Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-02-05

blink at the bum portraits Of his bum
and distinguished ancestors?"
For awhile they talked Of Siward
and Of his unfortunate story and the
| Ilty Of it, and when the two men
ceased:
do you know" said Plank mildly
~ don't believe he ever did it"
O'IIara looked up surprised, then
shrugged unfortunately he doesn't
deny it, you see"
81 heard" said Fleetwood, lighting
Il cigarette that he did deny 1t: that
he said no matter what his condition
had been sober the governors would
have been bound to take his word of
| honor. But he couldn't give that you
see And after they pointed out to
him that he had been In no condition
to know exactly what he did do. he
shut up. And they dropped him, and
! he's falling yet
Lord! l wish Siward were back
here. He was a good deal of man
| after ALL Tom"
They wer. unconsciously using the
past tense in discussing Siward, as
though he were dead, either physical
| ly or socially.
I'm one way he was always sin
guarly decent man." unused O'Hara.
,, How exactly do you mean?"
ooh, about women
Il believe it too If he did take that
Nyse girl into the PATRONS it was his
limit with her, and I believe his limit
lilecent that way. He was. indeed.
And now look at the reputation he
has. Isn't it funny? Isn't it, nowY'
What sort of an effect do you sup
pose all this business is going to have
ON Siward?"
ITS had one effect already" re-
| piled Fleetwood "Ferrall says he
looks sick, and Bewether 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"
II don't believe that, either" said
Plank in his heavy. measured, pas
sionless voice as they descended the
steps Of the white portico aud looked
around for cab.
"As for me, I've got to hustle" OBJ
/, served .O'Hara, glancing at his watch.
I'm due to shine ut function about
&. Are you coming uptown, either Of
| you fellows? I'll give you 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 |,
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
heo with gesture Of adieu, climbed
| into his electric hanson and went
buzzirg away up the avenue.
| I'D like to, but don't think know
l
| said Plank difiidently. He hesitated,
| coloring up. 'He might misunder-
| stand my going with you-as a liberty
| which perhaps might not have ven
| tured on had he been less-less I'M
fortunate"
| Again Fleetwood warmed toward the
| ruddy, ponderous young man beside
I,{, 1,o
going as friend Of mine If you care
| to look at it that way"
"Thank you," said Plank. II should
| he 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
g. big house, and it was still SO spoken
CA solid, dingy, red brick structure,
cubical in proportions, surmOunted by
heavy ,ehimneys, the depth Of its sunk
en- windows limiting of the thickness Of
wall and foundation. Window cur
tains of obsolete pattern, all alike and
| ell drawn, masked the blank panes.
| Three massive wistaria vines, the
enarled 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 1anking
| 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