k, don't bother!"
called Roger. "Leave us alone a little while longer. What's the matter,
Ernest? Be quiet, man! Let's talk like men and not row like a couple of
dogs."

Roger eased Ernest into a chair and Ernest ceased to struggle, but
stared at Roger gloomily.

"Well, what are you going to do about it?" he asked sullenly.

"I'm going to make you see the error of your ways." Roger smiled grimly.
"Use your common sense, Ernest. What could Germany give you, except
money? All your life ties are here."

"Wonderful ties!" sneered Ernest. "Charley has turned me down, my father
has turned me out and you've beaten me up."

Roger concealed a grin. "Poor old chap!" he murmured. "So a woman's at
the bottom of it all, eh?"

"I don't know why her refusing me affected me so," said Ernest, as if to
himself. "But I felt as if nothing mattered. And then to have the Sun
Plant a failure and my father's attitude! O pshaw, what's the use? Let
me alone, Roger. I'm going to pack up and get out of here."

"Ernest," said Roger, "if you don't stay by while we straighten this
out, I'll never get over it and no more will you. We've loved each other
too long, Ern. Our lives have become interwoven. If we break now we'll
go lame all our days. You know that, don't you, old man? You folks have
all done so much for me. I've got to keep your friendship in order to
pay up some of my indebtedness, eh, Ernie?"

Ernest drew a long breath and suddenly dropped his head into his hands
and burst into tears.

"And now I'm crying!" he said. "Now I'm crying! There's no limit to my
weakness."

Roger, still with a little twisted grin, lighted a cigarette. "A peach
of a superman you are, eh, Ern?"

Ernest did not answer and Roger walked up and down the room, waiting.
Finally Ernest lifted his flushed face and took the cigarette which
Roger offered him, and began to speak, rapidly:

"I was desperate, after the Smithsonian turned me down. Seems that they
didn't like the look of things Austin did and that's why they dropped
you. Werner looked me up. I found out later that Gustav had kept him
informed, and that Werner had got Austin just as they got me. I honestly
thought I was doing a great thing for you and the world, Rog. Werner
showed me a list of names of people in this country that're helping
Germany that would make your eyes start. And he was always praising
America."

"Ernest, has Werner any drawings of the plant?" asked Roger.

"No, he hasn't.