“You puzzle me. One would imagine you are playing fair with the Kanes.”
“Mere1 imagination,” he returned, gruffly.
“Yes,” she agreed; “your nature is to plot and intrigue2. The deeper, the more stealthy and unsuspected the plot, the more characteristic is it of my subtle parent.”
“True,” he said.
“But here is a condition that puzzles me, as I have remarked. I understand how you won the confidence of the Kanes by posing as generous and unselfish. That was quite like you. But to-day you had them in your power. You might have demanded anything—everything—yet you accepted a mere ten per cent. Now I’m really wondering what your game is.”
It was evident he did not relish3 his daughter’s criticism, for his usually placid4 brow bore a heavy frown. Still, he answered lightly:
133“You’re stirring too deep; you’re roiling5 the pot. Why don’t you look on the surface?”
“Oh! how stupid of me,” she said in a relieved voice.
“To be a diverse scoundrel,” announced her father, “is the acme6 of diabolic art. From complication to simplicity7 is but a step, yet requires audacity8. Most rascals9 fail to realize that an honest act, by way of contrast, affords more satisfaction than persistent10 chicanery11 will produce. We must have variety in our pleasures in order to get the most from them.”
“To be sure,” said Sybil.
“Meantime, you are forgetting your Uncle Burthon.”
They rode in silence for a time. Then the girl nestled a little closer to her father’s side and murmured:
“I’m mighty12 glad, Daddy. I like the Kanes.”
“So do I,” he responded.
“And isn’t Stephen’s aëroplane marvelous?”
“I consider it,” said he, “the cleverest and most important invention of the age.”
By eight o’clock a skillful photographer was on his way to Stephen Kane’s hangar to get pictures of the aircraft, while Mr. Cumberford sat in the office of a noted13 advertising14 expert and bargained for an amount of publicity15 that fairly made the 134man’s head swim. The city editors of all the morning papers were next interviewed and interested in the Cumberford campaign, so that half a dozen reporters who were noted for their brilliant descriptive writing attended a luncheon16 given by Mr. Cumberford at the Aëro Club and listened to his glowing accounts of the Kane Aircraft and the wonderful flight made by its inventor that very morning.
For fear Mr. Burthon might drop into the Club during this session, the cautious “manager” of the aircraft had taken the precaution to have Brewster telephone him to come to the South Pasadena workshop, and to keep him there by some pretext17 till late in the day. This was done. Mr. Burthon spent the entire afternoon with his imitation aircraft, returning to Los Angeles for a late dinner at his club. Then, being very tired, he went early to bed.
At breakfast next morning he picked up a newspaper, started as his eye fell upon the lurid18 headlines, and nearly fainted with chagrin19 and anger.
Upon the first page was a large picture of the Kane Aircraft, with a vignette of its inventor in an upper corner and columns of description and enthusiastic comment regarding his creation, which was heralded20 as a distinct forward stride in practical aviation. Stephen’s remarkable21 flight 135was referred to and promise made of an exhibition soon to be held at Dominguez Field where the public would be given an opportunity to see the aircraft in action.
Mr. Burthon, as soon as he could recover himself, read every word carefully. Then he smoked his cigar and thought it over. Half an hour later he was making the rounds of the evening papers, but found he was unable to “kill” the articles prepared to exploit the Kane Aircraft. The morning papers having devoted22 so much space to the subject, the afternoon papers could not possibly ignore it, and finding he was helpless in this attempt he followed another tack23.
Entering the office of the secretary of the Aëro Club he said:
“I believe our contract with the owners of Dominguez Field provides that the Aëro Club may have the use of the grounds whenever it so desires, regardless of any other engagements by outsiders.”
“Certainly,” replied the secretary. “I remember you yourself insisted upon that condition, as chairman of the committee on arrangements.”
“Please notify the manager that we require Dominguez Field, for Club purposes, every day for the next two weeks.”
“But—Mr. Burthon! Think of the expense.”
136“I shall personally pay all charges.”
“Very well.”
The secretary telephoned, and was informed that the Field had been engaged that morning for the coming Saturday by a Mr. Cumberford, an Aëro Club member. But Mr. Burthon insisted on the rights of the Club, as an organization, and the manager agreed to cancel Cumberford’s engagement.
From there Mr. Burthon went to the managers of the Motordrome, the baseball parks and Luna, engaging every open date for two weeks to come. Then having practically tied up every available place where the Kane Aircraft might be publicly exhibited, he sighed contentedly24 and went to his South Pasadena workshop to hasten the completion of his own aëroplane.
Mr. Cumberford was annoyed when he received notice that he could not have Dominguez Field for any day previous to the aviation meet. He was further annoyed by the discovery that Burthon had engaged every public amusement park in the vicinity of Los Angeles. But he was not the man to despair in such an emergency; the contest between him and his hated brother-in-law merely sharpened his wits and rendered him more alert.
He found a broad vacant field on the Santa Monica car line; arranged with the street railway 137company to carry the people there for a five cent fare, and tied up his deals with contracts so that Burthon would be unable to interfere25. Then he ordered a large grand stand to be built and instead of fencing in the grounds determined26 to make the exhibition absolutely free to all who cared to attend.
These arrangements completed, Mr. Cumberford announced in glaring advertisements the date of the exhibition, and decided27 he had won the game.
Mr. Burthon tried to enjoin28 the exhibition, claiming that Stephen Kane’s aircraft was an infringement29 on his own device; but Stephen personally appeared before the judge and convinced him there was nothing in the assertion. Of course Mr. Cumberford saw that the newspapers had full accounts of these proceedings30, and so public interest was keyed up to the highest pitch when Saturday arrived. The cars on that day were taxed to their fullest capacity to carry the crowds to Kane Park, as the new aviation field was called.
A large and attractive hangar had been constructed on the field, and Stephen, on the morning of the exhibition, flew his aëroplane from Marston’s pasture to Kane Park, alighting successfully just before the hangar. Orissa, Sybil and Mr. Cumberford were there to receive him, and 138after placing the aircraft safely in the new hangar they all motored to town for breakfast at the Alexandria.
It was no longer possible for Steve to take entire personal charge of his invention, so Mr. Cumberford, having made a careful search, was finally able to secure two men, who until that time had been strangers to one another, as assistants. These men were skilled mechanics and recommended as honest and reliable—which perhaps they were under ordinary circumstances. Their names were Wilson and Reed. As they had already been two days in Stephen’s workshop and were now thoroughly31 conversant32 with their duties, these two men were left at the hangar in charge of the aëroplane, with instructions to watch it carefully and allow no one to enter or to examine it.
Steve needed rest, for he had worked night and day preparing for this important public test. The exhibition was to be held at two o’clock, so he reluctantly acceded33 to Mr. Cumberford’s request that he lie down in a quiet room at the hotel and sleep until he was called to lunch.
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1
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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intrigue
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| vt.激起兴趣，迷住；vi.耍阴谋；n.阴谋，密谋 | |
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relish
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| n.滋味，享受，爱好，调味品；vt.加调味料，享受，品味；vi.有滋味 | |
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placid
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| adj.安静的，平和的 | |
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roiling
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| v.搅混（液体）( roil的现在分词 )；使烦恼；使不安；使生气 | |
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acme
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| n.顶点，极点 | |
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simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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8
audacity
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| n.大胆，卤莽，无礼 | |
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rascals
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| 流氓( rascal的名词复数 )； 无赖； （开玩笑说法）淘气的人（尤指小孩）； 恶作剧的人 | |
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persistent
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| adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的 | |
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chicanery
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| n.欺诈，欺骗 | |
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12
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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13
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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advertising
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| n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的 | |
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publicity
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| n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告 | |
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luncheon
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| n.午宴，午餐，便宴 | |
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pretext
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| n.借口，托词 | |
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lurid
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| adj.可怕的；血红的；苍白的 | |
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chagrin
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| n.懊恼；气愤；委屈 | |
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heralded
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| v.预示( herald的过去式和过去分词 )；宣布（好或重要） | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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tack
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| n.大头钉；假缝，粗缝 | |
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contentedly
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| adv.心满意足地 | |
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interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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28
enjoin
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| v.命令；吩咐；禁止 | |
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infringement
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| n.违反；侵权 | |
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proceedings
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| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
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31
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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32
conversant
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| adj.亲近的，有交情的，熟悉的 | |
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33
acceded
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| v.（正式）加入( accede的过去式和过去分词 )；答应；（通过财产的添附而）增加；开始任职 | |
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