Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1909-07-29
CHAPTER VIII.

CHAPTER VIII.
Saxton dined alone at the ClArkson
| Club, as he usually did, and went after
ward to his Office which he still main
tained In the Clarkson National Build
ing. He had been studying the report Of
an engineering expert on Colorado ir-
rigation scheme and he was trying to
master and correct its weaknesses. AS
he hung over the bue-prints and the
pages of figures that lay before him, the
flashing red wheels Of Mabel Margrave's
trap kept interfering He thought he
understood why his friend Wary had
been so occupied in his office OF late; ;
but whether Wary and Evelyn Porter
were engaged or not, Wary ought to
find better use for his talents than In
amusing Mabel Margrave. The elevator
outside discharged passenger; he heard
the click Of the wire door as the cage
receded, followed by Raridan's quick step
in the hall, and Wary broke In on him.
"Well, you're the limit I'd like to
know what you mean by roosting up here
and not staying in your room where
white man can find YOU" He stood with
his hands thrust into the pockets OF his
top-coat and glared at Saxton, who lay
back In his chair II wish l could rattle
you once and shake you out OF your
Harvard aplomb'
That's very pretty coat you have
on, Mr.. Raridan. 1t must be nice to be
a plutocrat and wear clothes like that
''The beastly thing doesn't fit growled
Raridan, throwing himself into chair.
II don't fit, and my clothes don't fit, and
"And you're having fit. You'd better
see nerve specialist"
II say, Saxton," he said, calmly.
"Well! Has Vesuvius subsided?" Sax
ton sat up in his chair.
what a merry-go-round of fool l
make of myself AS I'm living man,
| had no more intention of driving with
that girl than l had of going up in bal
loon and walking back. You know l
never knew her WE'LL l don't want to
know her, for that matter; not on your
life ~
rs this guessing contest? l suppose
I'm the goat. Well, you didn't care for
Miss Margrave's society; is that what
you're driving at? She shan't hear this
from me- I'm as safe as tomb. More
over don't enjoy her acquaintance. 60
ahead now, full speed
And it was just my luck that l got
caught this afternoon" continued Wary,
ignoring him.. Sometimes it seems to
me that I'm predestined and foreordained
to do fool things. I've been working on
a washerwoman's suit against the Trans
~ thotr oh thra ~h
her back yard-and l had put away all
kinds of temptation and was feeling par
ticulary virtuous; but here came the
Margrave niger with that girls note,
and | went up the street in long jumps
to meet her, and let her drive me all
over town and all over the country. l
wish you'd do something to me- hit me
with a club, or throw me down the ele-
vator or do something equally brutal and
coarse that would jar little of the folly
of me. Why he continued, with utter
self-contempt, through which his humor
glimmered II ought to have turned down
Mabels invitation as soon as l saw the
monogram on her note paper. Three
colors and letters as big as your hand
MY instructive good taste falters, old
man 1t ueeuS TeSlOTillS anu cldSteIluS.
Il quite agree with you, sir. But it's
more gallant to abuse yourself than Miss
Margrave's stationery-that is, if | am
correctly gathering up the crumbs OF
your thought
"See here, John, she means a whole lot
to me. You know whom | mean" Sax
ton knew he did not mean Mabel Mar
grave. "You know" Raridan went on,
I'VE were kids together up there on those
hills. We both had our dancing lessons
at her house, and did such stunts as that
together"
eyes, said Saxton.
IL want to work and show that I'm
some good. | want to make myself wor-
thy of her." He got up and walked the
floor, while Saxton sat and watched him.
II can't talk about it you understand
what | want to do. 1t has seemed to me
lately that | have more to overcome than
| can ever manage" He stood at the
window playing with the cord of the
shade and looking out over the town.
Saxton walked to the window and stood
by him, saying nothing and after mo-
ment he put his hand on Raridan's shoul-
der and turned him round and grasped
Warrys slender fingers in his broad,
strong hand.
Il understand how it is, old man. 1t
isn't so bad as you think it is, I'm sure.
1t will all come out right
- unI \