The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1902-10-09

| Vacat1on IN the quiet Minnesota sum
mer resort. The people at the hotel
were chiefly from New Orleans, and
hence congenial; the cooking was
good, the weather perfect, and the
few social doors of the town that Mr..
Galbraith cared to enter were opened
wide to him. Moreover, Mr.. Jasper
Grierson had been exceedingly kind
to a grabbed old man who was with
out kith or kin to make much of him;
and Miss Margery had quite neglect
ed the younger men to be gracious
to him.
1t was in the forenoon of this day
of happenings, while Mr.. Galbraith
was smoking his after-breakfast CT
gar on the great veranda which over.
looks the lake, that caller was an
nounced. A bellboy brought the card
from the Office, and Mr.. Galbraith ad-
justed his glasses leisurely and read
the name.
"'Mr. Kenneth Griswold,' eh? .I
don't recall the name. Stop a bit
yes, I 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
ton and shook hands with his visitor.
| Il 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.
IA cigar?" said the banker, inter-
negatively. TRY one of mine; they
are Cubans with a pedigree, and if I
may foot my own pipe bit, I'll say
they are not to be duplicated this
side of New Orleans
Griswold took the proffered cigar
and was still more ill at ease. While
he hesitated, not knowing exactly
how to begin the tale which should
twist itself into warning to the
would-be purchaser of worthless pine
lands, the old man leaned back in his
chair, regarding him with kindly in
terest. 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.. Griswold2" he asked, alb
ruptly.
Griswold was instantly on his
guard, but in the thick of it he set
his teeth upon sudden resolve NOT
to lie. i,
II have; but not very recently"
Him; may I ask how recently?"
II was south for a few weeks last
spring, and spent part of the time in
New Orleans"
Andrew Galbraith sat back in his
chair, and for all his apparent lapse
into disinterest, Griswold could see
the long upper lip twitch nervously.
HIN; last spring, you say? We
had quite a bit of excitement last
spring, Mr.. Griswold. Did you chance
to hear of the robbery of the Bayou
bank while you were there?"
Now Griswold knew that, notwith-
standing the seeming abstraction of
his questloner, he was under the
sharpest surveillance that a pair: of
well-trained old eyes could bring to
bear; knew this, and made sure that
the slightest hesitation, the merest
quivering of a muscle, would betray
him. So, though his lips were
parched and his tongue clave to his
teeth, he answered with well-simu-
lated nonchalance:
Il read of it in the newspapers on
my way morrill," he said, with exact
and literal truthfulness. 81 remem.
Der thinking it was the most brazen
thing had ever heard of. I presume
you know all the parties concerned?'
This was said with the mildest pos
sible shading of decent curiosity, and
was very master stroke of evasion
which did it's work effectually for the
time. Andrew Galbraith smiled 6
sour little smile, and confessed that
he knew one of the parties very wei
indeed, and went about to explain
that the Bayou bank was his bank.
Griswold listened respectfully, sale
"Ah? it must have been a thrilling
experience" and said no more. Anc
if he had been from his earliest child
hood the closest student of the va
rious methods of averting crisis hi
could not have done better,
A little interval of smokers silenc,
interviewed, and Griswold was tn,
first to break it. The thing he hat
come to say admitted no preface, 81
he began in the midst.
what came here this morning tt
tell you, Mr.. Galbraith, may strik.
you as an odd thing with which to be
gin an acquaintance; but as we hav'
no mutual friends, and as common
justice is, or should be, more far
reaching than mere acquaintance,