The Bourbon news., 1902-09-30

"0Iucu IL. henneIn GrlSWOld was the
man who had robbed the Bayou bank
who had exchanged Identities with
John Gavitt on the 'Belle Julie" wbo
had talked with Charlotte Farnbam
and had fallen straightway in love
with her, who had disappeared in st.
Louis, only to reappear in Wahaska
II hours later.
Truly, he was the man to whose
fnding Griffin had given many weeks
of more or less valuable time. But.
alas! for the ends of even-handed ius-
tice, he was also the man who had
lately saved the life of one Griffin.
Griswold went his way from the
hotel, little thinking that he had
blown the forge fire for the welding
of the broken link. 1t 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 DIR. Farm
ham, lOOsing his horse at the Digby's
hitching post.
you're worse than a stranger"
said the good doctor, ''and you have
MT busy mans excuse. Get in here
and let me take you home for a bite
of bread and butter. Charlotte was
asking only this morning if you had
left town."
Griswold did as he was told to do,
thinking himself more and more a
puppet of chance for that day. At
the house on the lake brink he was
made very welcome, notwithstanding
! he had not darkened its door since
the night of the dinner party and the
riot. Charlotte was cCrdial-nay,
something more; was evidently glad
to see him; this though he made sure
that some remains of the barrier he
had raised in his blundering was still
between them.
After luncheon they all went out
on the lakeside veranda; and later,
when the doctor had driven away,
and Miss Gilman had gone in for her
siesta, Griswold made a bold pro-
pOsal.
''The afternoon is perfect, Miss
Charlotte, and the breeze has fallen
to a 1adygale.' VIII you trust your.
self to go out with me in the Sprite ?''
Now Charlotte could be as cOnven-
tiOnal as Miss Grierson was reckless
of the conventions; but there were
many things waiting to be said to
Mr.. Kenneth Griswold, and she made
/ hov.
So she put the conventionalities aside
and said she would go.
Griswold left her when she went
in to get ready, and had the cat-boat
unmoored and around at the Farm
ham landing when she came out and
ran down the lawn. He handed her
into the boat and placed the cushions
for her; and when he was showing
off, the Grierson launch put off from
the Mereside pier with gay party
grouped under the red and white
striped awning.
The two craft passed within hun
dred feet of each other, and Griswold
lifted his hat to Margery. A little
later, Charlotte took her cue from
the incident.
''YOu asked my advice about some
thing a few evenings ago. she be-
gan. did you take it ?"
81 made consummate fool of my
self few evenings ago." was his re-
ply.
did you?'' she countered, with
sweet frigidity. And then: "Am 1 to
take that as an answer to my ques-
tion?"
mo. My foolishness didn't go the
length of an appeal to Miss Grier-
son."
Didn't it? I thought, from a word
or two that Edward let fall, that
Miss Grierson was in some way re-
sponsible for the ending of the
strike"
$50 she was; but not at any ask
ing of mine. In fact, 1 haven't seen
her since that night-not to speak
to her"
''What did she do?" asked Char
lotte, mildly curious.
81 don't know; really. Raymer is
as dumb as an oyster on that point
All he would tell me was that Miss
Grierson had found a woman's way
out of the trouble, and had taken it. .
Charlotte was silent for a time
for so long a time that the catbOat
had made a good offing before she
spoke again. And when she did
speak, it was not of Miss Grierson
or of the strike; it was of the
weather. Off in the west a little
cloud was mounting, and she pointed
it out.
'Does that mean more wind?" she
queried.
81 think not" said Griswold. "But
if it does, I'll run in at once"
81 am afraid you think I am a
sorry coward of wind and water,
she ventured after little. 81 used
not to be. 7 used to have boat OF
my own, and go out in almost any
weather. But since the capsizing OF
the Mysie-"
Were you here then?" asked Girls
void. The sinking of the steam
yacht Mysie with all on board in one
of the sudden summer squalls some