FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   1912   1913   1914   1915   1916   1917   1918   1919   1920   1921   1922   1923   1924   1925   1926   1927   1928   1929   1930   1931   1932   1933   1934   1935   1936  
1937   1938   1939   1940   1941   1942   1943   1944   1945   1946   1947   1948   1949   1950   1951   1952   1953   1954   1955   1956   1957   1958   1959   1960   1961   >>   >|  
demanded sharply. "G-guess you know, or you wouldn't have come here." "What proof have I that you have it to sell?" Jethro looked at him for an instant. "M-my word," he said. Isaac Worthington was silent for a while: he was striving to calm himself, for an indefinable something had shaken him. The strange stillness of the hour and the stranger atmosphere which seemed to surround this transaction filled him with a nameless dread. The man in the window had been his lifelong enemy: more than this, Jethro Bass, was not like ordinary men--his ways were enshrouded in mystery, and when he struck, he struck hard. There grew upon Isaac Worthington a sense that this midnight hour was in some way to be the culmination of the long years of hatred between them. He believed Jethro: he would have believed him even if Mr. Flint had not informed him that afternoon that he was beaten, and bitterly he wished he had taken Mr. Flint's advice many months before. Denunciation sprang to his lips which he dared not utter. He was beaten, and he must pay--the pound of flesh. Isaac Worthington almost thought it would be a pound of flesh. "How much do you want?" he said. Again Jethro looked at him. "B-biggest price you can pay," he answered. "You must have made up your mind what you want. You've had time enough." "H-have made up my mind," said Jethro. "Make your demand," said Mr. Worthington, "and I'll give you my answer." "B-biggest price you can pay," said Jethro, again. Mr. Worthington's nerves could stand it no longer. "Look here," he cried, rising in his chair, "if you've brought me here to trifle with me, you've made a mistake. It's your business to get control of things that belong to other people, and sell them out. I am here to buy. Nothing but necessity brings me here, and nothing but necessity will keep me here a moment longer than I have to stay to finish this abominable affair. I am ready to pay you twenty thousand dollars the day that bill becomes a law." This time Jethro did not look at him. "P-pay me now," he said. "I will pay you the day the bill becomes a law. Then I shall know where I stand." Jethro did not answer this ultimatum in any manner, but remained perfectly still looking out of the window. Mr. Worthington glanced at him, twice, and got his fingers on the brim of his hat, but he did not pick it up. He stood so for a while, knowing full well that if he went out of that room his c
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   1912   1913   1914   1915   1916   1917   1918   1919   1920   1921   1922   1923   1924   1925   1926   1927   1928   1929   1930   1931   1932   1933   1934   1935   1936  
1937   1938   1939   1940   1941   1942   1943   1944   1945   1946   1947   1948   1949   1950   1951   1952   1953   1954   1955   1956   1957   1958   1959   1960   1961   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Jethro

 

Worthington

 
longer
 

window

 

struck

 

necessity

 

believed

 

beaten

 

biggest

 
looked

answer

 

rising

 
brought
 

things

 

demand

 
business
 

trifle

 

control

 

nerves

 

mistake


dollars

 
glanced
 

fingers

 

manner

 

remained

 
perfectly
 

knowing

 
ultimatum
 

moment

 
finish

brings
 

people

 

Nothing

 
abominable
 

affair

 

twenty

 
thousand
 

belong

 

surround

 
transaction

filled

 

nameless

 
atmosphere
 

strange

 

stillness

 

stranger

 
ordinary
 
lifelong
 

shaken

 
wouldn