Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1904-11-02
The AVenger.
- HE windows Of the grill room

NStS OpCtiy anu $1,000
came the grateful GOODNESS of
the salt breeze and the less welcome
3 clatter Of the streets below.
In one corner. at a table, under the
great stag's head, Thomas Weldon lis
tened with smile more or less cyni-
cal to the eager voice of young Fenton
Tisdale on the other side of the la
BILE.
Presently Tisdale's almost pleading
tones ceased. Weldon coolly lighted a
cigar and took several whiffs before
he essayed a reply.
.Fenton,'' he said, looking at the
other sharply, "are you sure this Is not
purely personal enmity?"
Tisdale regarded his interlocutor
steadily.
"Ill admit, Tommy" lie said, II
tone Of the first to succumb, and l
? mas us we'll confess was pretty hard
kAit; but the enormity of the thing
didn't strike me until Joncsy started
for the Lord knows where in South
America; and Ted Brine remembered
rather suddenly-some relatives of
his in Alaska, where he might find n
haven Of oblivion.
..The worst, though, was when
Snow-good old George Snow-got his!
coup-de-grace He sat around for two
days. Then all at once he went-no
one knows where.
..Think Of what she's done Ito the
sstag-corner coterie,' Tommy. Think
Of dinner this winter and no Ted to
tell story; with no Jonesy to find
fault; with no George Snow to mix a
salad. She's scattered them like chaff
before the wind, there's only you and
I left"
AS Weldon listened the smile broad
aened.
"And you suggest" he said slowly
between puffs, that go up there and
avenge your wrongs this
Gree and sail away with laugh, as
1t were? Fenton, have you stopped to
think the laugh might be with her in
stead OF at her? It's 100 to 1 shot
that fail.''>
"No, Tommy" Tisdaie said, I've
weighed the chances, and think you
are bound to win. In the first place,
the woman isn't born who could make
YOU look at her twice. That is draw
ing card in your favor, especially with
such women as she Is; then there's
your money, ar |. finally, that devil
nay-care way of yours, which you can
/ nut on and OFF like cloak.
lsVVyJ,c xr,tfH tboca md
looks-no, I'm not fnttering you. Pm
quite frank-you should make an easy
conquest of it."
Weldon shook his head. Il.
at all sounds very plausible. but its
not honorable 1t seems to me- he OBJ,
served.
.Honorable!" Tisdale burst out hot
ly. "Was 1t honorable Of her to send
the others of our clique packing from
Alaska to South America? Was 1t
honorable to encourage poor, ineoffen-
sive old George and then send him to
the woods. and leave use saladless all
winter? tell you, Tommy, it's your
bounden duty to so. There's no way
out of 1t for YOU"
So
When Thomas Weldon reached the
( hotel on the shores of the lake late
that August eeyning, he was tired and
disgruntled by hard days travel.
The object of his coming seemed to
him at that moment fantastic and alb
surd in the extreme. For moment he
4 was tempted to take the stage back
to the station and and catch the night
train to town.
Then he remembered George SHOWS
face, and squared his shoulders. About
the others he cared not whit Jonesy
and Ted Brine wore their hearts on
their sleeves, while Fenton Tisdale had
a new tale of love and sorrow as often
as the seasons changed.
George Snow was n different propo-
sition. If he had offered n woman the
best there was in him and shs had
laughed at the offer, she deserved to
be punished Yes, even brutally, by
low intrigue.
s The next day Weldon met her aud
the game began in earnest Thereaf.
ter, to all appearances. he was her
slave.
The gosslps, who congregated every
afternoon on the hotel veranda to make
doiiles and regulate the affairs Of the
place, began to wag their heads sage.
ly whenever Weldon and Helen Law
ton appeared together, which was FREE
Nuently.
And before two weeks had passed