Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-02-19

! TWELVE

H~sAHlNA A.1HUU-1
~ IWARD at his desk. over which
the May sunshine streamed, his
crutchcs laid against his chair,
- sat porting over the piles of pa
pers left there by Beverly Plank some
days before with curt recommends
ton that he master their contents
The curious persistence Of youth in
his features seemed unaccountable in
view Of the heavy marks imprinted
there. In every movement, every
turn OF his head there still remained
much of that indefnable attractive
less which had always characterized
his race much of the unconscious
charm usually known as breeding.
In men of Mortimer's fiber dlssipa
ton produced coarser symptoms lis
tended veins and saggng hesh-where
In Siward 1t seemed to bruise and
harden. driving the color of blood out
Of him and leaving the palor Of mar
BILE and the blush shadows of 1t
staining the hollows. Only the eyes
had begun to change radically; some
thing in them had been quenched.
That he could never hope to become
immune he had learned at last when
he had returned, physically whole
some, from his long course Of training
under famous Irish specialist on the
Hudson.
He had been fool. He had imag-
ined that he could control himself and
practice the moderation that other
men practiced when they chose. The
puerile restraint annoyed him; his i'm
piled inability to master himself hu-
inflated him. lhe more so because Sc
cretly he was horribly afraid in the
remote depths of his heart.
Exactly how it happened he did not
remember except that he had gone
downtown on business and had lunch
ed with several men. There was
claret. Later he remembered another
cafe farther uptown and another
more brilliantly lighted. Gumble had
found him again, this time In the area,
and this time the same ankle, not yet
strong, had been broken.
Through the waning winter days as
he lay brooding in bitterness, realiz-
ing that it was all to do over again,
Plank's shy visits became gradually
part Of the routine. But 1t was many
days before Siward perceived in the
big, numbering, pink listed man any.
thing to attract him beyond the faint
ly amused curiosity of one man for
another who is in process of estab-
fishing himself as the first Of race.
AS for reciprocation in other forms
except the most superficial or OF per-
hitting a personal note to sound ever
so discreetly Siward tolerated no
such idea. Even the tentative adj
vances of Plank limiting on willing
ness and perhaps ability to help 81
ward in the Amalgamated, tangle were
pleasantly ignored. Unpaid services
rendered by men Ike Plank were inn
possible: any obligation to Plank was
utterly out of the question. Mean
while they began to like one another
at least Siward often found himself
looking forward with pleasure to
visit from Plank. There had never
been any question of the latter's at
titude toward Siward.
Plank began to frequent the house,
but never informally. 1t is doubtful
whether he could have practiced in
formality in that house event at 81
wards invitation.
One very bad night Plank came to
the house and was admitted by Gum
BILE. Wunds, the second man. stood
behind the aged butler Both were
apparently frightened.
That something was amiss appeared
plainly enough, and Plank, instructive
ly producing card, dropped 1t on
table and turned to go. 1t may have
been that the old butler recognized the
innate delicacy of the motive or II
may have been sudden confidence
born of the necessities Of the case, for
he asked Plank to see his young mas
ter.
1t was bad night outside, and 1t