Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-08-08
CHAPTER XXI.


and gone to the Office without bidding
her good-by. Such a thing had never
happened before. It measured the
magnitude of her offense in his eyes.
The troublesome proxy lay on her
desk where she had tossed 1t the night
before. She sat down and read IL
through once more Was she right In
hesitating to sign it? Had she not
virtually told her own father that she
lid not trust him? Was she not about
to proclaim this publicly? What did
she propose 10 do? Was she to attend
this meeting in person and vote
against her father. or. at best, vote In
his stead? In the one case there would
be scandal; in the other ridicule and
notoriety. What a story that would
make for the newspapers. with pic
lures Of the warning father and daugh-
ter, and all the possible and impossible
inferences which would be drawn from
the facts. He would be joke down
town If she did any such thing as that.
But was there any alternative? II
she authorized anybody else to repre-
sent her, she would only add to the
insult and increase the scandal. II she
refused to vote at all, her action would
embarrass her father, without, per-
haps, serving the cause she desired to
favor. Chance had placed in her
hands a technical right which she
feared to exercise practically.
How much did she know Of the is
sues involved? On the one side was
d man she had learned toto believe
In. To believe In very earnestly. But
there must be no issue between her
father and this manor any man. II
that were the. situation, she would in
stantiy decide for the father whose
wonderful lore had been hers all her
life and whom her mother had loved.
No, the men, women and children
whose health and comfort were at
stake formed the real issues. If she
voted against them even indirectly,
would not the thought Of it outlast
her life? Her father was opposed to
the man who He was opposing the
poor and the weak In this contest.
Perhaps he did not know this. Per-
haps he was altogether ignorant OF the
true state of affairs. She had told him
nothing OF what she knew. Possibly,
if she reported frankly everything she
had heard and suspected, he might in
vestigate and learn why she could not
vote against John Kennard-against
what she believed to be right. She
would go straight to the office and eX-
plain the whole matter fully and fair
ly. Anything was better than this
hideous chance of misunderstanding.
Miss Harlans car moved slowly
along Park Row, the motorman beat
ing furiously on his metal gong. and
gradually dividing the ever-present
group of people which gazes morning,
noon and night at the big bulletin
board of the Guardian" AS the car
stopped at the Nassau street corner,
Leslie stepped out and stood for mo-
ment in the knot of idlers staring at
the empty blackboard.
A man mounted on wooden plat
form leisurely washed the bulletin
board with big sponge. leaving wide.
damp strcaks of gray across Its face.
He seemed aware CT his Importance to
the watchers below. and took delight
in playing with their hungry curiosity.
The board cleaned. he hitched up his
trousers with great delibcration. and
retired into one Of the Office windows
with the tantalizing air OF one who
knows the public must await his pleas
ure. Presently he returned, chalk
pot and brush in his hand. which he
placed on the platform, changing their
position once or twice with the nicely
of an acrobat adjusting his parapher-
MALTA. Then he turned and gazed con-
temptuously at the street, as though
disdaining to perform for such a pitt
fully meager assemblage. At last he
swung around, stuck his head into the
window, and shouted some inaudible
summons, which was answered by
small boy who handed him a slip OF
paper. Armed with this, he walked
slowly toward the chalk-pot, stirred II
with the brush, blew his nose, and
rolled up one sleeve. Then he careful
ly dipped the brush in the pot with
his right hand. wiped off the drip
pings, squinted at the slip of paper in
his left, glanced absent-mindedly up
the street and painted large white B.
Having performed this feat. he paused
to examine his work, assuming the
critical attitude that proclaims an
artist. Then he glanced knowingly
at the throng below, as much as to
say: Don't you wish you knew what
was coming?"
Big" muttered some one in the
group. and the others regarded him
with something like surprise.
"F-A-I-L-" painted the artist.
Failure" interrupted the clever
one.
"MILLING"
The brush paused once or twice be-
fore this word was completed, but 1t
suggested nothing to the prophet, who
relapsed into silence. The artist re-
touched one or two of the letters and
then renewed his work with a sudden
burst Of energy lest the spectators
should anticipate his climax.
MILLING COMPANIES ASSIGNS"
Leslie gazed at the words as though
fascinated by them and the scene be-
fore her faded.
The Milling Companies! That was
her fathers company-the one OF
which he was vice president! She
looked at the faces about her, but
stolid indifference was the only express
sion observable Surely this could not
be the great Milling Companies;
Everybody would be shocked If that
were so But the pool did not ooze