The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1909-07-09


great influence in corrupting his
secretary
And his corruption was his masters
undoing. | must say | sympathize
with young Tracy, who said last night:
Il feel as if | had been put to soak
in crime! That bomb was the limit.
In future, me for the common or gar
den virtue it may be tame, but pre-
fer tameness to delirium tremens!'
l used to think that | should like
to match my wits against first-class
criminal intellect; God forgive me for
the wish! | have been matching wits
for the last month"; and never putting
on my shoes without looking in them
for a baby bomblet or feeling twinge
of indigestion without darkly suspect
ing the cook-who is really the best
creature in the world, sent Mr.. Arnold
by a good Chinese friend of mine. q
had a chance to do a good turn to my
friend, by the way, during the earth
quake and thus repay some of his to
me)
Archie is well and cheerful. Isn't
it like the Winter temperament to
lose its melancholy in such horrors as
we have seen? Archie is. distinctly
happier since he came to California.
AS for Janet and Rupert-oh, well,
my dear, you and Johnny know! The
house has been full of people, and we
have had several friends of our own
for day or two | got a recipe for a
delicious tea cake from Mrs. Wiggles-
worth of Boston. She didn't save any
thing but her furs and her kimono
and a bridge set, besides what she
had on; she packed her trunk with
great care and nobody would take 1t
downstairs. Of course she saved her
bag of jewels, which reminds me that
poor Mr. Keatcham left Janet some
pearls-that is, the money for them.
He was very much attached to her.
We buried him on the crest of the
hill; later, when more settled times
shall come, he may take another and
last journey to that huge mausoleum
where his wife and mother are buried.
Poor things! it is to be hoped they had
no taste living or else that they can't
see now how hideous and flamboyant
Is their last costly resting place. But
if Keatcham hadn't a taste for the
fine arts he had compensating quail
ties. l shall never forget the night of
his burial. 1t was wonderful great
night of stars" as Stevenson says. A
poor little tired-out clergyman, in a
bedraggled surplice, who had been
reading prayers over people for the
let ten hours and was fit to drop, hur-
ried through the service; and the
town the dead man loved was flaming
miles beyond miles. About the grave
was none of his blood, none of his an
cient friends, but the men | believe
he would have chosen-men who had
fought him and then had fought for
him faithfully. They were haggard
and spent with fighting the fire; and
they went from his burial back to days
and nights of desperate effort. He
had fought and lost and yet did not
lose at the last, but won, snatching
victory out of defeat as he was wont
to do all his life. The heavy burdens
which have dropped from his shout
ders these others whom he chose will
carry maybe more humbly, perhaps
not so capably, but quite as courage
ously. And it is singular how his in
fiuence persists. how it touches Kite
and Haley, as well as the others.
"Shure,' said honest Haley (whose
wit you are likely to sample in the near
future, for he has elected to be the
Rupert Winters chauffeur; they don't
know it yet, but they will when it is
time); 'shure," says he, 'whin thot
man so mashed up there we cudnt
move him for fear ye'd lose the main
part of him, whin he was thinkin OF
the town and nothin' else, hadn't the
heart to be complainin' for the loss OF
a few teeth and few limps about me!
An | fair wu'ked like the divil. So
did Kito who's a dacint Jap gintle'
man and no haythin at all"
Poor Keatcham. he had no child,
hood and his wife died too soon to
revive the fragrance of his youth; but
can't help but think he had 3
reticent, awkward, shy sort of heart
somewhere about him. Well. he was
what Millicent would call "a COMPEL.
ing personality" use plain language
and call him a great man. He wor
the lions share because he was the
lion. And yet, poor Lion, his share
was lonely life and tragic death.
THE END.