The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-07-28


and strong; the CRIME was gone; the /
engineers cap had given way 10 the !
silk tile of the magnate. and the shovel
was q memory.
But his case was not unique in that
day and age of pluck and luck. Many
another man had gone from the bottom
10 the top with the speed and security
of the elevator car in the lofty sky
scrapers. In the heartless revolution
of Il few years he became the sue
cessor of his western benefactor. The
turn that had been kind TO him was
unkind 10 his friend and predecessor
The path that led upward for David
Gable ran the other way for the train
master, who years afterward died in
his greasy overalls and the close fit
ting cap of an engineer. One night
Cable read the news of the wreck
with all the joy gone from his heart.
From the cheap, squalid section OF
town known as Railroad End" Cables
rising influence carried him TO the we'll
earned luxury. The lines OF care and
toll mellowed in the face of his pretty
wife as the years rolled by. Her come
~ figure shed the cheap raiment OF
hard old days" and took on the plum
age of prosperity. Trouble, resent
ment and worry disappeared as If by
magic, smoothed out by the satIny
touch of comforts fingers. She went
upward much faster than her husband.
for her ambitions were less exacting.
She longed to shine socially. He loathed
the thought of ii. But Gable was
proud of his wife. He enjoyed the
transition that lifted her up with
steady strength to the plane which
fitted her best, as he regarded it, She
had stuck by him nobly and uncom-
plainingly through the vicissitudes; 1t
delighted him to give her the pleas
ures.
Frances Gable was proud, but she
had not been too proud to stand beside
the man with the greasy overalls and
to bend her fine young strength to
work in unison with his. Together,
facing the task. cheerfully they had
battled and won.
There were days when 1t was hard to
smile, but the next day always brought
with it a fresh sign OF hope. The
rough, hard days in the far west cul-
minated In his elevation to the Office
OF general manager of the great rail-
road system, whose headquarters and
home were in the city OF Chicago. At
tanning this high place two years prior
to the opening Of this narrative, he
was regarded now as one of the brain
lest railroad men and slated to be pres
ident of the road at the next meeting.
Barely past fifty years of age, David
Gable was in the prime of life and use
fulness. Age and prosperity had i'm
proved him greatly. The iron gray of
his hair, the keen brightness of his
face, the erect and soldierly carriage of
his person. made him a striking figure.
His wife. ten years his junior, was one
OF the most attractive women in Chi
cago. Her girlish beauty had refined
under the blasts of adversely. Years
had not been unkind to her. In way
she was the leader of a certain set, but
her social ambitions were not content.
There was higher altitude in fash
ions realm. Money, influence and per
severance were her allies, social des-
potism her only adversary.
The tall, beautiful and accomplished
daughter of the Cables was worshiped
by her father with all the warmth and
ardor of his soul. Times there We're
when he looked in wonder upon this
arbiter of not a few manly destinies
and for his life could not help asking
! himself how the Creator had given
him such being for child, comment
ing on the fact that she bore resem-
blance to neither parent
For years Mrs. Gable had lived in no
little terror Of some day being found
out. AS the child grew to womanhood
the fears gradually diminished, and
sense of security that would not be dis
turbed replaced them. Then just as
she was reaching out for the chief
prizes Of her ambition she came face
to face with a man whose visage she
never had forgotten - Elias broom,
And Frances Gable looked again into
the old and terrifying shadows.
1t vas late in the afternoon, and she
was crossing the sidewalk to her car
riage, waiting near Fields, when a man
brushed against her. She was con-
scious of strange oppressiveness. Be
fore she turned to look at him she
knew that pair of staring eyes were
upon her face. Something seemed to
have closed relentlessiy upon her heart
One glance was sufficient. The tall.
angular form stood almost over her:
the two wide blue eyes looked down
in feigned surprise; the never TO be
forgotten voice greeted her hoarsely:
Good afternoon, Mrs. Gable, And
how is the babyf'
The baby she faltered- Struggle
against II as she would. a sort OF fasci-
nation drew her gaze toward the re-
markable face of the old clerk. why
-why-she's very well, thank you"
she finally stamnered Her face was
as white as q ghost With shudder
she started to pass him broom
/ blocked the way.
''She was such pretty little thing.
/ 1 remember" and then insinuatingiy.
Where Is her father nowT'
"He-Mr. Cable" answered Mrs. Ca
| bic, feeling very much as a bird feels
when it Is charmed by snake, why.
| he's at home, OF course
'1ndeedr' was all that Elias broom
| said, for she had fed to escape the
| grin that writhed in and out among
Z the wrinkles OF his face.
As her carriage struggled through