Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-05-16


service Of the paper had ceased. and |
he must In justice to the owner re-
sign.
"Well, I'm cursedr' was the simple |
comment Of the elder Louden when his !
stepson sought him out Mt the factory |
and repeated this statement TO him.
$50 am I, think" said Eugene wan
". "Goodby. I'm going now to see
mother, but I'll be gone before you
come home"
Gone where?"
"Just away. I don't know where"
Eugene answered from the door. II
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 dcaoately. "I don't |
mean to. I shall write to her. Good !
by" he said and was gone before Mr.. |
Louden could restore enough order out
OF the chaos in his mind TO stop him.
Thus Mrs Loudens long wait ut the
window was tragically rewarded, and
she became an unhappy actor in Ca
mans drama Of that day. Other ladies'
attended at other windows or near
their front doors throughout tho after
noon-the families of the three patri-
archS awaiting their return as the time
drew ON with something akin to fren-
". Mrs. Fl!tcroft, Il lady OF temper,
whose rheumatism confined 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 at laggard pace. leaning upon
his cane, his chin sunk on his breast,
| she frankly told Norbert that although
she had lived with that man fifty. seven
! years she would never be able to I'M
| 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 to talk it over"
One item Of his recital. while suff
| GENTLY startling to his wife, had a re-
markahle effect upon his grandson
This was the information that Ariel
Tabors fortune no longer existed
What's thatf' cried Norbert, start
ing to his feet What are you talk
ing about?"
IT'S true" said the colonel dcliber-
ately. she told me so herself. Eskew
had dropped off into a sort of doze-
more like a stupor perhaps-and we
all went into Rogers old studio, eX-
cept LOuden and the doctor, and while
| we were there talkin one of Pixies
clerks came with a basket full OF tin
| boxes and packages OF papers and
talked to Miss Tabor at the door and
went away. Then old Peter blundered
out and asked her point blank what it
was, and she said It was her estate
almost everything she had, except the
house. Buckalew, tryin' to make a
joke. said he'd be wilin' to swap his
house and lot for the basket, and she
be sorry; that all there was, to speak
Of. was a pile OF distillery stock
WHAT" repeated Norbert incredu-
lousy.
Yes. 1t was the truth" said the
colonel solemnly. II saw II myself.
Blocks and blocks of stock In that dis
tilery trust that went up higher II a
kite last year. Roger had put all Of
Jonas good money
Not into that" shouted Norbert, un-
comfortably excited
Yes, he did tell you | saw it,
~ tell you be didn't. He owned
Granger gas, worth more today than
it ever was! Pike was Rogers ar
torney In fact and bought 1t for him
before the old man died The check
went through NY hands. You don't
think Ia forget as big check as
that, do you, even If it was more than
a year ago? Or how 1t was signed and
who made out to? 1t was Martin Pike
that got caught with dstillery stock,
lie speculated once too often
NO, you're wrong" persisted the
colonel, II tell you saw it myself"
Then you're blind" returned his
grandson dsrespectfully; you're blind
or else-or else He paused, open
mouthed. look of wonder struggling
its way to expression upon him, grad
ually cOnQuering every knobby out
post of his countenance. He struck his
fat hands together. Where's Joe Lou
den?' he asked sharply, Il want to
see him. Did you leave him at Miss
TaborsT'
He's gon' TO sit UP with Eskew.
What do you want of hiDT
II should say you better ask that
Mrs. Flltcroft began shriily. IT'S
enough, / guess, for one Of this fam
lily to go runnin' after him and shakin'
hands with him and heaven knows
what not! Norbert l'litcroft"
But Norbert Jumped from the porch,
ruthlessy crossed his grandmother's
geranium bed and, making off at az
sharp pace as his architecture per-
mitted, within ten minutes opened
Ariel's gate
Sam Warden came forward to meet
him.
Don't ring, please suh,' said Sam.
"Dey sot me out heah to tell inQuirin'
frien's dat po' ole Mist Arp mighty
! low"
} ~ want to see Mr. Louden," return
: ed Norbert. II want to see him i'm
mediately."
II don reckon he kin come out yit,"