Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1903-02-20
A Knave Of
Con science:
BY FRANCIS LYNDE.
lCopyyight 1900 By Francis Lynde.)
5 CHAPTER XVII.

The day after the riot-the day
ala'n which Aargery Grierson hal
asked her father for bread and got
a stone-~was fraught with other
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 a rebellion in his own house
Mold. The next was of import TO one
Andrew Gaibraith.
The president of the Bayou state
tauk was spending very pleasant
vacation in the quiet Minnesota sum-
H1cr resort. The people at the hotel
were chiefly from New Orleans, aud
hence eongenial; the cooking was
good, the weather perfect, and the
few social doors OF the town that Mr..
Gathrairh cared to enter were opened
svzsles to him. Moreover, Mr. Jasper
Grjerson 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
EQ linn.
Ii was in the forenoon OF this day
OF happenings, while Mr. Galbraitii
was smoking his. after-breal>fast CT
gar on the great veranda which over
looks the lake, that a caller was an
bounced. A bellboy brought the card
from the Office, and Mr.. Galbraith adj
5usted his glasses leisurely and read
the name.
mir. Kenneth Griswold,' Ell? /
don't recall the name. Stop a BIT
yes, 1 do. He is Miss Maggie's writ
er friend. Ask him if he will step
ont here, where it's COOLER"
The bellboy disappeared, and pres
entity returned, towing GriSwold.
The old man rose with the courtly
good breeding of the elder genera
ton and shook hands with his visitor.
II am glad to met you, Mr.. Girls
Wold. Miss Grierson has often spoken
of you. Sit down-sit down and be
comfortable. If you could only have
our Louisiana winters to pat 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
60 Strsa Galbraith was not made any
ensier by this instant Juggling in of
Margery Grierson as his social spon-s
sor.
-tA cigar?" said the banker, inter
negatively. TRY one of mine; they
are Cubars with a pedigree, and if I
may foot my own pipe bits I'll say
they arc not to be duplicated this
side of New Orleans"
Griswold took the proffered cigar
Il
he hesitated. not knowing exactly
how to begin the tale which should
twist itself into warming to the
wouid-be purchaser of worthless pine
hands, the old man leaned back in his
Shair. regarding him with kindly in
ferest. But all at ssonce he sat up
very straight. and the kindly gaze
Became. a sharp scrutiny. o.
..Have You ever been in New Or
leans, Mr.. Griswold?" he asked, abb
ruptly.
Griswold was instantly on his
guard, but in the thick of it he set
his teeth upon a sudden resolve not
to lie.
II have; but not very recently" e
Him; may ask how recently?"
II was south for a few weeks last
spring. and spent part of the time in
New Orleans" see
Andrew Galbraitl, sat back in his
chair, and forea1l his apparent lapse
into disinterest, Griswold could see
the long upper lip twitch nervously.
:'H'm; last spring, you say? We
had quite a bit of excitement last
spring, Mr.. Griswold. Did you chance
Go hear of the robbery of the Bayou
bank while you were there?'
Now Griswold knew that, notwith-.
standing the seeming abstraction of
. his questioner. he was under the
sharpest surveillance that pair of
well-trained old eyes could bring to
bear; knew this. and made sure that,
the slightest hesitation the merest
uuivering of q muscle, would betray
him So, though his lips were
parched and his tongue clave to his
4 eth, he answered with well-sfmu-
k1ted nonchalance:
81 read of It in the newspapers on
my way north" he said, with exact
and literal truthfulness. 81 .remem.
her thinking it was the most brazen
thing l had ever. heard of. Ispresume
Yen know all the parties concerned ?''
This was said with the mildest pos
sible shading of decent curiosity. and
was a very master stroke of evasion,
which did its work effectually for the
time. Andrew Galbraith smiled a
eoui little snsile, and confessed that
ke KNEW sac OF the parties very well