Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-11-05

M ed the unfinished record
that his race had woven
into the social fabric of the metropolis
was merely an automatic matter for
Selwyn.
His own people had always been
among the makers OF that fabric. Into
part Of its vast and intricate pattern
they had woven an incOnSpicuouSly
honorable recOri-chronicles of births
and deaths and marriages. plain
memorandum of plain living ana up
right dealing with their fellow men.
Some public service of modest nature
Sinking. accomplishing it cleanly when
it was intrusteG to them.
His fOrefatherS had been. as rule
professional men-physicians and law
yers. His grandfather died under the
walls of Chapultepec castle While
twisting tourniquet for a cursing
dragon; an uncle remained indefinitely
at Malvern Hill: an only brother ut
Montauk Point sickened in the trench
es before Santiago.
His fathers services as division med
zeal officer in Sheridan's cavalry had
been perhaps no more devoted, no more
loyal than the services of thousands
of officers and troopers, and his reward
was pension offer, declined. He prac-
ticed until his wife died, then retired
to his country home. from which house
his daughter Nina was married to Aus
tin Gerard.
Mr.. Selwyn, Sr., continued to pay his
taxes on his fathers house in Tenth
street, voted in that district, spent Il
month every year with the Gerards
and judiciously enlarged the family
reservation in Greenwood, whittier he
retired in due time.
The first gun off the Florida keys
sent Selwyn's only brother from his
law Office in hot haste to San Antonio.
That same gun interrupted Selwyn's
connection with Neergard & Co., OPP
orators in Long Island real estate. and
year later the captaincy offered him
in a western volunteer regiment oper-
ating on the island of Leyte completed
the rupture.
And now he was back again, a
picking up the severed threads-his
inheritance at the loom-and of rety.
ing them, warp and weft and continu.
ing the pattern according to the de-
signs of the tufted, tinted pile yarn
knotted in by his ancestors before
him.
Meanwhile he was looking for two
things-an apartment and iob--the
first theoretically combated by his i'm
mediate family.
1t was rather odd-the scarcity Of
jobs OF course Austin offered hin
one. which Selwyn declined at once
engaging his brother-in-law.
But what do l know about the in
vestment of trust funds?'' demanded
Selwyn. You wouldn't take me if !
were not your wife's brother, ant
that's nepotism."
Austin's harmless fury ragged TO
nearly ten minutes. after which h,
cheered up. relighted his cigar and re
sumed his discussion with Selwyn con
corning the merits of various boys
schools, the victim in prospective bein,
Billy.
A little later. reverting to the sub
ject Of his own enforced idleness. Sci
wyn said. 1--WE been on the point o
going to see Neergard, but somehow
can't quite bring myself to it--slinkini
into his Office as rank failure in on
profession to ask him IL he has an
use for me again"
STUFF and fancyv' growled Gerari
"It's all stuff and fancy about your bt
ing any kind of Il failure. If you wan
to resume with that Dutchman, go t
him and say SO. If you want to inves
anything in his Long Island scheme
he'll take you in fast enough. He too