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

CHAPTER xxx.
AS it happened, the launch party
IN which Mr.. Andrew Galbraith was
to be a guest had to be postponed,
after all, on account of the weather.
Though there was no storm during
the afternoon, there was good
promise of one; so Margery went
about to ask the invited ones to save
the afternoon of the following day
for her.
While she was doing this, the good
results of her mornings work among
the wives of the strikers eliminated,
first in meeting of the men in Labor
Hall, and a little later in visit of
deputation of the strikers to the
office of the iron works. Griswold
and Raymer were both there, and
when the trouble came to be dis
cussed without heat, and with mu-
tual disposition to give and take, it
was wonderful how the difficulties
were surmounted each in it's turn.
The upshot of the conference was
compromise duly acceded to by all
concerned; and the following morn
ing the hideous steam siren of the
iron works announced to all and SUM-
dry within a radius of half a dozen
miles that the long strike was ended.
1t was characteristic of the two
partners that the relaxing of the
strain affected them in diametricallv
opposite ways. Raymer flung himself
into the work of the office with all
the joyous abandon of schoolboy
whose vacation has been over-long.
But Griswold took holiday, rioting
in his release from the strain, and
meaning to spend the better part of
the day alone on the lake in his cat
boat.
Oddly enough, he was diverted from
this plan not once, but dozen times
during the forenoon. First he had to
go with Raymer to be present at the
opening of the firms account at the
Farmers and Mechanics bank Then
he CHANGED to meet Griffin, and when
he would have made a mere greeting
of that, was drawn aside to smoke a
social cigar with the detective in the
lobby of the St. James.
A chat about everything in general
and nothing in particular went with
the cigar burning, and it was at the
very end of it that Griswold noticed
a most astonishing change come
upon his companion! change so
marked that he thought Griffin was
taken suddenly although it and
said so.
Griffin shook his head in denial
81 guess it must have been sugges-
tion,' he said, evasively. "You have
very vivid way of describing things,
Mr.. Griswold, and your telling me
about that attack of typhoid gave me
the sympathetic qualms."
This was what he said, but it was
no more than half of the TRUTH 1t
was not the fact of the fever, but
some mention of the time of it that
had moved him; and when Griswold
was gone, he sauntered over to the
clerks desk to ask question.
''You told me once, awhile ago,
that Mr.. Griswold was SICK here in
the house, he began. "Was that last
spring, or was it late in the winter?'
Il don't remember, but I'll look
and see," said the clerk. And he
looked and saw, and this time gave
his questioner the correct date of
Griswold's arrival in Wahaska.
Griffin moved away with his hands
deep in his pockets and his lips drawn
into thin, straight line. This was
the last broken link in the chain of
evidence, and Griswold's dropped
word and the clerks answer had
welded it. Kenneth Griswold was the
man who had robbed the Bayou bank,
who had exchanged Identities with
John Gavitt on the "Belle Julie,'' who
had talked with Charlotte Farnham
and had fallen, straightway in love
with her, who had disappeared in St.
Louis, only to reappear in Wahaska
IL hours later.
Truly, he was the man to whose
finding Griffin had given many weeks
of more or less valuable time. But,
alas! for the ends of even-handed JUS
tice, he was also the man who had
lately saved the life of one Griffin.
Griswold went his way from tae
hotel, little thinking that he had
blown the forge fire for the welding
of the broken link. It was so near
noon that he thought he would go
to Mrs. Holcomb's for luncheon be-
fore going out in the Sprite. But
when ne was fairly in sight Of the
Holcomb gate, he was again turned
aside. This time it was DR.. Farm
ham, loosing his horse at the Digby's
hitchfng post.
you're worse than a stranger"
said the good doctor, land you have
MT busy mans excuse. Get in here
and let me take YOU home for a bite