Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1907-09-13
CHAPTER XXI.


noon and evening. There were
n rumors that ran from kitchen
10 parlor, and rumors that ran from
parlor to kitchen; speculatIons that de-
tained housewives In talk across front
gates, wonderlngs that held cooks In
converse over shadeless back fences In
spite of the heat and canards that
brought Main street clerks running TO
the shop doors 10 stare up and down
the sidewalks.
Out OF the confusion OF report the
judicious were able by evenfall to ex-
tract n fair history of this day of revo-
luton. There remained no doubt that
Joe Louden was In attendance at the
denthbed Of Eskew Arp, and some
how II came to be, known that Colonel
Flitcroft, Squire Buckalew and Peter
Bradbury had shaken hands with Joe
and declared themselves his friends.
There we're those, particularly among
the relatives OF the hoary trio, who ex.
pressed the opinion that the colonel
and his comrades were too old 10 be
responsible and a commission ought to
cit on them. Nevertheless some echoes
OF Eskew's last argument" TO the con-
clavs had sounded In the town and
were not wholly without effect.
Everywhere there was nipping curl
osity TO learn how Judge Pike had
taken" the strange performance of his
daughter, and the eager were much dis.
appointed when II was truthfully re-
ported that he had done and said very
little. He had merely discharged both
Sam Warden and Sans wife from his
service, the mild manner OF the dis
missai almost unnervlng Mr.. Warden,
although no was fully prepared for
bird shot and tho couple had found
immediate employment In the service
OF Ariel Tabor.
Those who humanity felt the judges
behavior 10 be a trlne fiat and unsen-
sational were recompensed late In the
afternoon when IL became known that
Eugene Bantry had resigned his posi-
ton on the Tocsin. His reason for
geverlng his connection was dumfound-
ing. He had written n formal letter
90 the judge and repeated the gist OF II
quaintances upon the street He do
ciared that he no longer sympathized
with the attitude OF the Tocsin toward
his stepbrother and regretted that he
had previously assisted In emphasiz-
ing the papers hostility TO Joe. par
ticularly In the matter OF the approach
Ing murder trial. This being the case.
he felt that his effectiveness In the
service OF the paper had ceased. ana
he must In Justice TO the owner re-
slgn.
"Weli, I'm cursedr' was the simple
comment OF the elder Louden when hls
stepson sought him out at the factory
aud repeated this statement TO him.
80 am I, I think" said Eugene wan
iy. "Goodby. I'm going now to soc
mother. but I'll be gone before you
come home"
"Gone where3"
"Just away. don't know where"
Eugene answered from the door, ~
couldn't live here any longer. r.
you've been drinking" said Mr.,
Louden. inspired. You'd better not
let Mamie Pike see you"
Eugene laughed desolately, 81 don't
mean 20. | shall write 90 her, Good.
by" he said aud was gone before Mr..
Louden could restore enough order out
OF the chaos IN his mind 10 stop him.
Thus Mrs. Lonien's long wait at the
window WAS traglcally rewarded, and
she became an unhappy actor In Ca
naan's drama OF that day, Other ladies
attended az other windows or near
their front doors throughout the after
noon the families OF the three patri-
archs awaiting their return as the time
drew on with something akin 60 frcn'
xy, Mrs. Flltcroft. lady OF temper
whose rheumatism conilued her to a
chair. had her grandson wheel her out
upon the porch, and AS the dusk fell
and she finally saw her husband com.
ing az a laggard pace leaning upon
his cane, his chin sunk on his breast
she frankly told Norbert that although
she had lived with that man tfty-seyen
years she would never be able 90 un-
derstand him. She repeated this with
genuine symptoms OF hysterla when
she discovered that the colonel had
not come straight from the Tabor
house. but had stopped two hours at
Peter Bradbury's 60 talk IL over"
one item OF his recital, while SUM.
ciently startling 60 his wife. had re
markable effect upon his grandson.
This was the information that Ariel
Tabor's fortune no longer existed.
whats thatT" cried Norbert. start,
lug 90 his feet "What are you talk.
ing aboutr'
"Irs true" said the colonel deliber-
ately. "She told me SO herself Eskew
had dropped OF into sort OF done
more like a stupor perhaps-and we
all went into Rogers old studio. ex-
cept Louden and the doctor, and while
We we're there talkin' one OF Pixies