Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-03-24
CHAPTER II,
A MAN OF THE PEOPLE.

" n MAN OF' TIE fhOFIH.
 Train Number Three, the Wester
 Flyer, was late, as Kent had predicte Just how late the operator could nc
 tell; and pending the chalking-up c
 its arriving time on the bulletin board
 the two men sat on an empty baggage
 truck and smoked in companionabls si
 lence.
 While they waited, Loring's thought
 were busy with many things. friendl,
 solicitude for the exile serving as tn
 point of departure. He knew what handfast friend might know: how Ken
 had finished his postgraduate cours in the law and had succeeded to hi
 fathers small practice in the Nev
 Hampshire county town where he wa.
 born and bred. Also, he knew how
 Rents friends, college friends. whs
 knew his gifts and ability, had depre
 cated the burial; and he himself hai
 been curious enough to pay Kent z
 visit to spy out the reason why. Or
 their first evening together in the
 stuffy little law office which had beer
 his fathers, Kent had made a clear
 breast of it: there was young wo.
 man in the ease, and promise passed
 before Kent had gone to college. She
 was farmers daughter, with no no-
 tion for change of environment;
 wherefore she had determined Rents
 career and the scene of it, laying it's lines in the narrow field of her own choosing. ,~.t
 Later, as Loring knew, the senti- mental anchor had dragged until it was hopelessly holding ground. The young woman had laid the blame at the door of the university, had given Kent bad half-year of fault-finding and recriminatien, and had finally made an end of the matter by bestow- ing her dowry of hillside acres on the son of neighboring farmer. ,-f.A
 Thereafter Kent had stagnated qui- etly, living with simple rigor the life he had marked out for himself; thank full at heart, Loring had suspected, for the timely intervention of the farmers son, but holding himself we'll in hand against repetition of the sentimen- tai offense. All this until the opening of the summer hotel at the foot of Old Croydon, and the coming of Elinor Brentwood.
 No one knew just how much Miss Brentwood had to do with the long, delayed awakening of David Kent; but in Loring's forecastings she en- joyed the full benefit of the doubt. From tramping the hills alone, or whipping the streams for brook trout, David had taken to spending his after moons with lover-like regularity at the Croydon Inn; and at the end of the season had electrified the sleepy home town by declaring his intention to go west and grow up with the country.
 In Loring's setting-forth of the awak- ening. the motive was not far to seek. Miss Brentwood was ambitious, and if her interest in Kent had been only casual she would not have been likely to point him to the wider battlefield. Again, apart from his modest patri- mony, Kent had only his profession. The Brentwoods were not rich, as riches measured in millions; but they lived in their own house in the Back Bay wilderness, moved in Boston's older substantial circle. and, in world where success, economic or other, is,in ;ome sort the touchstone, were many iocial planes above a country lawyer.
 Loring knew Rents fierce poverty ,ride,-none better. Hence, he was at 10 loss to account for the exile's flight field. or for his unhopeful present at- itude. Meaning to win trophies to lay t Miss Brentwood's feet, the present tage of the rough joust with Fortune ound him unhorsed, unweaponed and olling in the dust of the lists. 1
 Loring chewed his cigar refiectively, his companion would open he way to free speech on the subject presumably nearest his heart. He had . word of comfort. negative comfort. Q offer. but 1t might not be said until Kent should give him leave by taking he initiative. Kent broke silence at ast, but the prompting was nothing nore pertinent that the chalking-up # the delayed trains time.
 "An hour and twenty minutes: that means any time after nine o'clock. m honestly sorry for you, Grantham sorry for anyone who has to stay D this charnel-house of a town ten after he's through. What vill you do with yourself?" I Loring got up. looked at his watch, nd made . suggestion. hoping that Tent would fall in with 1t
 T don't know. Shall we go back to our rooms and sit awhile?"
 The exile's eyes gloomed suddenly.
 Not unless you insist upon it. We hould get back among the relics and
 would bore yd'i. I'm not the man ou used to know. Grantham." "No?" said Loring. q sha'n't be ypocritical enough to contradict you. Nevertheless. you are my host It is 'r you to say what you will do with le until train time" |.
 We can kill an hour at the rally,
 you like. You have seen the street arade and heard the band play: 1t
 only fair that you should see the Ienagerie on exhibition" Loring found his matchbox and Iade a fresh light for his cigar. i- Its pretty evident that you and ert-Governor' Bucks are on opposite ! des of the political fence" he ob- .rrnA l.