old fashioned as the building was new.
I put my cigarette out, and folded my hands. After some fifteen minutes, Hardesty came out of his office.
He nodded to me, tossing some papers on the receptionist's desk.
'I'll be tied up the rest of the morning, Mrs. Smithson,' he told her. 'Just make a note of any calls I have, will you?'
'Tied up!' she exclaimed. 'You're supposed to be in court at eleven o'clock.'
'Clark will handle it; nothing important,' he said. 'Come right on in, Pat.'
He closed the door on her disapproving grunt, an abashed smile on his darkly handsome face. 'Friendly little thing, isn't she?'
'An old employee?' I said.
'One of my grandfather's.' He put a match to his cigarette and held it for mine. 'He and my father were partners, in case you're wondering about the firm name.'
'That must make it one of the oldest law firms in the state.'
'I think it is,' he nodded. 'Quite an outfit, eh? When my father died, I planned on fancying things up a bit but you can see how far I got. I imagine if the other building we were in hadn't been condemned I wouldn't even have got us moved over here. Anyhow, stodginess is an asset with the kind of clientele we have.'
'Yes,' I said. 'I suppose it would be.'
'Not quite what you expected, huh?' He gave me a shrewd glance. 'You didn't think an old and respectable law firm would be mixed up with a guy like Doc.'
'Frankly, no,' I said. 'Although I'm not being critical of Doc.'
'Mmm. Of course not. Well, confidentially, Pat; I'm not involved with Doc a bit more than I can help. You know how it is. You want to swing a piece of business with the state, and the first thing you know you find Doc or someone like him in your path. And you either work with him or you don't put your deal across.'
I nodded noncommittally. The less I had to say about Doc, I felt, the better.
'Let's see, now. How long have you been out of Sandstone?'
'Almost three weeks.'
'And you're pretty badly worried. Oh, don't be afraid to say so, Pat.'
'All right,' I said. 'But it's a pretty hard thing to put into words. The trouble is-is Mrs. Luther. She won't leave me alone.'
'Oh?'
'She came back to my room the second night I was there, and she almost got me in very serious trouble with Doc. She's followed the same line of conduct ever since. She does things that, well, look like hell.'
'Mmm,' murmured Hardesty. 'That's embarrassing, all right, but I wouldn't be too disturbed about it. Doc won't blame you for it.'
'He shouldn't,' I said. 'But he does. I can't tell him it isn't my fault. I can't brush her off. I can't let her go on. Whatever I do or don't do, I have Doc angry with me. I'm afraid it might lead to my parole being canceled.'
'Umm. And if you thought it was going to be, you'd try to make a run for it. Well, we can't have that; can't have that, at all.'
'I wonder if you'd have enough influence with her to make her stop,' I said.
'We-ell-' he pursed his lips, '-yes. Yes. I can do that little thing for you.'
'I'll appreciate it very much,' I said.
'That isn't all you're worried about, Pat.'
'No,' I said.
'Just no? You've trusted me with this other matter.'
'I think you must know,' I said. 'I can't help wondering why Doc got me out of Sandstone.'
'You can't feature Doc doing that unless he stood to cash in on it?'
'I didn't say that,' I said. 'I do feel it strange that he did it at this particular time. Judging by the way Burkman was treated and some other things I've seen and heard, Doc's crowd may lose out at the election. They need everything they've got for themselves. Why should they use up a lot of their steam in helping me?'
'A good question, Pat. But the answer is simple enough. Ever hear of Fanning Arnholt, president of the National Phalanx?'
'The big patriotic organization?'
'The super-patriotic organization,' Hardesty corrected. 'What Arnholt and the Phalanx says, we common mortals feel obliged to heed and obey.'
'Yes?' I said.
'Arnholt's slated to make six speeches in this state, the first here in the capital about two weeks from today. He's going to attack a number of the textbooks now in use on the grounds that they're subversive. When he does, it's going to be an easy matter to get those texts thrown out and a new line adopted.'
'I see,' I said. 'But-'
'I know. You're wondering why we fool with books when we've got the oil crowd to play with. But we- Doc's gang
He grinned and spread his hands, watching me out of warm dark eyes. 'A dirty business all the way around, Pat, but with a boob crop like we've got here you just naturally find a threshing crew. And it's worked out to your advantage. Doc set this deal up and agreed to cut his associates in on it. In return for that, they put through your parole.'
'But that still doesn't answer my question,' I said. 'Why did Doc want me paroled?'
'Well,' he hesitated. 'I'm not sure that I can help you there.'
'You must know,' I said. 'You have a great deal more to lose than Burkman and the others. You wouldn't have taken a hand in this unless you knew exactly where it was leading.'
'You mean, unless I was certain of getting as much as Doc?' He shook his head. 'Maybe not, Pat. There are other things besides money.'
'You're putting words in my mouth,' I said. 'My point is that you know why Doc wanted me out of Sandstone.'
'I might. But why should I tell you?'
'Well…' I was stumped by the flatness of the question. 'I can't give you anything for the information. But you indicated that you were my friend, that I could trust you…'
'Did you believe me?'
'Well…'
'Well, you see how it is, Pat,' he said, grinning engagingly. 'You're asking for something that you won't give. And, as you pointed out a moment ago, I have a great deal to lose. Tell me. Don't you have any ideas of your own?'
'None at all. There's nothing I can do for anyone. I don't have anything, that I can see, but a bad reputation.'
'Very bad,' he nodded.
'You mean that's something in itself?'
'Let's just say it's something for you to think about.'
'But I don't see how-'
'Go on, Pat. You're doing fine.'
'Then there's Mrs. Luther,' I said. 'If she got Doc sore enough at me to have my parole canceled, his plan, whatever it is, would fall through. I'd be right back where I started and all his time and effort would be
