The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1910-09-02

/ the caDStand l chose the least dilapi
dated hanson | could find, and givinf
the driver the address of the Gilmore
residence. in the East end, | got In.
| was just in time AS the cal
turned and rolled Off slim younE
man in a straw hat separated himself
from little group of men and hur
ried toward us.
"Pey! Wait a minute there!" ht
! called, breaking into a trot.
But the cabby did not hear, or per
/ haps did not care to. We logged com
! fortably along, to my relief, leaving
the young man far behind. l avoic
reporters on principle, having learned
| long ago that | am an easy mark fol
a clever interviewer
1t was perhaps nine o'clock when
! left the station. Our way was along
! the boulevard which hugged the side
/ Of one of the city's great hills. Fan
/ below, to the left, lay the railroad
tracks and the seventy times seven
looming stacks Of the mills The white
mist OF the river, the grays and blacks
of the smoke blended into a halfre
vealing haze, dotted here and there
with fire. 1t was unlovely, tremen
dous Whistler might have painted it
with its pathos, it's majesty, but he
would have missed what made it IN
fnitely suggestive-the rattle and
roar of iron on iron, the rumble OF
! wheels, the throbbng beat, against
the ears, of fire and heat and Drawn
welding prosperity.
Something of this | voiced to the
grim old millionaire who was respon,
sible for at least part OF it. He was
propped up in bed in his East end
home, listening to the market reports
read by a nurse, and he smiled a little
at my enthusiasm.
Il can't see much beauty in 1t my
self" he said. but it's our badge of
prosperity. The full dinner pail here
means a nose that looks like a fue
Pittsburg without smoke wouldn't be
Pittsburg. any more than New York
prohibition would be New York. Sit
down for a few minutes, Mr.. Blakelev
Now, Miss Gardner, Westinghouse
Electric"
The nurse resumed her reading ia
a monotonous voice. She read liter
ally and without understanding, using
iniJial and Authorizations as they came
But the shrewd old man followed her
easily.
AS the nurse droned along, l found
myself looking curiously at a photo
graph in silver frame on the bed
side table. 1t was the picture of a
girl in white, with her hands clasped
loosely before her. Against the dark
background her figure stood out slim
and young. Perhaps it was the rather
grim environment, possibly it was my
mood, but although as a general thing
photographs of young girls make no
appeal to me, this one did. found
my eyes straying back to it. BY a
little finesse | even made out the
name written across the corner "Ali
SON"
Mr.. Gilmore lay back among his
pillows and listened to the nurses
listless voice But he was watching
me from under his heavy eyebrows,
for when the reading was over, and
we were alone, he indicated the pic
ture with a gesture.
Il keep it there to remind myself
that | am an old man." he said. THAT
is my granddaughter, Alison West"
l expressed the customary polite
surprise. at which, finding me respon-
sive, he told me his age with a chuc-
kle of pride. More surprise, this time
genuine. From that we went to what
be ate for breakfast and did not eat
for luncheon, and then to his reserve
power, which at 65 became a matter
for thought And So in wide circle,
back to where we started the picture
rather was a. rascal" John Gil
more said, picking up the frame "The
happiest day of my life was when
knew he was safely dead in bed and
not hanged If the child had looked
like tim, well she doesn't. She's
a Gilmore. every inch. Supposed to
look like me-"
Very noticeably,' | agreed soberIy
] had produced the notes by that
time, and replacing the picture Mr..
Gilmore gathered his spectacles from
beside it. He went over the four notes
methodically, examining each care
fully ard putting it down before
he picked UP the next Then he
leaned back and took off his glasses.
They're not so bad" he said
thoughtfully. "Not so bad But |
never saw them before That's my
unofficial signature. | am inclined to
think was speaking partly to
himself-"to think that he has got
hold of letter of mine, probably to
Alison. Bronson was a friend of her
rapscalliOn of a father"
| took Mr. Gilmore's deposition and
put it into my travelling bag with the
forged notes. When | saw them again
almost three weeks later. they were
unrecognizable, a mass Of charrea na.
per on copper ash tray. In the in
terval other and bigger things had
q 70