The Nevada County picayune. (Prescott, Ark.) 190?-current, 1909-06-17

'aiis) dH ALMOST absolute vacuum in
the American scheme of education.
The dignity and fame of the chairs
and fellowships endowed were ample
to tempt the best ability of the profes.
sion. The reader grew enthusiastic
as he read.
why. it's immense. And we have
always needed it," he exclaimed
There are some letters about 1t,
there'-Keatcham feebly motioned to
a number of neatly-opened, neatly
assorted letters on a desk The doc
tor said | might have the letters read
to me. Miss Smith got him to. For
fear of exciting you, the doctors usual
~ let you worry your head off be-
cause you don't know about things.
I've got to carry few things through
II it kills me. Don't you see?"
i see said the colonel. you shall"
The next time he saw the financier,
although only few days had elapsed.
he was much stronger; he was able
to breathe comfortably, he spoke with
ease, in his ordinary voice; in fine. he
looked his old self again, merely thin
ner and paler. Hardly was the colonel
seated before he said without preface
-keatcham never made approaches to
his subject, regarding conversational
road-making as waste of brains for a
busy man:
Colonel, Miss Smith hasn't time to
be my nurse and secretary both. |
won't have one sent from New York;
will you help her out?"
The colonel's lips twitched; he was
thinking that were Miss Smith work
ing for Atkins, she couldn't have a
better chance to make killing. But
III bet my life she isn't" he added;
she may be trying to save his life,
but she isn't playing his game!"
He said aloud: Il will, Mr.. Keatch-
am, If you will let ME do it as part of
the obligation of the situation. and
there is no bally rot about compensa-
ton
Very WE'LL said Keatcham. He
did not hesitate it was Gas the colonel
had already discovered the rarest
thing in the world for him to hesitate;
he thought with astonishing rapidity;
and he formulated his answer while
his interlocutor talked; before the
speech was over the answer was
ready. Another trait Of his had struck
the soldier, namely, the laborious cor
rectness Of his speech 1t was often
formal and old-fashioned; Aunt Re
becca said that he talked like Daniel
Webster's speeches; but it had none
of the homely and pungent SAVIOR one
might expect from man whose boy
hood had scrambled through miners
camps into a San Francisco stock Of
flee; who had never gone to school in
his life by daylight; who had been
mine superintendent, small Spectator
and small director in California until
he became a big speculator and big
railway controller in New York
You might begin on the morning
mail. Keatcham continued. Let me
sort them first" He merely glanced
at the inscriptions on the envelopes,
opening and taking out one which he
read rather carelessly, frowning a lit
tie before he placed it to one side.
A number of the letters concerned
the endowments of the experimental
chairs at the universities. Keatcham's
attention was not lightened by any ray
of pleasure. Once he said: That
fellow has caught my idea and once:
That's right" but there was no ami
nation in his voice, no interest in his
pallid face. Stealing a furtive scru-
tiny of it, now and then, Rupert Win
ter was impressed with its mystical
likeness to that of Cary Mercer.
There was no physical similarity OF
color or feature; it was likeness of
the spirit rather than the flesh. The
colonel's eyes flashed
Il have it," he exclaimed within.
II have it; they are fanatics, both or
them: Keatcham's fanatic of finance
and Mercer is a fanatic of another
sort: but fanatics they both are, ready
to go any length for their principles or
their ambitions or their revenge!
Jai trouve lie mot d'enigme, as Aunt
Becky would say wonder what she IL
say to this sudden psychological
splurge of mine
The business hour is up'-it was
Miss Smith entering with bowl on
white-covered tray; the sun glinted
the lump of ice in the milk and the
silver spoon was dazzling against the
linen-"your biscuit and milk, Mr..
Keatcham. Didn't you have it when
you were a boy?'
Il did. Miss Janet"-and keatcham
actually smiled. Il used to think
crackers and milk the incest thing IN
the world.
THAT is because you never tasted
corn none and milk; but you are go
ing to-
when you make it for me. I'm Siad