The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-08-29
CHAPTER XIV.

CUTDOUET-<Vt UWITOUWStytJ'
a b0nker-I vecetrc ddutce and help
Dtckte Ptcrson gets an order from me
What u Str1usS gdnes
n HE yellow paper lay in my
hand. and, with flash, my
memory went back to that
mysterious note which Jane
Dround had sent on the eve Of her de-
parture for Europe. 1t lay unlisturbed
in drawer of my Office desk. smiled
1mpatfentiy at the womanss folly-of
the letter. the telegram. And yet 1t
warmed my heart that she .should be
thinking of me this day, that she
should divine my troubles And SEEM
ed to see her dark eyebrows arched
with scorn at my weakness. her thin
lips curl disdainfully, as If to say:
''Was this to be y..ur finish? Have
helped you. believed In you, all these
years. to have you' fall nowT So she
had spoken.
But still I was lmc0nvinced, and in
this state Of mind went back to bed,
knowing that should need on the NOR
row what sleep I could get. But sleep
did not come: instead my mind busted
itself with Jane Grounds letter-with
tho woman herself. As the night grew
toward morning I arose, dressed my
self and left the house. The letter in
my Office pulled me likeAa thread Of
fate, and l obeyed its ca1elike a child.
In the tightening dawn I hurried
through the streets to the lofty build
ing where the Products company had
its otnces, and CROPPED my way up the
1~~~~ {<vh$ - 4<n AcsLY ,cnt nj
my desk and unlocked the drawers the
morning sun shot In from the lake over
the smoky buildings beneath me. Aft
.er some hunting found the letter.
Mrs. Dround wrote a peculiar hand
drm. clear. Interchangeable. but with Gu
rious tiny flourishes about the RS
and SIS.
As glanced at 1t the woman herself
rose before my eyes, and she sat across
the desk from me. looking into my
face. Eyes, need you" I found my
self muttering. mot any letter, but
you, with your will and your courage,
now, II ever, for this is the last ditch,
sure enough
The letter shook In my hand and beat
against the desk. 1t was a silly thing
to leave my bed and come chasing
down here at 5 in the morning to get
hold of a romantic woman's letter.
My nerves were wrong. Something in
me rev.lted from going any further
with thi, weakness, and I still hesitat-
ed to tear open the envelope. The 9TH
or battles Of my life / had won IN
aided.
At the bottom of our hearts there Is
a feeling which we do not understand
q respect for the unknown. Terror,
fear-call 1t what you will-some time
in life every one Is made to feel it. All
my life has been given to practical
facts, yet know that at the end Of all
things there are no facts. In the ST.
lence and gray light Of that morning
I felt the strong presence Of my friend,
holding out to me hand. l tore open
the letter. Inside was another little en-
velope, which contained visiting card
On it was written, 'Mr. ]. Gardener,
go West Lake street." and beneath in
fine script this one sentence, "Mr. Car
boner is good adviser-see himv'
This was fit pay for my folly. OF all
the sentimental nonsense, an adviser!
What was wanted was better than a
million dollars Of ready cash within
three hours. It was now half past 6
o'clock, and had left until half past 8
to find an ordinary. practical way out
Of my present difficulties. Then the
banks would be open. The great wheel
Of business would begin to revolve,
with its sure, merciless motion. New
ertheless, In spite OF my skepticism,
-
that hung on the wall. and made out
the location Of the address given on
the card. 1t was q bare half mile
across the roofs from where I sat in
. quarter Of the city lying along tho
river given up to brick warehouses,
factories and freight yards. Small
likelihood that man with million to
spare in his pocket was to be found
over there!
In this mood Of depression and dis
gust l left my Office to get shaved.
street floor. SIR" the elevator boy
called out to wake me from my pre-
occupation. As stood on the curb in
the same will-less daze a cab came
my side and the disreputable looking
uElVeE LOuCueU us OlIty uaC VIII ulS
whip:
"Cab, sir?"
"Two-thirty West Lake." said to
him mechanically and plunged into his
carriage.
The cab finally drew up beside a
low. grimy brick building that looked
as IL It might have survived the fire.
There was flight Of dirty stairs lead
Ing from the street to the office door.
and over the small. old fashioned win
dows a faded sign read Jules Car
homer" In response to my knock an
old man opened the locked door
crack and looked out at me. When
asked to see Mr.. Gardener. he admit
ted me suspiciously to = little room.
which was divided In two by 4 high
iron screen. On the inner side OF the
screen there was battered desk. a
few chairs and row of leather back
ed folios that might have been In ase
since the founding Of the city. 4
small coal fire was burning duly in
the CRATE. As stood waiting for Mr.
Gardener q barge laden with lumber
cast its shadow through ths dirty win
dows.