Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1909-11-25
CHAPTER iII.-continued.

{! CHAPTER ill.-Continued.
Gillespie lay on his back, wrappe'
in my dressing gown. his knees raised
his bandaged arms folded across hi
chest. Since bringing him into thu
house l had studied him carefully and
l must confess, with increasing mys
LITIGATION. He was splendidly put up
the best-muscled man l had ever seer
who was not a professional athlete
His forearms and clean-shayen face
Were brown from prolonged tanning
by the sun, but otherwise his skin was
The pink and white Of healthy baby
His short light hair was combeL
smoothly away from a broad fore
head; his blue eyes were perfectly
Steady-they even invited and held
SCrptiny; when be was not speaking
he, closed his lips tightly.
,! / half believed the fellow to be
amusing himself at my expense; but
he met my eyes calmly. If | had not
caught lunatiC | had certainly cap
Cured an odd specimen of humanity
He' was the picture of wholesome liv.
ing and sound health; but he talked
tkea fool. The idea of a young .yoman
like Helen FolbroOk giving two
thoughts to silly youngster like this
was preposterOus, and my heart hard
ened against him.
"You are 'flippant, Mr.. Gillespie, and
my errand with you is serious. There
are places in this house where could
lock you up and you would never see
your button factory again. You seem
to have had some education"
'"The word does me great honor,
Donovan. They chucked me from
Yale in my junior year. Why, you
may ask? Well, it happened this way:
You know Rooney, the Bellefontaine
Cyclone? He struck New Haven
with vaudeville outfit, giving exhi-
Billions, pOking the bag and that sort
of fake. At every town they invited
the local sports to dig up their bright
est amateur middle-weight and put
him against the Cyclone for five
rounds. l brushed my hair the wrong
way for disguise and went against
him"
and got smashed for your trouble,
I hope" l interrupted.
mo. The boys in the gallery
cheersd so that they fused him, and
he thought | was fruit We shook
hands, and he turned his head to snarl
at the applause, and, seeing an open
ing. ! smashed him a hot clip in the
chin, and he tumbled backw. rd and
broke the ring rope. / vaultCd the
orchestra and bolted, and when the
boys finally found me | was over near
Waterbury under a barn Eli wouldn't
stSnd for it, and back l went to the
button factory; and here am, sir, by
the grace of God, an ignorant man"
How did you find your way here,
Gillespie?" l demanded .
II suppose l ought to explain that"
he replied. l waited while he re-
Elected for moment. He seemed to
be .difite serious, and his brows wrin-
killed. as he pondered.
Il guessed 1t about half and for the
rest. / followed the heaven-kissing
stack! Of trunks"
He glanced at me quickly. as
though anxious to see how received
his words.
'Have you seen anything of Henry
Holbrook In your travels? Be careful
now; 1 want the truth"
fB certainly have not. | hope you
don't think" Gillespie hesitated.
"n's not a matter for thinking or
guessing; I've got to know"
"Qn my honor l have not seen him,
and have no idea where he is"
had thrown myself into a chair
beside the couch and lighted my pipe.
My captive troubled me. 1t seemed
odd that he had found the abiding
place of the two women; and if he
had Succeeded so quickly, why might
not Henry Holbrook have equal luck
You probably know this trouble
some brother we'll" ventured
Yes; as well as a man of my age
can know an older man. Ny fathers
place at Stamford adjoined the Hol,
brook estate. Henry and Arthur Hol,
brook married sisters; both women
died long ago, / believe; but the
brothers had a business row and went
to smash. Arthur embezZled, forged
and so on, and took to the altitudinous
timber. and Henry has been busy
eVerf since trying to pluck his sister
He's wild on the subject OF his wrongs
ruined by his own brother, deprived
OF his inheritance by his sister and
abandoned by his only child. There
wasn't much to Arthur Holbrook;
Henry was the genius, but after the
bank went to the bad he sought the
consultations OF rum. He and Henry
married the Hartridge twins who were
che reigning Baltimore bellies In thu
early '80's-so runneth the chronicle
But gossip. my dear. sir; l gossip
which is against my principles. Ever
the humble button king of Strawberr,
tiilI must draw the line"
When lima brought in a plate O
sandwiches he took one gingerly II
his, swathed hand. regarded it witt
Good inquiry, and as he munched II, re
marked upon sandwiches in genera
as though they were botanical spec
mehs that were usually discussed an
anaiyzed In scientific spirit.
The sandwich" he began, mot VI
happily expresses one of the saddles
trails OF our American life. | nee
hardly refer TO our deplorable nation
al habit OF hiding our shame under
blithe and misleading exterior Chicl
ga sandwiches in some parts of tn
world are rather coarsely marked, fo
purposes OF naturalization. with PHI
stesthess, lou iuay covet no noble