Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1903-05-12

place. He was received on footing
of a friend, and he did much in a.
quiet, unobtrusive way to make the
holidays less sad for Miriam and her
mother.
CHAPTER XII.
Some time after New Years Nilus
was busy entertaining an eastern cap
italist by the name of Frederick
Meriyale. just why it did so, perhaps,
Nilus would have been puzzled to ex-
plain If an explanation had been
nsked; for nobody seemed to know
the object Of his visit or in what way
all this Winning and dining could assist
the prospects of the city. But Nilus
was naturally hospitable and when
Mr.. Meriyale's presence was made
known it was snrmised in a 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 ADAM
:doned for lack OF funds, and which
would open mp a splendid new terri
tory to the trade Of Nilus. Or perhaps
he was looking for place to estab-
slish manufactures of some kind, and
Nilus had well-defned idea that
without manufactures she could
never hope to be great city. But
whatever Mr.. Meriyale's projects were
he kept them largely to himself.
Some Of the wealthy cotton men may
have been in hisSconfidence; the assid-
nifty of their attentions to him ia
vored this idea; but nothing definite
got into the papers except the fact.
that Mr.. AIerivale 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 man 8 personality
except the fact that he permitted no
one to understand HIM That which
lis unintelligible seldom fails to awak-
en- an interest, and it was SO with:
Frederick Meriyale. In appearances
he was anything but remarkable. He
was cold and dull looking, with q
fishy eye, q 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
smirthful NJ IS RI
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 his conversation, which was dry.
as parchment. Aferivale had very lit
tie to say, and what he did say was
not worth remembering either for its
brilliancys its depth or its perspicuity.
| But whatever may have been his de-
ficiencies in the conversational line,
there could be no doubt that he was
q gourmet of marked ability, and
that he gave his tailor carte blanche.
Every detail Of his toilet was care
fully considered, land he would have
been pronounced well-dresseds man
in the most fashionable city of
Christendo m. ~ Il
Nilus knew there was something
in Meriyale, even though she could
not define It, because he had ebeen
known to squeeze Wall street pretty
bard several times to his own profit
and glory; and it is hardly necessary
to say that the man who is a. sue
cess. but dnes not disclose, his secret,
possesses q charm for the curious
that no merely fortunate man could
have. y
q Naturally, Irving Warde, as q wide
awake newspaper man, was interested
in finding out the object OF Merivale's
visit, aud soon after his arrival se4
cured an introduct ion. "A IA a member
Of some Of the leading clubs Of the
city, he contriyed to- see a great deal
OF Merivale. and though he made
several adroit attempts to learn from
him the business which brought him
to the city, he found himself batfled
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 Meriyale's society, but they were
evidently as much in the dark as
Irving, although they assumed an mir
of mystery and pretended to be In the