Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-01-18
who had finiched HIS business CORE
spondencc and was returning to the

who had hniched HIS business CORE
spondence and was returning to the
cardroom.
Here's a letter that Grace vents
you to see" he said. Read 1t before
you turn in. Stephen"
'All right, but III be down later.
replied slward, passing on, the letter
In his hand. Entering his room. he
kicked off his wet pumps and found
dry ones; then moved about. whistling
gay air from some recent vaudeville.
busy with rough towels and sillken
footgear. until, reshod and dry. he was
ready to descend once more.
The encounter, the suddenly inform.
al acquaintance with this young girl.
had stirred him agreeably, leaving a
slight exhilaratiOn Even her engage
ment to Quarter added tinge Of mall
Ice to his interest. Besides, he was
young enough to feel the flattery Of
her concern for him.
Perhaps, as like recognizes like, he
recognized In her the instincts Of the
born drifter momentarily at anchor
the temporary inertia of the opportu
mist, the latent capacity OF an inform
ed character for all things and any,
thing. Add to these her few years.
her beauty and the wholesome igno-
rance 50 confidently acknowledged,
what man could remain unconcerned,
uninterested, In the development Of
such possibilities? Not Siward. anus
ed by her sagacious and impulsive
prudence, worldliness and innocence in
accepting Quarter and touched by her
profitless, frank and unworldly friend
Illness for himself.
Not that he objected to her marry
Ing Quarter. He rather admired her
for being able to do 1t. considering the
general scramble for Quarter. But
let that take care Of itself Mean
while their sudden and capricious in
timacy had aroused him from the NOR
bid reaction consequent upon the cheap
netoriety which he had brought upon
himself. Let him sponge his slate
clean and begin again better record,
fiattered by the solicitude she had SO
prettily displayed.
Whistling under his breath the same
gay, empty melody, he opened the top
drawer Of his dresser, dropped in his
mothers letter and, locking the drawer,
pocketed the key. He would have
time enough to read the letter when
he went to bed. He did not just now
feel exactly like Swimming through the
fond, foolish sermon which he knew
had been preached at him through his
mothers favorite missionary, Grace
Ferrall. What was the use OF drag
ging In the I'D old questions again, Of
repeating ssurances Of good be-
LAyior, or>-fD-.-t ting his promises OF
moderation and watchfulness, Of ex-
planning his own self confidence? Bet
ter that the letter await his bedtime.
His prayers would be the sincerer the
fresher the impression, for he was old
fashioned enough to say the prayers
that an immature philosophy proved
supertiuous, for, he thought, If prayer
is any use it takes only few minutes
to be on the safe side.
So he went downstairs leisurely, pre-
pared to acquiesce In any suggestion
from anybody, but rather hoping to
saunter across Sylvia Lands path be-
fore being committed.
She was standing beside the fire with
Quarter, one foot on the fender, ap-
parently too preoccupied to notice him.
So he strolled into the gunroom, which
<>, nl.n md
matte with the volatile odors from de-
canters.
There were few women there, and
the majority Of the men, Lord Alder
dene, Major Belwether and Mortimer,
were at table by themselves. Stacks
of ivory chips and Ave cards spread IN
the center Of the green explained the
nature Of their game, and Mortimer,
raising his heavy infiamed eyes and
seeing Siward unoccupied, said wheez-
ily: "Cut out that widow and give
siward his stack! Anything above
two pairs for jack triples the ante.
Come on, siward. there's a decent
chapv
So he seated himself for sacrifice
to the blind goddess balanced upon her
winged wheel, and the cards ran high
so high that stacks dwlndled or top
pied within the Salt hour, and Morti-
mer grew redder and redder, and Ma
Tor Belwether blander and blander,
and Alderdene's face wore q continual
nervous smoker. showing every WHITE
hounds tooth, and the ice in the tall
glasses clinked ceaselessly.
1t was late when Quarter sat In"
with an expressionless acknowledg-
ment of Siward's presence and an
emotionless raid upon his neighbors
resources with the first hand dealt, IN
which he participated without draw
ing card.
And always Siward, eyes on his
cards, seemed to see Quarter before
him. his overmanicured fingers caress-
ing his silky beard. the symmetrical
pOmpadour dark and thick as the Win
ter fur on rat. tufting his smooth
blank forehead.
It was very late when Siward first
began to be aware of his increasing
deafness. the difficulty, too. that he
had in making people hear, the annoy
ing contempt III Quarters woman
like eyes. He felt that he was max
ing a fool of himself. very noiselessly
somehow, but with more racket than
he expected when he miscalculated the
distance between his hand and de-
canter.