The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-04-19
CHAPTER XXX.
Harvey Saylcr. SWinchcrd.

CHAPTER XXX.
Harvey Sayler, Swineherd.
At a little after eight the following
night, | was in Chicago, was knock
ing at suite l. in the Auditorium no
tel; / was hearing sounds from with
in that indicated that the dinner was
under way. The door swung back,
and there stood old Roebuck himself
napkin in hand, his shriveling old
face showing that his dollar sense
was taking up the strength which
his other senses were losing. He
was saying corr tally: "Ah, Cronut,
you are late
Then his dim eyes saw me; he
pulled himself up like a train when
the air brakes are clapped on.
"They told me at the Office that
you were at dinner" said /, in the
tone of one who has unintentionally
Numbered AS I was looking for
dinner, I rather hoped you'd ask me
to join you. But | see that
Come right in he said smoothly.
but gray as a sheep. You'll find
some old friends of yours. We're TAX
ing advantage of the convention of
western manufacturers to have a lit
tie reunion"
I now had a full view of the table.
There was a silence that made the
creaking OF starched evening shirt
bosoms noisy as those men drew
long stealthy breaths when breathing
became imperative. All my clients
and Dominick - he at Roebuck-s
right at Roebucks left there was a
vacant chair. Shall ] sit here?" said
j easily.
That place was reserved-was for
but" stammered Roebuck.
For Granby's ghost?" said |, pleas
antly.
His big lips writhed And as my
glance of greeting TO these old friends
If mine travelled down one side OF
he table and up the other. it might
ave been setting those faces on
r.. so brightly did they flame. II
as hard for me to keep my disgust
meath the surface Those gentle
IN assembled there were among
70 leading citizens" of my state;
I'D Roebuck was famous on both
es of the Atlantic as king OF
,nme-ce and philanthropist Yet,
cry one of those brains was busy
incs-and fer what purpose? For
SO petty, so gross and stupid
L was ineonceivable how intel
could waste life upon them, not
of the utter depravity and lack
ness. Liars. cheats, bribers;
nt;ng the fruits of infamy as
Il, as titles tC respect, as gifts
~ mighty God, And here they
were. assembled now for silly plot
tings against the man whose only Of
Tense in their eyes was that he was
saving them from themselves-wa
preventing them from killing the
goose that would cheerfully keep on
laying the golden eggs for the priv
ilege of remaining alive. 1t was pitt
full 1t was nauseating. | felt my
degradation in STOPPING to such
company
spoke to Dominick last. To my
surprise he squarely returned my
gaze His eyes were twinkling. as
the eyes of a pig seem to be, if you
look straight into its face when ii
lifts its snout from a full trough
Presently he could contain the huge
volume of his mirth no longer. II
came roaring from him like a great
coarse torrent. shaking his vast bulk
and the chair sustained it, swelling
the veins in his face. resoundine
through the silent room while tt
walters literally stood aghast.
last he found breath to calculate
Well. I'll be good and-damned."
This gale ripped from the othe
and whirled away their cloaks of su
face-composure Naked, they suggest
ed a lot of rats in a trap-Dominicl |
ieering at them and anticipating the
pleasure of watching me torture them |
] choked back the surge of repulsior |
and said to Roebuck: Then where |
shall / sit9''
Roebuck looked, almost wildly, to |
ward the foot of the table He long |
ed to have me as far from him as |
possible. Partridge. at the foot of |
the table, cried out-in alarm: |
Make room for the senator between |
you and Mr.. Dominick. Roebuck, He
ought to be as neat the head of the |
table as possible
NO matter where Senator Say!er |
sits. it's the head of the table" said /
Roebuck. His commonplace cour-
tesy indicated. not recovered self |
control. but the cunning of his ram
pant instinct of self-preservation-I
that cunning which men SO often ex-
hibit in desperate straits, thereby /
winning credit for cool courage.
We're a merry company" said /.
as we sat. This. with a glance at
Dominick heaving in the subsiding
storm of his mirth. My remark set