The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1903-07-30
80 ttitTs'E .s',If 7 = a
Mystery of the
bayou Woods
by WALKER
: : SAa h86 I&E &SaE&&&At
Copyright; 1908, by 4: N. Kellogg Newspsperco CO.
- cHApTERxI

Some time after New Years Nilus
Was busy entertaining an eastern cap
ata1ist by the name of Frederick
Merivale. Just why it did so, perhaps,
Nilus would have been puzzled. to. ex=
plain if anst<explanation had been
asked; for nobody seemed to know
alefobject of his visit or in what way
all this wining and dining could assist
t~he4prospects of the citX.r But Nilus
was naturally hospitable and when
NEf! Merivale's' presence. was made
isnown it was surmised ina general
way that he was seeking. 5an outlet
for:eastern capital. Perhaps he might
be: induced to take up a important
railroad project that had beenfaban-
aoned for lack of funds, and: which
would open up a splendid new terri
tory to.thetrade Of Nilus. ,Qr~perhaps
he waszlopkinIgs E5fen aj;plaeeS, to estab-
HslI manufactares Of sonieEMnd, and
Nflus had a 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 condolences; the assid-
uitSy IF INTERPRETATIONS, to him ia:
voredA thisaidea; but nothing definite
got into the papers except the fact
that Mr.. Merivale had been enter
tanned by the clubs and banqueted
4by some OF The bu5fsinesfSss Im Iii +:
9 MerivaIe' was the sensation of the
zsday, and the appetizing odor of mys-
astery that chung about him added to
1.-The interest s$whfeh9His visit had ex-
s..cited. - = I5.E&r+ = ( ! "a :
=. Yet there was absolutely nothing
interesting in the mans personality
except the fact thafhe permittedno
Zone to understand him. That! which
Els unintelligible seldom fails to awak-
sen an interest, and it was so with
Ss~s@Frederick Meriyale. in; appearance
Hzhe was anything:belt remarkable. HE
twas cold and dull-looking, with a
ss-fishy eye, a neatly trimmed beard. a
a4::ttushed face, and sparse hair on the
sstop of his:beaa. His .Eellowish: brown
ss.'beard was parted with great pre-
seelsion. His were nice but
mot affable. He seldom laughed, and
~ Mhen: he; did the intention was. not
y. sss%ssmirthful.
Els People knew that this man had
;Ms...nade a great deal of money, but they
=sscould not guess how. His manner
.igaye no. indication whatever of his
sAsmethods, and there was no way to
.ssdetermine the process of his thoughts
&. from his conversation, which was dry
LAS parchment. Meripale had very lit
s-.tle to say, and what he did say was
worth remembering either for its
brilliancy, it's depth or it's perspicuity.
-sa5ut whatever may have been his de-
ssniclencies in the conversational line,
'zSShere could be M doubt that he was
gourmet, of marked ability. and
s1,-that: he gave, his tailor carte blanche.
Every detail of his toilet was care
considered, and he would have
been pronounced a well-dressed man
the &3anost fashionable, .city. of
Christendun1.ssE q 1 e |E-s@ :r1
tsa- Nalus skneW >theress was : sometime
s an Aerivale, even though she could
spsnot define it, because he had been
tknoyvnls to- sqpleezehKaH 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 "a. charm for the curious
.",&that no merely fortunate man could
aM-shave. -
X Naturally, Irving Warde, as a. wide.
awake newspaper man, WAS Interested
:af1n finding out the object of Merivale's
:Ssvisit, and SCOT after his arrival Sc
! cured an introduction. AS a member
@tof ONE of the leading clubs of the
city, he contrived to- see a great deal
of Meriyale, and though yhe made
several adroft attempts TO, learn from
= min the business which, brought him
Ito the city, he found himself baffied
fiat every point by that apparently
2 dense and u~nsuspecting person. Then
@lIe turned his attention to the rich
cotton men who were most frequently
III Merivale'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
che show of mystery, however, and