United States or Latvia ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Locke replied that he would be down in an hour. But during that hour other strange things occurred. For no sooner had the boatman hung up his receiver than a pleasant voice hailed him and he left his house to investigate. It was Paul Balcom. It was in a clever, insinuating, affable manner that Paul approached the real object of his visit. His appeal was cleverly worded, cleverly presented.
"It's nearly dinner time and we're going out together, Walter, down to Jacques'." "Why Jacques'?" "Because I phoned your friend Belle Balcom and she informed me that that was the place where we would be apt to find the elite of the film world dining." I acquiesced, of course.
I guess I'll have to make a little more light in here," and she went and pushed two of the shutters ajar. Then Editha's father said, in his public will-now-address-a-few-remarks tone: "My name is Balcom, ma'am Junius H. Balcom, of Balcom's Works, New York; my daughter " "Oh!" the seated woman broke in, with a powerful voice, the voice that always surprised Editha from Gearson's slender frame.
"I will get him to your apartment," she hurriedly said, as she looked up at him for further instructions. Balcom turned quickly from her, got his own hat and sack, and departed, just as Locke came into the hall, bound for the chemist's shop. He looked after the disappearing form of Balcom, and then turned and noticed that he was being watched by Zita.
"Oh Zita please can't something be done?" Eva implored. With a hasty word Zita hurried away just as Herbert Balcom himself entered the house from the street. In utter surprise Balcom nodded at Zita as she poured forth the story of what had been discovered in the morning, then pushed past her in high excitement.
More horrible yet, she had her fears of the package that had been given her by Balcom to deliver. "You must not go up there!" she cried, impulsively, flinging her arms about Locke's neck. Locke tried to remove her arms as he questioned her. But Zita either would not or could not tell more. Instead she merely clung to him.
So he made a hell on earth for his wife until, in desperation, she consented to an annulment of their marriage." The room was breathlessly quiet as Balcom continued. "Years passed and then his conscience smote him. He made his own child his secretary." Then he turned to Zita, pointing at her.
"And I hope he will" the girl said, and confronted her mother with a stormy exaltation that would have frightened any creature less unimpressionable than a cat. Her mother rocked herself again for an interval of cogitation. What she arrived at in speech was, "Well, I guess you've done a wicked thing, Editha Balcom."
Winters agreed and accepted the package, looking quizzically at her as he did so, just as he had earlier in the day. Zita, unable to control her curiosity, burst out with the question uppermost on her mind. "Why do you look at me in such a strange manner?" she queried. The inventor merely turned his gaze away and shrugged. "Mr Balcom tells me that you know the secret of my birth," pressed Zita.
"Dead!" he muttered, as he ran his fingers through his hair dazedly. "Dead!" A strange thing happened. The mad light fled from the eyes of Doctor Q and the twisted brain seemed to become clear. Suddenly in the very field the old man knelt down and prayed a thankful prayer for his recovery. What was the strange power which Balcom had wielded over him, which death had snapped?
Word Of The Day