke's fury.
However, Locke had not seen or heard. Still, it was unbearable that this fellow Paul should be engaged to a girl like Eva. Tall, dark, handsome though he was, Locke knew him to be a man not to be trusted.
Paul hurried up to Eva, not a bit disconcerted at the near discovery of his intimacy with Dora. And, whatever one may believe about woman's intuition, there must have been something in it, for even at a distance one could see that Eva mistrusted Paul Balcom, her fiancé. Locke scowled blackly.
Paul thrust himself almost rudely between Davis and Eva. Again Davis shrank, as he had from the young man's father, then bowed, excused himself, and hurried off, hugging his motor to him, while Paul took Eva's hand, which she was not any too willing to give him. Locke watched, motionless, as the couple turned back to the house.
Somehow Eva must have felt his gaze. She turned and looked upward at the laboratory window. As she saw Locke her face broke into a smile and she waved her hand gaily. Paul saw it and a swift flush of anger crossed his face. He pulled Eva abruptly by the arm.
"Let's go into the house," he said, almost angrily.
Seeing the action, Locke also turned from the window to encounter Zita, still watching. Without a word he left the laboratory.
While this little quadrangle of conflicting emotions of Locke, Eva, Paul, and Zita was being enacted the two partners in the library were disputing hot and heavy. As they argued, almost it seemed as if Balcom's very face limned his thoughts—that he desired Brent out of the way, as a weakling in whom he had discovered some traces of conscience which, to Balcom, meant weakness.
Balcom leaned forward excitedly. "I do not intend to let you wreck this company because your conscience, as you call it, has begun to trouble you," he hissed.
Brent's hand clutched nervously. He was afraid of Balcom—so much so that he fought back only weakly.
Locke was down in the hallway just in time to meet Eva and Paul as they entered.
"Oh—do you know, I'm so glad—I think my father is the most kind-hearted of men," Eva trilled to Locke, as she recounted what had happened in the library with Davis.
Locke listened with restrained admiration for the girl, whatever might have been his secret opinion of her father or of the story he already knew.
On his part, Paul did not relish the situation, nor did he take any pains to conceal it. He shrugged and turned away.
"Come," he said, with a tone of surly authority, "I think I hear my father in the library."
Eva looked back swiftly at Locke and smiled as Paul led her toward the library door. But that, also, made Paul more furious.
"Why do you make me ridiculous before that fellow?" he demanded.
"I'm sorry," replied Eva, in surprise. "I didn't meant to do that."
Vaguely Paul understood. The girl was too unsophisticated to have meant it. Somehow that made it worse. Though she did not know it, he did. Unknown to herself, there was a response in the presence of Locke which was not inspired in his own society. He hurried her into the library.
It was as though the entrance of Paul and Eva had been preconcerted. The partners, in their dispute, stopped and turned as the young people entered and moved over to a divan. Balcom lowered his voice and plucked at Brent's sleeve as he nodded toward the couple.
"I could trust you better if they were married within a week," suggested Balcom.
Brent recoiled, but Balcom affected not to notice.
"Then I will believe that you are dealing fairly with me," he emphasized.
Brent studied a moment, then nodded assent. Balcom extended a cold, commanding hand and the partners shook hands.
Outside, Locke had paused, about to enter the library. The pause had been just long enough for him to hear—and it was a blow to him. He watched, dazed, as the two older men walked over to the younger couple; then he turned away, heart sick.
"My dear," began Brent, as he patted the shoulder of the girl, the one spot of goodness that had shone in the otherwise blackness of his life, making him at last realize the depth to which lust of money had made him sink, "we were just saying that perhaps it would be advisable to—er—hasten your marriage to Paul—say—perhaps next week."
The words seemed to stick in his throat.
As for Eva, she felt a shiver pass over her. Without knowing why, she drew back from Paul, at her side, shrank even closer to her father, trying not to tremble. Did Paul realize it?
Brent felt the shudder with a pang. He leaned over. "Promise to do this—for my sake," he whispered, so low that there was no chance of the others hearing. "By to-morrow all may be changed."
There was something ominous about the very words.
Chapter III
Brent had no intention of keeping the promise which Balcom had extracted from him by a species of moral duress that afternoon.
In fact, already he had gone too far in his plans for restitution—or was it self-preservation?—to turn back. It was late in the night that he himself secretly admitted to the house a tall, dark-haired stranger who evidently called by appointment.
"Well, Flint," he greeted, in a hushed tone, "what was it you asked to see me about?"
Flint replied not a word, but impressively tapped a bundle which he carried under his arm and began to undo the cord which bound it.
Brent looked startled, then caught himself. He had known Flint for some time—an adventurer, more or less unscrupulous, who had been the foreign representative of International Patents.
Flint took off his coat and threw it on a chair with an air of assurance that seemed to increase Brent's anxiety, then began again to untie the bulky package.
"Just a moment, Flint," cautioned Brent, stopping him.
With an air of uneasy secrecy Brent hurried to the door that led from the dining-room to the conservatory and bolted it securely. Then he made sure that the door to the library was bolted.
As he did so he did not see his secretary, Zita, watching in the hall, for the footsteps of Locke, approaching, had caught her quick ear and she had fled.
"Locke!" called Brent, hearing his laboratory, manager. "Under no circumstances allow me to be disturbed to-night."
"Very well, sir," responded Locke.
Just then the light step of Eva was heard on the stairs.
"What's the matter, father?" she asked, still upset by the events of the afternoon. "Is there anything wrong?"
"No, my dear, nothing," hastily replied Brent. "In the morning I shall have something to say to you. Now run along like a good girl."
Dutifully Eva turned. Brent watched her out of sight. Then with a keen look at Locke he pulled out a paper from his pocket and handed it to the young scientist, who read:
Brent,—This is my last