The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-10-14

place In his speculatiOns OF the future
lie had heard himself called a bachelor
professor with the humorous tolerance
of one who is pretty sure Of himself. and
who Is not yet reduced 10 the cynical
experiment of peering beneath the top
layer Of his box OF Strawberries 10 find
the false bottom. He recalled the slender
manuscript volume of verses In his desk
at home. and he felt that 1t would be
the easiest thing in the world 10 write
thousand songs tonight beside which
the soundest brief ever Med I'm any court
would be the silliest OF literary twaddle
you have done ali that could be asked
Of you, Mr.. Griswold. and / can not
permit you 10 remain longer. Father will
certainly be here tomorrow. I assure
you that II Is not Ike him 10 avoid his
public obligations. His absence Is the
most 1naccountabie thing that ever hap
pened. ! have my difficulties here at
home for since my mothers death
have had the care OF my young sisters
and it is not pleasant to have 20 de-
ceive them"
"Oh, but your father gsnt absent He
Is officially present and IN the saddle %
laughed Griswold. You must not admit
even to me. that he is not here I'm full
charge Of his Office. And as for my
leaving the field. I have not the slightest
intention OF going back 20 Virginia until
the Appleweight ghost is laid. the gov
ernor of North Carolina brought TO con-
fusion, and the governor OF South Caro-
line visibly present and laundering his
edicts again, so 20 speak, ex cathedra.
My own affairs can wait, Miss Osborne
My university may go hang. my clients
may be mulcted in direst damages, but
just now I am your humble servant.
and I shall not leave your service until
my tasks are finished I am consulting
not my duty. but my pleasure. The Joy
Of having a hand In a little affair like
this. and Of being able 10 tell my friend
Tommy Ardmore about It afterward
would be sufficient. Ardmore will never
speak TO me again for not inviting him
to a share in the game"
He was more buOyant than she had
seen him. and she liked the note Of
affection that crept into his tone as he
spoke Of his friend.
"Ardmore is the most remarkable per-
son alive" Griswold continued you
remember spoke OF him this morning.
He likes 10 play the inscrutable idiot. and
he carries IL on pretty we'll: but under
meath he's really clever. The most amaz-
ing ideas take hold OF him. You never
could imagine what he's doing nowl 1
met him accidentally IN Atlanta the other
day and he was in pursuit OF a face
girls face that he had seen from a
car window for only an instant on a
siding somewhere"
He must have a romantic tempera-
ment," suggested Barbara.
Quite that. His family have been try
ing TO marry him or TO some one IN
their own set ever since 7 have known
I'm harH f-s.fe a.
Of the most remarkable things about him
is his amazing democracy He owns A
palace on Fifth avenue. but rarely oc-
cupies IL. Tor he says IL bores him he
has a camp IN the Adirondacks, but I
have never known him TO visit Il. His
place In North Carolina pleases him
because there he commands space, and
no one can crowd him or introduce him
10 people he doesn't want 10 meet He
declares that the most interesting people
don't have more than a dollar a day TO
spend: that the most intelligent and the
best-looking girls in America clerk in
shops and work in factories. philan-
thropic lady in New York supplies him
every Christmas with a i.-- Of names
OF laundry girls. who seem 20 appeal
particularly TO Ardy's compassion, though
he never knew one in his Hfe: but he
they destroy buttonholes and develop the
deckle-edge cuff; and he has twenty-dol-
lar bills mailed to them quite mysteri-
ously, and without any hint OF who
Santa Claus really IS"
But the girl he saw from the car
window-did she also appeal 20 him al
trUisticalIy?"
NO; il was with her eye. He declared
TO me most solemnly that the girl winked
al him.
Griswold was aware that Miss os-
borne's interest IN Ardmore cooled per-
ceptibly,
OH she said, with that delightful
information with which a woman utterly
extinguishes a sister.
1 shouldn't have told you that" said
Gr!swold. gulltily aware of falling tenn
perature. He is capable OF following a
winking eye at a perfectly respectful
distance for a hundred years, and OF
being entertained all the time by the 10Y
of pursuit"
1T seems very unusual" said Barbara.
with cold hnality.
Griswold remembered this talk as. the
next day. aboard the train bound for
Turner Court House. the seat OF Mingo
County, S. c.. he pOndered a telegram
he had received from Ardmore. He read
and re-read this message. chewing cigars
and scowling at the landscape. and the
cause Of hts perturbation of spirit may
be roughly summarized in these words:
On leaving the executive mansion the
night before. he had studied maps In
his room at the Saluda House. and
carefully planned his campaign He had
talked by telephone with the prosecuting
attorney Of Mingo County. and found
that official politely responsive. SO much
had gone well. Then the juxtaposition
of Ardmore's estate to the border. and
the possible use of the house as head
quarters. struck IN upon him. He would
after all. generously take Ardmore into
the game. and they would uphold the
honor and dignity of the great Common
wealth Of South Carolina together. The
keys Of all Ardmore's houses were. so
to speak. in Griswold's pocket, and in
vitations were unnecessary between
them; yet. at Atlanta Ardmore had madA
point OF asking GriswOld down 10 helm
while away the tedium of Mrs. Atchison's
house party. and as a matter OF form
Griswold had wired from Columbia. ad
vising Ardmore Of his unexpected descent