The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1909-03-19

OBJECT To worry and turn over aau
over. now nervously settling into
grasp on the arm OF his chair.
How Is Amalsauated Electric
asked Fleetwood abruptly.
Il think its an right Want 70 hr
someg' replied Siward. smiling
Plank stirred in his chair pOn1e
ously. Somebody is kicking il
pieces" be said.
Somebody Is trying to-" smiled s.
ward.
"Harrlngton." nodded Fleetwood 81
ward noddeu back. Plank was silent
"Of course" continued Fleetwood
tentatively. you people need not wo-
~ with Howard Quarter back %
you"
Nobody said anything for awhile
Presently Siward's restless hands
moving III search OF something, el
countered a pSncil lying on the table
beside him, and he picked II up and
began drawing initials and scrolls on
the margin Of newspaper and all The
scrolls framed initials and all the
initials were the same, twining and
twisting into endless variations of the
| letters S. l..
Yes. | must 90 to the Office tomor-
row" he repeated absently. Il am
better-in fact. / am quite well except
! for this spraia" He looked down
his bandaged foot; then bis pencil NOV
ed listlessly again, continuing the end
less variations on the two letters. II
was plain that he was tired
Fleetwood rose and made his adieus
almost affectionately. Plank moved
forward on tiptoe, bulky and noiseless,
and Siward held out his hand. sayin2
something amiably formal.
would you like to have me come
! again?" asked Plank, red with embar-
rassment, yet so naively that at first
| Siward found no words to answer him;
/ then:
would you care to come, Mr
PlankT
YES"
Siward looked at him curiously, al
most cautiously His first impressions
( Of the man had been summed up
one contemp uous word. Besides ba.-
ring that, what was there in common
between himself and such a type as
Plank? He had not even troubled
himself to avoid him at Shotover. He
had merely been aware of him when
Plank spoke to him.
Perhaps Plank had changed, perhaps
! Siward had for he found nothing Of
fensive in the bulky young man now
nothing particularly attractive, either
except for certain simplicity. a GER
tain direct candor in the heavy blue
eyes which met his squarely.
Come in for a cigar when you have
a few moments idle" said Siward
dowly.
1T viii give me great pleasure.
said Plank, bowling.
And that was all. He followed Fleet
Wood down the stairs. Wands hello
their coats and bowed them out into
the falling shadows of the winter tWi-
light
Siward. sitting beside his window
watched them enter their hanson ana
drive away up the avenue. A dun
flush had settled over his cheeks, the
aroma of spirits hung in the air and
he looked across the room at the de
canter. Presently he drank some o,
his tea. but it was lukewarm, and ne
pushed the cup from him.
"Gumbe. are you thereF' he asked
carelessly
The butler entered from the hall
way. Eyes, sir"
''You may leave that decanter."
But the old servant may have mis-
understood. >for he only bowed and
ambled off downstairs with the G.
canter, either needless or deaf to his
masters sharp order to return.
Lamplight brought out sharply tie
physical change in Siward-the angtl-
lar shadows fat under the cheek bones.
the hard. slightly swollen flesh In the
bluish shadows around the eyes. The
mark of the master vice was there
its stamp in the swollen, worn out hol.
lows; its imprint In the fine lines :
the corners of his mouth; its sign
manual in the faintest relaxation of
the under lip, which had not yet be,
come a looseness.
For the last of the Siwards had al
last stepped into the highway Wh1cH
his doomed forebears had Travelled be
fore him.
"Gumbler' ne called irritably.
A ouavering voice, an unsteady step.
and the old man entered again. "Mr.
Stephen. sir?"
"Bring that decanter back Didn't
you hear me tell you just now"
"Sir?.
"Didn't you hear meT'
eyes, Mr.. stephen, SIR"
There was silence.
"Gumblew
"Sir."
"Are you going to bring that de
canter?"
The old butler bowed and ambied
a,o,, tbn r,,or1 md for a long while