The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1905-07-21

enter upon long explains lions with the
boss. He wasted no time by INSPECT
ing ire wrong things. but went straight
to the Hoint. Brisk as his movements
were. his work was never hurried.
SHreness Of purpose and practical expe-
rience made thoroughness and dis
patch possible.
In half an hnr- Ae was back ~ his
dos; IN ne pilot-ho"ea. signing snd
dict"ting letters. chAc"'ng OF columns
or figures. directing clerks. receiving
callers. reading repoI'5. and taking
notes. while rnessen0ers and ONCE
bows. foremen. salosmen. brokers. CON
tractors. customers. and friends drift
ed In and ont TO the roar. shrek, snarl.
and hiss OF the opening and closing
door. Thus ten hours vanished.
Party to see Won outside, sir
Won't give his name" reported an Of
-fice boy.
Then won't see him"
The boy retired. but speedily re-
turned.
He says ne toleDhoned you to-day.
and his names McMannis."
''MeMannis? don't know hSn.
Here. Merrill. go and see what he
wants"
The clerk returned IN a few mo-
ments, looking puzzled.
'The man won't talk to me, sir. He's
rather tough-looking character, and
acts as though he'd been drinking. He
says II you don't see him you'll be
sorry"
That settles IT, won't see him.
Go out and tell him so, George, and
let me know when he's gone. tie
nearly six o'clock, and l want to go
home"
CHAPTER III.
The Thespians' club is always quiet
so quiet, indeed, that a stranger is
apt to suspect the existence of house
rules requiring whispered converse
ton and prohibiting laughter. The in
Auence of the place extends even to
the servants, and il waiter should an
nounce the service OF dinner in an or
binary tone instead Of confldentially
that information in
your ear, II Is safe to assume the
chef has a new man in the dining
room. But after .one becomes accli- |
matized this air of gloom seems to |
evaporate and the atmosphere is rest |
full rather than oppressive. So, when |
ever Kennard turned his steps toward |
park. 1t was with the in. |
tention of reaching the Thespians and |
closing its friendly portal against the
noisy clamor OF his favorite phantom
business. He had pursued the phantom |
for more than Is years,
had caught up with 1t. tested its shad-
DIV substance and passed through It.
only to be pursued by 1t. At Is years
Of age he had dedicated HIS life to
carrying forward a business which
three generations OF Kennards had
built up. and he had succeeded. This
devotion had cost him many prema-
turely gray hair-but what are gray
hairs when ones life has been dedi-
lated?
John Kennard, the third of his name
he house. had made money-plenty
II money--long before he was 30, but
,e worked on with feverish zeal until
lis partner died. Then the chase be-
ran to lose interest He had been
hunting in couples" too long, he said,
o work alone-he was unmarried,
here was no one who had claim on
lim-he would abandon the pursuit.
But when ne limited at this intention,
here was such dismay pictured on the
aces Of his employees. that he decided +
here were some who had claims on &
i'm, after all, and reconsidered his de-
He rsorganized his en- {
Ire factory in the interest OF his en-
loyes, and settling into the saddle {
gain, started out for q new goal. 6
But the chase somehow lacked its
Id fascination. The whole thing 5
eemed too much like game, and he '
,ou1d smile occasionally to find him c
elf taking It so serfously -=mechani =
lly interested, fnstinctively excited I
bout things which. when ne stopped g
) think, were of little or no impor-
lnce. What was the use Of fretting 9
yer Smiths pettiness or quarreling {
18th Jones about mere matter of de-
Ill? And yet the life consisted of de- a
ills, none of which could be disregard u
1 with impunity .
There were days. however, when the u
ruggle embittered him almost beyond 81
1durance, when every face looked "
nstile or strange. and he longed to u
ave done with it all and drift far VI
way frcm the restless hustle and q
useless din. II was at srch times 81
lat lie took refuge in the ThHsDians.
here business seldom entorcd. and .
e conversation of the llb~Pry or W
mol ing-rocm bod other topics than IL
onep. mart. or tr7do.
Thoea were rot many ner'NNrs IL ~
q club when Kanaard enter I. This az
coald see b. elance at 80 doo~ :.
,e3er's Est as he handed his cont and ~
It to the ser-ant. He passed. ND ~" y
W steps leading from the entrance IN ~
. square hall. stopped mechanically | I,
the head of the stairs, end ta''ing -
a lpfterc ont Of the Dinrnnn. hole