Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-03-07

10 Know exacrly what he ola 90. ne
shut up. And they dropped him, and
he's falling yet"
Lord! 1 wish Siward were back
here. He was a good deal of man,
after all, Tom"
They were unconsciously using the
past tense In discussing Siward, as
though he were dead, either physical
~ or socially.
I'm one way he was always SIN
gularly decent man." unused O'Hara.
"How exactly do you mean"
"Oh, about women
81 believe 1t too. If he did take that
Vyse girl into the PATRONS 1t was his
limit with her, and / believe, his limit
with any woman. He was absurdly
decent that way. He was, indeed.
And now look at the reputation he.
has. Isn't it funny? Isn't it. nowT'
what sort of an effect do you sup
pose all this business is going to have
on SiYardT' Sc"
"It,s had one effect already re:
piled Fleetwood "Ferral says he
looks sick, and Belwether says he's
going to the devil, but that's the sort
of thing the major is likely to say. By
the way, wasn't there something be
tween that pretty Lands girl and 81
ward? Somebody = some gossiping
somebody-talked about it somewhere
recently"
81 don't believe that, either" said
Plank in his heavy, measured, pas.
sionless voice as they descended the
steps of the white portico and looked
around for a cab.
GAS for me, I've got to hustle" OBJ
served O'Hara, glancing at his watch
''I'm due to shine at function about
8. Are you coming uptown, either OF
you fellows? I'll give you a lift as
far as Seventy -second street, Plank"
''Tell you what We'll do,' said Fleet
wood impulsively, turning to Plank.
"We'll drive downtown, you and 1,
and we'll look up poor old Siward.
Shall we? He's probably all alone in
that God forsaken red brick family
tomb. Shall we? How about it
Plank?"
O'Hara turned impatiently on his
heel with a gesture of adieu, climbed
into his electric hanson and went
buzzing away up the avenue.
I'D like to, but don't think 1 know
Mr. Siward well enough to do that"
said Plank efficiently. He hesitated,
coloring up. ''He might misunder
stand my going with you-as liberty
which perhaps might not have ven.
tured on had he been less-less IN
fortunate"
Again Fleetwood warmed toward the
ruddy, ponderous young man beside
him. "See here" he said, "you are
going as friend of mine if you care
to look at it that way"
''Thank you," said Plank. ST should
be very glad to go in that way"
The Siward house was old only in
the comparative Manhattan meaning
of the word, for in New York nothing
is really very old except the faces of
the young men.
Decades ago it had been considered
a big house, and it was still so spoken
ola solid, dingy, red brick structure,
cubical in proportions, surmounted by
heavy chimneys, the depth of its sunk
en- windows limiting of the thickness of
wall and foundation. Window cur
tains of obsolete pattern, all alike and
all drawn, masked the blank panes.
Three massive wistaria vines, the
gnarled stems as thick as tree trunks,
crawled upward to the roof, dividing
the facade equally and furnishing
some relief to its fairness, otherwise
unbroken except by the deep reveals
Of window and door. Two huge and
unsymmetrical catalpa trees stood SEN
tinels before it, dividing curb from
asphalt, and from the centers Of the
shriveled brown grass plots f1anking
the stoop under the basement windows
two aged Rose of Sharon trees bristled
naked to the height of the white mar
BILE capitals of the taking pillars sup
porting the stained portico.
mice old family mausoleum," COM
mented Fleetwood, descending from
the hanson, followed by Plank.
The door was opened by a very old
man wearing the black swallowtail
clothes and choker of an old time but
Ter, spotless, quite immaculate, but
cut after a fashion no young man re-
members.
Good evening, Gumble," said Fleet
wood, entering, followed on tiptoe by
Plank.
"Good evening, sir" A pause and in
the unsteady voice of age: ''Mr. Fleet
wood, sir. Mr. A bow and the
dim eyes peering up at Plank, who
stood fumbling for his cardcase.
Fleetwood dropped both cards on the
salver unsteadily extended. The but
Ter ushered them into a dim room on
the right.
''How is Mr.. Siward?" asked Fleet
wood, pausing on the threshold and
dropping his voice.
The old man hesitated, looking
down; then still looking away from