“Mr. Thornton?” the woman gushed, advancing with a friendliness that was almost brazen.
Thornton arose, wonderingly. “I’m afraid you have the advantage of me.”
“I am Miss Bender — Miss Ruth Bender,” the caller beamed. “I’m sorry if I’ve chosen a busy moment to intrude, but I’m sure you will pardon me when the nature of my visit is made known.”
Thornton motioned his visitor to a seat, and, as she drew up a chair, looked up questioningly at her companion. She seemed to have forgotten the man, and she now turned toward him in sudden remembrance.
“Just take a chair, Mr. Parker,” she said, making no move to introduce her companion, who was standing some few feet away, gazing stupidly about the room and shifting from one foot to the other. He made no effort to put down the cloth-covered object he was holding.
At the sound of the woman’s voice, the man turned dully, found a chair and sat down, making no move to draw the chair closer, evidently not considering himself a party to the conference. He held the black box on his lap and seemed to handle it with extraordinary care.
The woman turned to Thornton.
“I suppose you’re wondering at the reason for my call,” she began.
Thornton smiled, non-committally.
“It’s something of the greatest importance,” the stranger continued, “so I chose a time when I thought we would be least likely to be interrupted. It’s of a very confidential nature. We will not be disturbed?”
Thornton found himself wondering just what it was about the woman that he did not like, but she had now aroused his curiosity and he determined to give her an audience. He rang for his secretary.
“Will you see that I am not disturbed for the next ten minutes,” he said to Miss Armstrong, when she entered.
The girl nodded assent and withdrew.
When the door had closed, the woman turned to Thornton, rather mysteriously.
“Mr. Thornton, as a live-wire business man, I believe you’re interested in any legitimate proposition promising unusually large financial rewards?” she began.
Thornton breathed a sigh of relief, tinged with disappointment. The woman’s manner and method of approach had whetted his curiosity and expectations, but he now prepared to listen to the usual harangue of the expert stock salesman.
“I’ll warn you beforehand,” he interrupted, “I’m not interested in stocks of any nature.”
The woman smiled knowingly. “I haven’t come to sell you any stock, Mr. Thornton. The proposition I have in mind is something bigger, better, surer. The rewards are — well, tremendous!”
She leaned forward suddenly, with an air of utmost confidence. Her voice was almost a whisper, and she glanced occasionally at the man who had accompanied her and who was busy fixing the mysterious box in a comfortable position on his lap.
“Mr. Thornton,” the woman said, in a low voice, “that man there has a device that is destined to earn tremendous rewards for its owners!”
Thornton glanced at the box on the man’s lap with renewed interest.
“What is it?” he asked.
“That I cannot divulge at this time. If you are interested, I’ll have him explain in detail. It is his own invention, and naturally he is very jealous of his secret. He will let no one into the secret unless there is a probability of their being interested.”
“Like all inventors,” she went on, “he is in need of financial assistance. If he should show his device to you now, you would grasp the secret immediately. Our proposition is this, it will require a considerable amount of capital to float this thing properly, but when you once learn the secret, you will readily agree that it is the surest investment a man could possibly make. The question is not whether it is a sure or risky investment — there is no doubt of its feasibility — but a question solely of finances. It will take considerable money, and we do not wish to take up your time or our own unless you are readily able to handle a proposition of this size.”
“That would, of course, depend entirely upon my own opinion of its merit,” Thornton replied, mystified and curious to learn the nature of the device.
“Certainly, Mr. Thornton!” the woman returned. “We could hardly expect anyone to interest themselves in something they have no confidence in. But it is not a question of confidence — the moment you learn the secret, you’ll agree with us that the potential rewards in it are tremendous! Now, granting that you are interested, would you be able to finance a proposition requiring a considerable sum of money? Could you lay your hands on — say — fifty thousand dollars cash at any moment?”
“Double that amount, if the proposition is worth it!” Thornton replied, now really anxious to learn more about the mysterious box on the stranger’s lap.
“Good!” the woman answered, enthusiastically. She turned to the man who had accompanied her. “Mr. Parker, will you demonstrate your device to Mr. Thornton?”
The man arose and stood by his chair as he fumbled with several little contrivances on the mysterious box. He made no effort to advance closer to Thornton’s desk.
The woman leaned closer to Thornton confidentially and whispered to him. “He’s suspicious of everyone. He won’t show you the complete details now, but you’ll learn enough when you see it in operation. It will surprise you, I assure you!”
The man was facing directly toward Thornton, as he fumbled in his pockets for an object which he laid on the top of the box. A false lid was raised, and Thornton could not see what the object was that the man placed on the box, for the upraised lid hid it from view.
The man seemed to have trouble in working some of the mysterious parts, for he finally laid the box on the chair by his side, to give him entire freedom of both hands. He bent down over the box for a few seconds while he worked with something behind the upraised lid.
Suddenly, the woman at Thornton’s side uttered a half-smothered shriek and clasped her hand to her heart. Thornton turned quickly in alarm. The woman’s eyes were widely dilated for a moment, as if in extreme agony, then she suddenly slumped over in a faint. She would have fallen but Thornton quickly reached out his arm and caught her. He supported her in his arms while he looked up at the man.
“Get me some water, quick! This woman has fainted!”
The man seemed to grasp the situation instantly, for he immediately turned and hurried toward the door leading into the outer office. As he did so, there was a sudden blinding flash of light from the mysterious box on the chair.
Events in the next few moments happened with dramatic rapidity. The man turned suddenly at the flash of light, grabbed the mysterious box and hurried out of the office. The unconscious woman in Thornton’s arms suddenly revived, fixed her slightly disarrayed hat and gown, and arose to take her departure.
She smiled amusedly at the thoroughly mystified and dumbstruck Thornton.
“I thank you so much for the audience, Mr. Thornton,” she smiled, “but I do not want to take up any more of your time than is absolutely necessary. We’ll return at this time tomorrow — with the photograph.”
“Photograph?” Thornton repeated, the light of comprehension entering his eyes.
“Yes, provided, of course, that it proves to be a good one. If it should not turn out clearly enough, we won’t bother you again.”
“Then that — mysterious invention was a—”
“Camera,” the woman smiled mockingly. “It seldom fails. We’ve taken some wonderfully good photographs with it.”
Convinced now that the woman’s motives were ulterior, Thornton confronted her with a feeling of resentment at having been tricked so easily.
“I’m a busy man, Miss — Bender. Give me your proposition in as few words as possible,” he said, curtly.