Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
At any rate, he held it aloft and gazed at it in the light. As he did so a strange thing happened. Reflected in its surface on the glass, yet distorted like a convex mirror, he could see the door of the closet open just a crack and the evil faces of Balcom and Zita peer out.
"You little idiot!" Balcom almost hissed. "I'll not tolerate a failure, either. Get out!" Although Zita almost went on her knees in her pleading to him, Balcom was adamant, and finally she left in utter despair. Outside, she telephoned to Paul to see if she might induce him to use his influence in reinstating her in his father's good graces.
"There she sits," he exclaimed, "and half of the voting power of this company belongs to her Zita Brent, Zita Dane Brent." Instantly Locke was on his feet. "Balcom, you lie!" he rasped. "Lie or no lie," retorted Balcom, "as vice-president of the company I refuse to permit any action to be taken until Zita's position is legally established." Locke turned to Eva.
At any moment the door might come crashing down and Locke and Eva might again be at the mercy of the iron fiend. Locke caught up Eva in his arms again and, groping, sought the exit of the warehouse. He dared not follow Zita through Old Meg's den. Love that could for any reason hesitate or injure the one loved was incomprehensible to him.
"Peter Brent's daughter!" he exclaimed. "No, not his daughter the daughter of Doctor Q." "Impossible!" recoiled Zita, astounded at the assertion. "True, Zita," he asserted, "absolutely true. Here, look at this paper." With hands that trembled, Zita took the paper and read an amazing table. Unless the paper lied, she was indeed the daughter of Doctor Q.
As she sobbed she bent over his hand and pressed it to her lips. Peter Brent sat staring into space, staring like a graven image. After her brief encounter with Balcom in the hallway Zita stealthily mounted to Flint's room. Flint's condition was unchanged.
His earnestness almost made it seem true, and he talked in his most fascinating and attractive manner. He finally ended his conversation with a direct proposal of marriage. But he had overstepped the mark and Zita was not to be fooled. "Paul" she laughed scornfully now "you should be on the stage. It needed only this proposal to prove to me that I am really Peter Brent's daughter."
"What is it?" asked Locke, with distinct anxiety, winking back. "I am afraid I shall have to dispense with your services," continued Eva, as she reached out her hand and gave Locke's a little squeeze. Up-stairs, Balcom and Zita listened intently, their heads close together so that each could catch every word. Balcom was nodding with satisfaction.
Finally Eva and the lawyer were in full accord, and she accompanied the elderly attorney to the door. As they parted, Zita strained her ears to hear the last words. She did not get it all, but quite enough to tell her what they had decided upon. "As my lawyer," she overheard Eva say, "I wish you to have Mr. Locke appointed receiver."
But Uncle William spoke very gravely, and said that it was not a thing for us to discuss, and that if Karl did it, it was an "act of State," and no doubt very painful to Cousin Karl to have to do. Zita asked Uncle if Karl poisoned dear old Uncle Franz Joseph, because some of Karl's best and most intimate friends said that he did.
Word Of The Day