Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-04-26
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CHAPTER ". =
A Question Of Guessing.
Some men are 80 stupid at times
that one wonders how they get on
in life at all, and after . few mo-
ments OF ridiculously profound
thought, was quite ready to consign
myself to this class. Here was q man,
obviously slave to q habit which
was slowly but surely eating his very
life away, who virtually admitted his
shortcomings in the pasanest of Eng
lish, and yet who rushed from my
presence in horror and disgust when I
attempted to persuade him to leave in
toxicants alone! Here was his serv-
ant, an honest. Trustworthy fellow,
who not only admitted his masters
failings but gave many details Of his
unfortunate downfall. and yet who re-
garded me with suspicion and dread
when I ventured to ask him q most
natural question:! And here was fool
OF lawyer who could not see through
Q milestone with hole In 1t!
I reached for the telephone and call
ed up MacArdei.
Hello, Mac!" said. BUSY to
night?"
Nothing special" he replied, lacon-
acally. whats up?"
Dine with me at the club at seven,
viii you?" asked. Il want you to
tell me something"
All right" said EfacArdel. Seven
sharp, and Til order the dinner. Good
by" and he hung up his receiver with
snap.
/ did not resent McArdel's abrupt
ness, for knew he had room full of
people waiting to see him and the fact
that he was to order the dinner was
enough to make man forgive any
thing short of an objectionable sin.
MacArdel was late, OF course. He
was born half an hour after he was
expected and his timetable through
life has always been that much be-
hind to second; 30 called for the
things and made the cocktails myself.
/ cannot order q dinner as MacArdel
can, but l can construct cocktail
that would make the nectar Of the
gods taste like Bloomsbury coffee.
The dinner was rs good as the cock.
tail and we went to the roof for our
coffee and cigars.
MacArdel tipped back In his chair
and rested his heels on the broad cop
Ing, for we were sitting in secluded
corner, back of pillar, and the only
light We had carne from the restless
city far below US, sparkling and gilt.
tering like the reflection Of Sep.
TENDER sky at midnight. An occasion.
al slimmer of moonlight broke through
the fieecy, .scudding clouds, so that,
from time to time, we caught glimpses
Of each other as we lazily pulled our
cigars. The silence was emphasized
by the disjointed murmur Of voices
about us, and the never-ending dis
tant rumble in the streets beneath.
1t w9s q dreary night and dreamy
place and dreaded p bring up the
disagreeable topic that we had met
to discuss. So we slipped our coffee and
smoked out our cigars almost oblivious
of each others presence. But when the
fresh cigars were lighted, MacArdel
yawned impolitely, as was his habit
when we were alone, and said briefly:
We'll, what is it?"
told him of my experiences in the
morning, taking care not to omit a
single detail Of what had observed
In my interview with either Carney or
Bobbs. When l had finished he re
marked, with equal brevity:
well, what OF it?'
That's the way with MacArdel!
He can be, and usually is, the most
exasperating fellow that ever lived.
What of it," I exclaimed There's
q deuced lot of 1t, tell you! l want to
find out what this fellow 10 doing and
get him to leave 1t alone. II you had
ever seen his sister and could under
stand, as do, the desolateness Of her
position, you'd be as anxious as ! am
to reform him."
Woman in the case, Of course
murmured MacArdel softly, taking q
deep puff of smoke which he held In
his mouth for moment and then
blew out slowly in long thin cloud.
This is one Of the most insulting
things that man can do, and MacAr-
del knows 1t perfectly well. | was in
clined to knock him down, but think
too much OF him for that, so merely
said:
mo, Mac, don't be fool, but try
to listen to reason, ii you cant"
Impossible when you're talking,
he observed softly.
l ignored this and continued: my
only interest in Miss Carney is that of
lawyer to client and I'm not in love
with her or thinking Of marrying her.
In the first place. I've only seen her
once or twice In my life, and in the
next, the difference in our financial po-
sitions. to speak of nothing else, is
quite enough to put out Of the ques-
ton any such idea on my part"
"Cat-look-king," said MacArdel, be-
tween puffs.
II suppose you mean by that to In
fer that dog may look at queen!"