The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1909-03-19

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- ~ IT. and when the two mcr
.r. Toll know" said Plank mildly
=, r...r believe he ever did it,
ors.-s looked up surprised, then
- Unfortunately he doesn't
sep, il you see"
a. ..arl" said Fleetwood, lighting
.,r.-..r.e that he did deny it; tLaI
gatf mo- matter what his condition
~ na couldn't have done it. If h
so1 beap sober the governors would
-, bssu bound to take his word o.
hopor Rur he couldn't give that yoH
40 And after they pointed ont %
h,n, That he had been in no conditio,
- know exactly what he did do, he
shut m And they dropped him, anG
he's falling yet"
.rodl wish Siward were back
.era He was a good deal of a man,
after all, Tom"
Ther we're unconsciously using the
oost tense in discussing Siward, as
.bongb he were dead, either physical
" or socially
"1n one way he was always a sin
vularly decent man" unused OHara.
glow exactly do you mean?"
ooh. about women!
~ believe It too. If he did take that
WISE girl into the PATRONS it was his
umit with her, and l believe his limit
With any woman He was absurdly
decent that way. He was, indeed
And now look at the reputation he
Mas Isn't It funny? Isn't 1t, nowY
"What sort of an effect do you sup
nose all this business is going to have
on SiwardT'
"fts had one effect already" re-
bUed Fleetwood. "Ferrall 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 ST.
ward? Somebody some goss1p1ng
somebody-talked about it somewhere
recently"
Plank in his heavy, measured, pas
sioness voice as they descended the
lteps of the white portico and looked
around for a cab.
AS for me. I've got to hustle" OBJ
served O'Hara, glancing at his watch.
'Im due to shine at function about
s. 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.
"Weu drive downtown, you and l.
and we'll look up poor old Siward,
hhall We? Fe's probably all alone IN
that God forsaken red brick family
tomb. Shall We? How about IT,
Plank"
OHara turned impatiently on his
Aee 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 l know
Mr.. Slward we'll enough to do that
said Plank efficiently. He hesitated'
Voloring 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
nddy, ponderous young man Desloe
him. See here" he said, you are
going as a friend of mine If you care
to look at 1t that way"
Thank YOU" said Plank. Il should
be very glad to go In that way.
The Siward house was old only III
the comparative Manhattan meaning
Of the word, for In New York notnlne
Is really very old except the races OF
the young men.
Decades ago 1t had been considereo
a big house, and 1t was still 90 spoken
ola solid. dingy, red brick structure
cubical In proportions, surmounteo ~
heavy chimneys, the depth OF its SUNK
On windows limiting of the thickness OF
wall and foundation. Window cur
tains of obsolete pattern, all alike an'
ell drawn. masked the blank panee
Three massive wistaria Vines .n'
Enarled stems as thick as tree trunAs
crawled upward to the roof, diVluiA-
the facade equally and furnlsALnS
some relief to its fairness, other"'
unbroken except by the deep re''
OF window and door Two hlgc u
unsymmetrical catalpa tree ftooH Fe
Htlnels before 1t, dividing eurD .Fo'
s&I ALT. and from the centers oil "a
shriveIed brown grass plots nanAiN-
the stoop urder the basement WINDOW
two aged Rose of Sharon trees orlslie'
naked to the height Of the white ma
bic capitals Of the taking piiiars sup
porting the stained portico.
Nice old family mausoleum' con
mepted Fleetwood, descending IRON
the hanson followed by Plank. !.
The door was opened by a very o., o.,
man wearing the black swallowtal
clothes and choker of an old tune pu'
Ter, spotless. quite Immaculate pu
cut after a fashion no young man 10
members. =, ,uo.
Good evening, Gumble," SAID flee.