Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1909-07-30
CHAPTER XVII.

pointment to the rcceivership and Whoa
ton went to and from his work with many
misGivings. Several of Wheaton's friends
had confided to him their belief that he
| onght to have been appointcr receiver in
stead OF Saxton, and there was little that
he could say to this, except that he had
nc time for it. He had become nervous
and ~distraught, and was irritable under
the TESTING of his associates at The Bach
elors'. There was a good deal Of joking
at their table for several days after Sax
toms appointment over N1argrave's dis
comfturc, to which Wheaton contributed
little. He felt decidedly i'll at ease under
it. Thompson. the cashier, had come
home. and Wheaton found his presence
irkSOme.
He had seen Margrave several times at
the club since their last interview at the
bank and Margrave had nodded distantly,
as if he hardly remembered Wheaton.
ton assumed that sooner or later
Margrave would offer to pay him for his
shares of Traction stock. But while the
loss of his own certificate. under all the
~circumstan noes, did not trouble him, Mar
graves appropriation of Evelyn Porter's
shares was an unpleasant fact that haunt
ed all his waking hours.
One evening, a week after the receiver
ship incident, he resolved to go to Mar
grave and demand the return of Evelyn's
certificate. Thu idea seized firm hold up
on him, and he set out at once for Mar
graves house. He inquired for Margrave
at the door, and the maid asked him to go
into the library. They were entertaining
at dinner. she told him, and he said he
would wait. He walked nervously up
and down in the well-appointed library.
He heard the hum of voices family from
the dining-room. Margrave came in pres
emily, fat and ugly in his evening clothes.
He welcomed Wheaton noisily and intro
duced him to his guests, two directors of
the Transcontinental and their wives, who
We're passing through town on their way
to California.
Mrs. Margrave and Mabel greeted
Wheaton cordially. Mabel was dressed
to impress the ladies from New York, and
was succeeding. Mrs. Margrave was OPP
pressed by the presence in her home of
SO many millions and SO much social dis
t~inction as her guests Represented, and
ahe contributed only murmurs of assent
to the converse ton which Mabel led with
ease, discoursing of yacht races, horse
shows and like matters of metropolitan
interest. Wheaton was glad now that he
had cone Marsrave's guests were people
worth meeting. AS soon as Wheaton
felt that he could go d%ecently, he rose and
shook hands with the visiting gentlemen
and bowed to the ladies. Margrave took
him by the arm with an air of great init
macy and affection Inc walked with him
to the hall, where he made much of help
ing Wheaton into his overcoat.
Il wanted to see you on a business
matter" Wheaton began, in a low tone.
'Oh, yes" said Margrave loudly, ~
forgot to mail you that check. I've been
terribly rushed lately but in time, my
boy, in time !"
"Oh, not that! I mean that other GER
tificate.' Wheaton was trying to drop
the conversation to a whispering basis as
he drew on his gloves. Margrave had
again taken his arm and was walking
with him toward the front door, talking
gustily all the while. He swung the door
open and followed Wheaton out upon the
front step.
"A glorious night glorious !' he ejacu-
lated, putting from his walk. His hand
wandered up Wheaton's arm until it
reached his collar, and after he had al
lowed his fingers to grasp this lingering
ly. he gave Wheaton a sudden push for
ward, still holding his collar, then raised
his fat leg and kicked him from the
step.
"Come again, Jim?" he called pleasant
ly, as he backed within the door and
closed it to return to his guests.
Wheaton reached his room, filled with
righteous indignation. He might have
know that a coarse fellow like Margrave
cared only for people whom he could con-
troll and he decided after a night of re-
Election that he had acted handsomely in
saving Porter's package of securities from
Margrave the night of the encounter at
the bank. The more he thought of it, the
more certain he grew hat he could, if it
became necessary to protect himself in
any way, turn the tables on Margrave.
He called Margrave a scoundrel in his
thoughts, and was half persuaded to go at
to Fenton and explain why Margrave
had been at the bank on the night that
Fenton had found him there.
Wheaton continued to call at the por-
ters' daily to make inquiry for the head
of the house. On some of these occa-
sions he saw Evelyn. but Mrs. Whipple
was always there and he had not seen
Evelyn alone since she gave him her faith
er's key. Other young. men, friends of
~ AASu hS AOohN JoSt "a - tih
to make inquiry about Mr.. Porter. Mrs.
Whipple had a way of saying very art
lessly. and with a little sigh that carried
weight, that Mr.. Raridan was so very
kind. Wheaton wanted to be very kind
himself. but he never happened to be
about when the servants were busy and
there We're important prescriptions to be
filled at the apothecary's.
On the whole he was very miserable
and when, one morning, while Porter's
condition was still ~prccarious. he re-
ceived a letter from Snyder, postmarked
Spokane, declaring that money was imme-
diately required to support him until he
could find work, he closed that issue final
Iy in q brief letter finch was not couch
ed in diplomatic Language. The four days
that were necessary for the delivery of
this letter had hardly PASSED before
Wheaton received a telegram sharply de-
manding a remittance by wire. This
Wheaton did not answer; he had done all
that he intended to do for William Sny-
der. who was vel. out of the way. and
much more safely 50 if he had no money.
TIA correspondence was not OF IN end.