Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1909-03-26

"Notitng important" said L.ua.G3l.
it all over with Orchil- and Mostl..'. !
told Orchll what you persuaded 80 %
To-"
"You-you'-
"Not at all; not at al" protested.
Ruthven, languidly settling hiri2s!s
once more among the cushions. -
by the way" he added, there's q III!
bylaw, something or ottec-thGc =
understand may interest !oU"-Lo
looked up at Neecgard. who Lad CT:
back in bis chair-"about UNPAID CO
sessments."
Neergard now for the frs. hIe wa
looking directly at him.
UNPAID assessments" repeated R-r.t.-.
ven. ITS a detail-a laT-rcver en-
forced unless we-ah-fnQ it convex
lent to rid ourselves oe C member.
Thought 1t Just as well to mention
It." said Ruthyen blandiy, las they've
seen fit to take advantage Of the-ah-
opportunity--under legal advice Iou'L
hear from the secretary. ! fancy
Notify, you know. Is there anything
more. Neergard:"
He looked at Ruthven. scarcely see
Ing him. Finally be gathered his thick
legs ander to support him as he 'ose,
stupidity, looking about for his hat.
Rnthven rang for servant When
&c came, Neergard followed hin with
~! 4 wo:d, email eyes vacant, The
moisture visible Do the ridge IT ais
nosc. iio eel, olunt hands ianglinS as
he walked. Behind him a ackey
.GCGhci.
IL iuo Zine Noercard, who su.!
spoat his penny CD a morning paper.
read about The Orchil bali. There were
th:ee columns and several pictures
lie read cveyy item, every uame. to
the last imbeciie period.
Then bc rose YEARLY and started
downtown to see what his lawyers
could co toward reinstating him in q
club that had expelled him-to find out
.f there remained the slightest trace OF
chance II the matter. But even as
GO Teut he knew there could be more.
There was O new pressure which he
vas beginning to feel vaguely hostile
to him il his business enterprises
hitcncc il tie negotiations of loans,
delays, perhaps accidental. but annoy
ics: changes of policy in certain firms
who no longer cared to consider acre
ago 6 investment, and curio2sly
yelled antaSo2i5i1 to him In n certain
railroad. tho reorganization OF which
he had dared once to aspire to.
Ard one day, sitting clone in lis Of
Gee, q clerk brought him morning pa
Per with one column marked In Big
blue po2ciled oval.
It v'as only about Gerald Errol and
Gladys Orchil, who had run away end
married because they happened to be
il love, although their relatives had
prepared other plans for their sep
aratc disposal. The column wGs full
one, the heading in big type-a good
aecl Of pother about boy and q girl.
srtcr all, particularly cs il appeared
tina. the;c respective families Lad &c
terrained to make the bee. CT It.
It took Neergard all day to read that
column. Then he went home WITH
q mental lassitudc that depressed lin
md left him drowsy in his great arm
chair before the grate-too droTsy ard
apathetic to examine the letters and
documents laid out for him by his sec
rotary, although one of them seemed
to be important-something about
alienation of affections, something
about yacht and Mrs. Ruthven, and
O heavy suit to be brought unless 9TH
err settlement was suggested as balm
to Mr.. Ruthven.
To dress fOc dinner was an effort
a purely mechanical operation which
was only partly successful, although
his man aided him. But he was too
tired to continue the effort, and at
last it was his man alone who disem-
barrassed him Of his heavy clothing
and who laid him among the bed
clothes, where he sank back, relaxed.
breathing loudly in the dreadful de-
pressed stupor of utter physical and
neurotic pcostration.