"I've used that to improve my tools and melt the swag the past year. The
shop's all right."

"But you did make a successful invention?"

"You bet I did," he answered savagely, "and that's why I quit the
business. Three years ago I took down a big automobile and worked out an
improvement in the transmission that settled the question of heavy draft
machines. I took it to a lawyer in Wall Street and he took it to a man
that had money. Between the two of 'em, they didn't do a thing to
me! They were going to put my patent on the market and make me a
millionaire. God, I was crazy----"

He paused and squared his shoulders with a deep breath.

"They put it on the market all right and they made some
millionaires--but I wasn't one of 'em, Kiddo! They got me to sign a
paper that skinned me out of every dollar as slick as you can pull an
eel through your fingers. I hired another lawyer and gave him half he
could get to beat 'em. He fought like a tiger and two days before I
met you he got his verdict and they paid it--just ten thousand dollars.
Think of it--ten thousand dollars! And each of them got a million cash.
They sold it outright for two millions and a half. My lawyer got five
thousand dollars, and I got five thousand dollars. That's mine, anyhow.
It's in that bag there. I'm working on a new set of tools now in my
shop. I'm going to get that money back from the two thieves who stole
it from me by law. I'll take it by force, the way they took it. If I can
croak them both in the fight--well, there'll be two thieves less to rob
honest men and women, that's all."

"Oh, Jim!" Mary gasped, lifting a trembling hand to her throat as if
to tear open her collar. "You're mad. You don't know what you're
saying----"

"Don't fool yourself, Kiddo," he interrupted fiercely. "My eyes are open
now, and I've got a level head back of 'em, too. I've doped it all out.
You ought to 'a' heard that lawyer give me a few lessons in business
when he'd skinned me and salted my hide. He was good-natured and
confidential. He seemed to love me. `Business is war, sonny,' he piped,
between the puffs of the big Havana cigar he was smoking--`war! war to
the knife! We got you off your guard and put the knife into you at the
right minute--that's all. Don't take it so hard! Invent something
else and keep your eyes peeled. You ought to love us for giving you an
education in business early in life. You're young. You won't have to
learn your lesson again.