Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1903-09-23
Mystery Of the
Bayou Woods
| BY WALKER KENNEDY.
Copyright, 1903, by A. N. kellogg Newspaper Co.
CHAPTER XI.


Some time after New Years Nilus
was busy entertaining an eastern cap
italist by the name of Frederick
Merivale. Just why it did so, perhaps,
Nilus would have been puzzled to ex-
plain if an explanation had been
asked; for nobody seemed to know
the object of his visit or in what way
the prospects Of the city. But Nilus
was naturally hospitable and when
Mr.. Meriyale's presence was made
known it was surmised in general
way that he was seeking an outlet
for eastern capital. Perhaps he might
be induced to take up an important
railroad project that had been aban-
doned for lack of funds, and which
would open up a splendid new terri
tory TO the trade of Nilus. Or perhaps
he was looking for place to estab-
lish manufactures of some kind, and
Nilus had well-defined idea that
without manufactures she could
never hope to be a great city. But
whatever Mr.. Merivale's projects were
he kept them largely to himself
Some of the wealthy cotton men may
have been in his confidence; the assid-
uity of their attentions to him ia
vored this idea; but nothing definite
got into the papers except the fact
that Mr., Merivale had been enter
tanned by the clubs and banqueted
by some of the business men.
Merivale was the sensation of the
day, and the appetizing odor of mys-
terry that chung about him added to
the interest which his visit had ex-
cited.
Yet there was absolutely nothing
interesting in the mans personality
except She fact that he permitted no
one to understand him. That which
IS unintelligible seldom fails to awak-
en- an interest, and it was SO with
Frederick Merivale. In appearance
he was anything but remarkable. He
was cold and dull-looking, with a
fshy eye, a neatly trimmed beard, a
flushed face, and sparse hair on the
top of his head. His yellowish brown
beard was parted with great pre-
cision. His manners were nice but
not affable. He seldom laughed, and
when he did the intention was not
mirthful,
People knew that this man had
made a great deal of money, but they
could not guess how. His manner
gave no indication whatever of his
methods, and there was no way to
determine the process of his thoughts
from, hic tinp which I,,u
as parchment. Merivale had very lit
tie to say, and what he did say was
not worth remembering either for it's
brilliancy, it's depth or it's perspicuity.
But whatever may have been his de-
ficiencies in the conversational line,
there could be no doubt that he was
a gourmet of marked ability, and
that he gave his tailor carte blanche
Every detail of his toilet was care
fully considered, and he would have
been pronounced well-dressed man
in the most fashionable city of
Christendom.
NiIus knew there was something
in Merivale, even though she could
not define it, because he had been
known to squeeze Wall street pretty
hard several times to his own profit
and glory; and it is hardly necessary
to say that the man who is a sue
cess, but does not disclose his secret,
possesses charm for the curious
that no merely fortunate man could
have,
Naturally, Irving Warde, as wide
awake newspaper man, was interested
i'll finding out the object of Merivale' S
visit, and soon after his arrival Sc
cured an introduction. AS a member
of some of the leading clubs of the
city he contrived to see a great deal
of Meriyale. and though he made
several adroit attempts to learn from
him the business which brought him
to the city, he found himself baffled
at every point by that apparently
dense and unsuspecting person. Then
he turned his attention to the rich
cotton men who were most frequently
in Mcrivale's society, but they were
evidently as much in the dark as
Irving, although they assumed an air
Of mystery and pretended to be in the
secret. Irving was not deceived by
the show Of mystery, however, and