Adventure, December 1914 — page 146: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

144 detail patented in every country in the world—and that has cost money; practi- cally all the money I have. Now I’m look- ing for a capitalist who’ll launch these things, and who won’t want the whole bag of tricks for himself, but who’ll leave me some of the profits. I’d have no difficulty in finding men who’d put up money; big manufacturers would do it next week; but they’d want seventy-five, eighty or eighty- five per cent. of the profits. I’m not treat- ing on those lines after all I've gone through—my hopes and dreams.” “On what lines would you treat?” “Fair and honest lines, on a reasonable basis.” ‘“How much money will be wanted?” “I couldn’t exactly say. Production on a modest scale could be managed for quite a small sum; to supply the world’s markets would require a large capital. I could start with five or ten thousand pounds. I should want a hundred thousand or more if I suc- ceeded as I’m sure I shall. But of course the great thing is to make a start, and I haven’t five thousand pounds,” “T might provide the money on what you call reasonable lines, if you could satisfy me as to the value of your inventions.” ‘“What—you? But you don’t think I had you in view when I began to talk?” “Tt so happens that I’ve a good deal of loose cash for which I’m seeking an open- ing. Presuming that you prove to my satis- faction that you’re an honest man, Mr. Bishop Guy, and that these two inventions of yours are real good things, I might do worse than invest it in them.” ‘You certainly might do that; there’s no doubt about it—you know there’s no doubt about it, Ella! What do you call a good deal of loose cash, Mr. Adair?”’ “I might begin with twenty-five thou- sand pounds, and later I might find a hun- dred thousand.” The little man gasped; he seemed to have grown taller; his whole face shone. ‘‘When—when would you be able to find the money if—if everything is satisfac- tory?” ‘‘Tomorrow, the day after, next week— whenever you want it.” ‘And you have twenty-five thousand pounds which you can get at with a stroke of the pen? Mr. Adair, give me your hand. My wife’s a simpleton; and as for Winifred Dennis—when it comes to the serious things Adventure of life women don’t count. Fancy wanting a man to give what my wife calls an account of himself when he’s good for twenty-five thousand pounds with a stroke of his pen! And as for the satisfaction you want, Mr. Adair, you shall have that. If you allow me to go into certain details with you, I think you'll agree that for your loose cash I shall offer you a very sound invest- ment.” CHAPTER XII THE SECRET OF THE TABLE Wests ADAIR spent several days in the chambers at Mitre Court. He made several surprising discoveries. Almost the first one was the possibility of securing the chambers so that they resembled the strong-rooms in safety deposit companies. A sheet of rolled steel had been inserted into the wall in such a manner that by turn- ing a handle it ran right across the outer door. If intending felons got through the oak and the outer door there would still remain that steel for them to tackle. Then there were guards for the windows in the shape of steel shutters which rose up and covered them. If those safeguards had been in regular use by the late Mr. Jerning- ham Creed he could hardly have come to the end he did. Adair came to the con- clusion that they had scarcely ever been used—that they had been intended for emergency purposes which in the old man’s judgment never had arisen. ‘‘T believe,” he told himself one day when he had got all these ingenious contrivances in their places, ‘“‘that his idea was not to use them as protection against thieves, but as safeguards against their natural enemies— the police. For years he must have gone in fear of the police; what beats me is how he continued to be immune. He must have known that the moment the police got wind of what he had in here, it meant penal servi- tude for life. Also, possibly, he used these steel doors and shutters on certain days or nights in the year when he went in fora sort of general stock-taking.” Another discovery which Adair made was of a most surprising kind. It took the shape of a secret door in the old man’s bed- room. A full-length picture of a fine lady in the gorgeous raiment of the eighteenth century hung at the foot of the bed. It MICLOOOK (C©