The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-03-09
CONTINUED

mouth OF Mr. Arp. The colonel turned
upon him, with a frown, inquiring the
cause Of his mirth.
cit put me in mind" Mr.. Arp began
promptly, "of something that happen
ed last night"
what was it?"
Eskew'S mouth was open to tell, but
he remembered just in time that the
grandfather of Norbert was not the
audience properly to be selected for
this recital, choked a half born word.
coughed loudly, realizing that he must
withhold the story of the telling Of
Martin Pike until the colonel had TAX
en- his departure, and replied:
''Eothin' to speak Of. Go on with
your argument"
'Pve finished" said the colonel. "I
only wanted to say that ii seems to
me good action for a young lady like
that to come back here and stick to
her old friend and playmate"
"Stick to him. echoed Mr.. ARD.
"Ehe walked up Main street with him
yesterday. Do you call that stickin'
20 him? She's been away a good
while; she's forgotten what Canaan is.
You wait till she sees for herself jest
what his standing in this COM
81 agree with Eskew for once" in
terrupted Peter Bradbury. 81 agree
because
"Then you better wait" cried Es-
kew, allowing him to proceed no fur
Their, "till you hear what you're agree
In to! say you take a young lady
like that-pretty and rich and all cub
tured up, and it stands to reason that
she WON'T
mo; it don'tr' exclaimed Buckaiaw
impatiently. Nothing of the sort! I
tell you
Eskew rose to his feet and pounded
the pavement with his stick. 1T
stands to reason that she won't stick
to a man no other decent woman will
speak to, Teller that's been the mark
for every stone throwed in the town
ever since he was a boy. an outcast
with a reputation as black as q
preachers shoes on Sunday! 1 don't
care If he's her oldest friend on earth,
she won't stick to him. She walked
with him yesterday, but you can mark
my words, his goose is cooked The
old mans voice rose shrill and high.
sit amt in human nature fer her to
do it, You hear what l say you'll
never see her with Joe Louden again
in this livin' world, and she as good
as told me so herself last night. You
can take your oath she's quit him al
readyi DON'T
Eskew paused abruptly. his eyes wild
ening behind his spectacles. His jaw
fell. His stick, raised to hammer the
pavement, remained suspended in the
air. A sudden color rushed over his
face, and he dropped speechless in his
chair. The others after staring at
him in momentary alarm followed the
direction of his gaze.
Just across Main street and in plain
view was the entrance to the stair
way which led to Joe's office. Ariel
Tabor, all in cool gray, carrying bic
bunch of white roses in her white
gloved hands, had Just crossed the
sidewalk from a carriage and was as
cending the dark stairway. mo-
ment later she came down again empty
handed, got into the carriage and drove
away.
''She missed him." said Squire Buck
alew. 81 saw him go out half an hour
age. But" he added and, exercising a
self restraint close upon the sanity, did
not even glance toward the heap which
was Mr.. Arp, II notice she left her
fowersw
Ariel was not the only one who
climbed the dingy stairs that day and
read the penciled script upon Joes
door; "Will not return until evening.
J. Louden" Many others came, all ex-
ceedingly unlike the first visitor Some
were quick and watchful, lodging into
the narrow entrance furtiveIy; some
smiled contemptuously as long as they
were In view OF the street, dropping
wanly as they reached the stairs; some
were brazen and amused, and some
were thin and troubled. Not all OF
them read the message for not all
could read, but all looked curiously
through the half opened door at the
many roses which lifted their heads
delicately from a water pitcher on
Joe's desk TO scent that dusty place
with their cool breath.
Most of these clients after grunt
OF disappointment turned and went
away, though there were a few. either
unable to read the message or so press
ed by anxiety that they disregarded it,
who entered the room and sat down to
wait for the absentee. There were
plenty of chairs in the Office now, book
cases also and a big steel safe. But
when evening came and the final gray
of twilight had vanished from the win
dow panes all had gone except one, q
woman who sat patiently, her eyes
upon the floor and her hands folded in
her lap, until the footsteps of the lasl
OF the others to depart had ceased to
envxrd ,,nor tho haloxv Tbou