The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1902-11-08
A Knave Of
Conscience
BY FRANCIS LYNDE.
lCopyright 1900, By Francis Lynde.)
CHAPTER NNvII.

q opoHC-NdS WILL OluCl
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
hold. The next was of import to one
Andrew Galbraith.
The president of the Bayou state
bank was spending a very pleasant
vacation 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 MIR.
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.. Galbraiti
was smoking his after-breakfast ci-
gar on the great verantla which over
looks the lake, that Il caller was an
nounced. A bellboy brought the card
from the office, and Mr.. Galbraith ad-
justed his glasses lcisurcly and read
the name.
"'Mr. Kenneth Griswold,' Ell? 1
don't recall the name. Stop 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
entity returned, towing Grswold.
The old man rose with the courtly
good breeding of the elder genera
ton 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
acknowledgement, 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. CRY one of mine; they
are Cubans with pedigree, and il l
may toot my own pipe Il bit, III say
they are not to be duplicated this
side of New Orleans"
Griswold took the proffercd cigar
and was still more ill at ease. While
he hesitated, not knowing exactly
how to begin the tale which should
twist itself into a warning to the
would-be purchaser of worthless pine
lands, the old man leaned back i'm his
chair, regarding him with kindly in
terest. But all at once he sat up
became a sharp scrutiny.
''IIave you ever been in New Or
leans, Mr.. Griswold?" he asked, alb
rnptly.
C.riswold was Instantly on his
guard, but in the thick of it he set
his teeth upon Il sudden resolve not
to lie.
IuNVs buO NV WI NVSHiilN
'H'm; may ask how reccntly?"
81 was south for 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 laps.
into disintercst, Griswold could Sc.
the long upper Ii, twitch nervorsly
Him: last spring, you say? We
had quite II bit of excitement last
spring, Mr.. Griswold Did you chance
to hear of the robbery of the Bayo,
bank while you were thcrc?"
Now Griswoid knew that, notwith
standing the seeming abstraction %
his qucstioner, he was under The
sharpest surveillance that Il pair o
well-trained old eyes could bring t.
bear; knew this, and made sure tina
the slightest hesitation, the meres
quivering of a muscle, would betra,
him. So, though his lips were
parched and his tongue clave to hi.
teeth, he answered with well-simu
lated nOnchalance:
~ read of it in the newspapers OF
my way north" he said. with exac
and literal truthfulncSS. 81 rclnem
Der thinking it was the most braze1
thing had ever heard of. presum,
you know all the parties conccrned?'
This was said with the milC.eSt pos
.ihle shading of decent curiosity, ant
was a very master stroke of evasion
which did it's work clTcctunlly for til,
time Andrew Galbraith smiled
sour little smile, and confessed tina
lie knew one of the parties very wei
indeed, and went about to explain
that the Bayou bank was his bank.
GriswolI listened respectfully. sal,
"Ah? it must have been thriIlin.
experience" and said no more. An,
If he had been from his earliest child
hood the closest student Of the va
rious methods of averting Il crisis h
could not have done better.
A little interval of smokers silenc
ntervened. and Griswod was til
first to break it. The thing he hn
come to say admitted no preface, S
he began in the midst.
What | came here this morning t
tell you, Mr.. Galbraith, may strill
YOU as an odd. thing with which to bt
Gin an acquaintance; but as we hav
no mutual friends, and as commo
Justice is, or should be, more fan
z reaching than mere acquaintance,
felt it my duty to come. | happcne
~, = hat