Page:O'Higgins--The Adventures of Detective Barney.djvu/318

. He has concluded a consolidation of water power companies out West and Huntley is president of the new concern. It ’s in the morning papers. Now, if what you overheard is true, he ’ll pay the five thousand dollars’ reward as soon as he understands that we claim the money without making public anything about the case—even to Huntley. Understand?”

Barney had heard, confusedly, but he had not understood. He had been trying to gulp down a constriction in his throat.

Babbing nodded at him grimly. “I ’m willing that half of this money should go to you. You ’re wasting your time here. What you need more than anything else, just now, is an education. Twenty-five hundred dollars will pay your way for a year or two—”

“I—I don’t want it. Chief. I want to—”

“It does n’t matter what you want. You ’re discharged from this office and you can’t come back until you ’ve learned to read and write and speak English.”