Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1902-11-13
A KndVe Of
Con science
BY FRANCIS LYNDE.
Copyright 1900, by Francis Lynde.)
CHAPTER XVII.

oHpu NIlCil hdIStIy bllclSph Hdi
askcd her father for bread and got
g stone-was fraught with other
happenings to more than one of
those whose trivial tale this is. The
first of these fell upon Jasper Grier-
son, as we have seen, and was little
short of rebellion in his own house
bold. The next was of import to one
Andrew Galbraith.
The president of the Bayou state
bank was spending very pleasant
vacation in the quiet Minnesota sum
nler resort. The people at the hotel
were chiefly from New Orleans, and
hence cCEgenial; the cooking was
good, the weather perfect, and the
few social doors of the town that Mr..
Galbraith cared to enter We're opened
wide to him. Moreover, Mr.. Jasper
Grierson had been exceedingly kind
20 n abbed old man who was with
out kith or kin to make much of him;
sud Miss Margery had quite neglect
ed the younger men to be gracious
go him.
it was in the forenoon of this day
Of happenings, while Mr.. Galbraith
was smoking his after-breakfast ci-
gar on the great veranda which over
hooks the lake, that caller was an
nounced. y bellboy brought the card
from the Office, and Mr.. Galbraith adj
justed his glasses leisurely and read
the name.
"'Mr. Kenneth Griswold,' Ell? l
don't recall the name. Stop a bit
yes, | do. He is Miss Maggie's writ
er friend. Ask him if he will step
out here, where it's cooler"
The bellboy disappeared, and pres
emily returned, towing Griswold.
The old man rose with the courtly
good breeding of the elder genera
zion and shook hands with his visitor.
81 am glad to met you, Mr.. Girls
void. Miss Grierson has often spoken
of you. Sit down-sit down and be
comfortable. If you could only have
our Louisiana winters to put with
your summers, this would be Para
disc itself"
Griswold made shift to make some
acknowledgment, sat down, and be-
gan to tumble for his cigar case.
What he had come prepared to say
TO Mr.. Galbraith was not made any
easier by this instant Juggling in of
Margery Grierson as his social spon-
sOr.
"A cigar?" said the banker, inter-
negatively. "Try one of mine; they
are Cubans with a pedigree, and if
may toot my own pipe a bit, I'll say
they are not to be duplicated this
side of New Orleans"
Griswold took the proffered cigar
and was still more i'll at ease. While
ne hesitated, not knowing exactly
how to begin the tale which should
twist itself into a warning to the
Eould-be purchaser of worthless pine
lands, the old man leaned back in his
chair, regarding him with kindly in
ferest. But all at once he sat up
very straight and the kindly gaze
became a sharp scrutiny.
Have you ever been in New Or
leans, Mr.. Griswold?" he asked, alb
ruptly.
Griswold was instantly on his
guard but in the thick of it he set
his teeth upon a sudden resolve not
10 lie.
81 have; but not very recently"
"H'm; may | ask how recently?"
al was south for a few weeks last
Epring, and spent part of the time in
New Orleans"
Andrew Galbraith sat back in his
chair, and for all his apparent lapse
into disinterest, Griswuld could see
the long upper lip twitch nervously.
HIN; last spring, you say? We
had quite bit of excitement last
spring, Mr.. Griswold. Did you chance
s0 hear of the robbery of the Bayou
bank while you were there?"
Now Griswoid knew that, notwith-
standing the seeming abstraction OF
his questioner, he was under the
.zharpcst surveillance that IA pair OF
-weil-trained old eyes could bring to
bear; knew this, and made sure that
the slightest hesitation, the mcrest
quivering Of muscle, would betray
him. So, though his lips were
parched and his tongue clavc TO his
teeth, he answered with well-simu.
hated nonchalance:
81 read Of IL in the newspapers on
my way north" he said, with exact
and literal truthfulness, 81 rcmcm-
hcr thinking il was the most brazen
thing ( had ever heard of. ] presume
you know an the parties cuncerued?"
This was said with the mildest pos
Eible shading ~ decent curiosity, and
wa q very master stroke of evasion,
which did ifs work eHccuuully for the
.U.H
sour lIttle smile, and confessed that
4e Au~" one oil the parties ,erI well