Out of the Primitive

th International Industrial Company Building. At one minute to ten he was facing the

ir? Mr. Leslie is

ll this morning,"

n, sir,

ting-room, in company with a dozen or more visitors. He s

with a brusqueness due perhaps to hi

cker of a smile: "I'm a civil

usiness

ncerns you,"

the fellow had been in training for years. He replied promptly, though in a more civil

il," put in Blake. "Your boss

of course-You

la

. He was gone perhaps a quarter of a minute. When h

d. "Mr. Leslie can spa

k and tell Mr. H. V. Leslie I'm much obliged for his favoring me with an appointmen

e doorkeeper. "I can't ta

erately drawing a cigar from his v

ake with respectful curiosity as he swung the door wide o

looking for the third guardian of the sanctum,-the great man's private secretary. But the room was empty. Without pa

desk, hurriedly mumbling into th

t sideways, and went

drew out a silver matchsafe. As he took out a match, Mr. Leslie touched a spring that sto

er. Any clerk can typewrite. No mislaid stenographer

our waiting-room clock," said Blak

nt you score. Now, what do y

e care, blew it out, and flipped it into the was

ss seeking to pierce with his narrowed glance Blake's hard, open gaze. The failure of his attempt perhaps ir

ped. "You think, because you were alone with m

ook in his eyes before which Mr

down! I-I didn't mean

lowly sat down again. He said not

wed irascibility. "H'm! So you're one o

want to through it. Only don't try the other again. You're her father, and that gives you a big

ean to th

shed men

ook th

e part of a

the man who happened to sa

r out of this palave

solely owing to the obligations under whic

e ironically. "Well, let me tell you, I'm some busy myself these days. Just now I'm out collecting o

im on me. I conceded th

Grif

g engineer in the city. And he held

one of t

nsit

tor. He has your pay-c

rest? It's two

interest on s

st, his jaw out-thrust. "If I had a million, I woul

Leslie. "You'll soon find out I can't be driven, young man. On

en s

obligations. I'd rather it ha

you!" rejo

of flinty sparks from M

more conciliatory, y

liator

ake you f

ake me in for one,

erests. Unfortunately you've put me in yo

er appointed, and reo

ways you dodge obli

red to purple. He thrust a quivering finger against a pu

emarked in a cheerful tone. "I do

the room, but turned back on the instant

Leslie, and as the man

ait! Don'

normal color and his composure. He put his finger-tips together, and jerked out in his usual incisive

uldn't settle with me for cash, not ev

tudied the young man's resolute face

d?" rejoined Blake. "I'm not as

money reward-I see. Yo

ke a name in y

n engineer t

ange to give you

ake dryly. "Wait till

ou going to

my bus

h accustomed to read men at a glance, he was

ways win at po

ake. "Cut it out, thoug

rned than a dollar made

e of these soc

with that crazy outfit is they want to set you to working for the people, instead of working the people. No; I've steered clear of them. 'Fraid I might get infected with altruism. L

or you're playing a deep game. It occurs to me you may

, she said," a

told

more than she seems

ut w

k h

e me that she suspected you had the effrontery to-aspire

Blake with cal

stung. "It's true, then! Yo

would reach you,

w she's an heiress! Think you have the whip-handle-bleed me or force her to marry

hite to the lips. For the second time during the interview Mr. Leslie cr

eyes, and the color returned to hi

huskily. "God! ... B

ie's bitter prejudice. He jerked out reluctantly: "I'm not s

o apologize,"

about a twenty-five-th

anded Blake

ind that can learn to run a railroad system,-I'll push you up the line to a hundred

you thin

hance the rest,-though I had your record looked up as soon as your

rowning. "I've stood

u will understand without argument why my offer is based on the condition that you

mean-

than married to you. Is that plain enough? You

eplied steadily: "I haven't touched a drop of drin

joined Mr. Leslie. "You've been kn

Blake. "It's different, though, now,

ied Mr. Les

plied Blake with

n. I owe you that much. But I won't risk my daughter's happiness-supposing you had so much as a shadow of a chance of winning her. No! You saved her

cked off the ash. "That for yo

to himself: "Might have known i

is your god, you needn't think it's everybody else's. You-m

The thought of such a th

r me. If I knew I didn't have one chance in a

u, to begin with, a twenty-five-thousand-dollar pos

k you can bribe me, do you? Well, you can just take your

ll do!" gasped Mr. Leslie,

nd I'm not one of the lickspittles that are always baa-ing around the Golden Calf. You've had your say. Now I'll have mine. To begin w

s my consulti

He gave me the job-not you. After what you've said to me here, I wouldn't take a hundr

t-b

ou've looked up my record, have you? How about your own? How about the Michamac Bridge? Griffith says the Coville Comp

back before the

in a quavering voice. "Calm yourself! T

I handed them in myself to yo

him? You say you handed in a set of

former secr

t that time my secr

s thumb towards the empty anteroom. "I

our receipt when you a

t a re

't take a

in the air over the way I had worked out that central span, and didn't think of anything but the committ

oof?" demanded Mr. Leslie with a shrewdn

em went down in the steamer. The fact I wrote Griffith about them before the contest wo

nows about

hich of course was part of my plan to blackmail you," gibed Blake. He rose, with a look that was almost good-humored

ched his visitor cross towards the door. The engineer walked firmly and res

slie bent forward and called in an irr

aluable," rejoined Blake, a

to touch a button with an incisive thrust of his finger. To the clerk who came hastenin