The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1909-06-18
CHAPTER
TWELVE

" Nv AkJ 1T hlS UeSNf
the May sunshine streamed, his
.rgtches laid against his chair,
sat porting over the piles of pa
- l.fr there by Beverly Plank some
r. lahore with a curt recommends
,, 49, that he muster their contents.
Tho curious persistence of youth in
h,s features seemed unaccountable III
-tov of the heavy marks imprinted
tbsre In every movement. ever!
t1rp of bis head there still remained
,,rch of that indefnable attractive
~sss which had always characterized
- roce-much of the unconscious
charm usually known as breeding.
In men of Mortimer's fiber dissipa-
t,oD produced coarser symptoms-dis-
torded veins and sagging fesh-whe.e
:, siUafd it seemed to bruise and
harden driving the color of blood out
NJ him and leaving the pallor of mar
Mo and the blush shadows of it
Gaining the hoilows. Only the eyes
had begun to change radically; some
thing in them had been quenched.
That he could never hope to become
,,nnnne he had learned at last when
he had returned, physically whole
some from his long course of training
rn1er famous Irish specialist on the
Hudson.
He had been a fool He had mag
incl that he could control himself and
nractice the moderation that other
men practiced when they chose. The
.uprtle restraint annoyed him; his i'm
died inability to master himself hu-
inflated him, the mor1ato because Sc
cretly he was horribolidafraid In the
remote depths Of his s.vdrt.
Exactly how 1t happened he did not
remember except that he had gone
downtown on business and had lunch
ed with several men. There was
claret Later he remembered another
cafe farther uptown and another
more brilliantly lighted. Gumble had
found him again, this time in the area,
and this time the same ankle, not YET
Strong, LGQ bccH blbhGA'
Through the waning winter days as
be- lay brooding in bitterness, realiz-
ipg that it was all to do over again
P.auks shy visits became gradually
part of the routine. But it was many
days before Siward perceived Ia the
Biz, lumbering pink listed man any
thin. to attract him beyond the faint
ly amused curiosity of one man for
another who is in process OF estab-
fishing himself as the first of race.
As for reciprocation in other forms
except the most superficial or OF per
hitting Il personal note to sound eyei
50 dIscreetly. Siward tolerated nc
such idea Even the tentative al
vanlas Of Plank limiting on wiling
uess and perhaps ability to help 81
ward In the Amalgamated tangie Were
plea auuy ignored. Unpaid services
reu red by men like PLANK were I'M
pJ.al'e; any obligation to Plank was
utterly out Of the question. Mean
while they began to like one another
at least Siw.rd often found himself
looking forward with pleasure to a
visit from Plank. There had never
been any question of the latters al
ttudp toward Siward.
Plank beg to frequent the house
but never informally. 1t is doubtful
whether he could have practiced III
formaity in that house event at u
wards invitation.
One very bad night Plank came te
the house and was admitted by Gum
bic Wands, the second man, stoou
behind the aged butler. Both We're
apparently frightened.
That something was amiss appeared
plainly enough, and Plank, instructive
y producing a card, dropped 1t on
table and turned to go. 1t may nay
been that the old butler recognized x
innate delicacy of the motive OF i
may have been a sudden confidence
born Of the necessities of the case, Iol
he asked Plank to see his young mas
ter
1t WAS a bad night outside, and II
was q bad night for Siward. The mas
ter vice had him by the throat. He
Sat there cutching the arms OF his
Chair his broken leg in It's plaster
casing extended in front of him. ahe
when he saw Plank enter he glared u
blu.
Hour after hour the two men sa'
there, the one white with rage, pu'
helpless, the other stolid, inert, dear I.
demands for intercession with the area
Vice, dumb under pleadings for com
promise, He refused to interfere VII
the butler and Siward insulted nm
he refused to 20 and find the ocean
teN hlaaol and Siward delioerate9
crrsel ulu.
Nute tutard morning Siwsrd reign
Na,ep anil Plank. heavy head on z
Breast tcigaea Il toe. Then siwui'
Dent wser stealthlly ana opened
a'awog ia his desk, and Plank was %
0iS feet iiho a flash, Jerking the ihor
pane from Siward's fingers.
The d0yt0r arrived at daylight, r.
'poa'Ing 10 Ranks summons by teie
Pooac, and Plank went away with th'