The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-01-13
CHAPTER I
A GLASS or WINE IN THE WRONG
PLACE

~ OK a EllI thirty SECONDS : dLEn44
- stood thus, struck motionless,
inert: and we who had witnessed
IT sat or stood as transhXed. our
dunfoUnded gaze centered on him
He was not "a pretty sight as he
stood there. leaning slightly forward
The wine still ran down his white.
EawkIke face. spreading in Uncanny
/ rudy stains as il dripDed down upon
his broad shirt front
I had read of such happenings. but
/ I had never expected 10 see one IN
real life Much as / disliked Vaughn
sreat as had been the DrovocatiOn-I
was sick with shame that my own
brother should have brought on the
/ scene Of which I was so unwilling
witness
Nv eve shifted from Vaughn to
where. on the opposite side Of the table,
my brother stm crouched, wrathfui
! half hysteTicaL. cIutchi2g the empty
RiueSlass in his hand.
Marks tense fingers Eriped the glass
couvulsiveIy. There was a snap Of the
slender stem. The fragile bumper tin
EIed on the table
The moments spell OF Mortified silence
was broken The rest OF our tableful
burst into excited. confused speech
Mark cred. -.Tarply, my troubled
voice rising above the lesser din around
me
Ny brother turned, dszedIy, TO con-
front us. as my haud lei on his Shout
/ der He seemed as one but half awake
/ His insane bUrs- Of fury had left him
numb The hot color was already ebb-
/ ing from his handsome bOyIsh face,
leaving If sickIy and haggard.
I "Markl' I said again, ARE you IN
sane or intoxicated2"
! ..He-he insuIted me-" muttered
Mark, duly.
.'yNho2 Vaughn Nonsense. Your dis
I Ike for the man made you misCOn-
| sJrUe what he said II was a bad joke
at the worst
He said-he said" babbIed Mark, as
I one trying TO recall the words Of a
/ dream
Il said" cut In Vaughn from across
. the table Cwhere. surrounded by solicit
/ ioUs friends, he was angrIly hopping
/ the wine stains from face and clothes
with a handful Of napkins. Il said, In
/ the course OF ny speech, that the com
/ biaations Of safes were often intrusted
I by employers TO employees with the
/ same careless faith with which they &C
/ cepted the acquaintanceship OF their
. daUghters-and with as little jUstifca-
/ ton IF Lee finds anything 10 resent
! IN thai
/ That he had overheard and replied 10
our IOw-pilshed talk served 20 rouse
Mark TO fresh wrath
/ You looked al me when you said it,
/ he interrupted And L knew what you
meant as well as you did
/ Indeed sneered Vaughn IN a calm.
I white rage. Then. as the insult was
J MS
/ equally public You say you know
/ what 1 meant Please tell it,
/ You Currr painted Mark, struggling
/ futiely as 1 griDped his arms and
f. pulled him backward.
Gentlemen Gentlemen pouno,7sr,-
shouted Myer, our chairman, who for
two minutes had been vaiuIv. pounding
on the table end to restore order This
/ IS an aboniuabIe scene for a friendly
. dinner Pray atone fcr il as best YOU
/ can by seating yourself at once II We
1 should break up in 3 row we should
/ become the laughing stock OF the UhCIs
association order. please ST down.
/ SheeQishly the excited men, one by
/ one, sank into their chairs. Vaughn.
. with a courteous bow 10 8Iyer, was
/ first TO obey the request ZIark alone
( remained on his feet, mutterinE under
IFS breath. glaring doubtfuIly from
Vaughn 20 the chairman and back
again
L threw ny arm around HIS shoulder
and drew him into a curtained aIcove.
where our hats and coats lay heaped
on a long table
/ The annual banquet Of the Aaron
/ Burr Trust Companies Association was
/ in progress at YUung's Hotel IN Boston
Zach chapter as usual. had one Of
i the chain OF small dining rooms on the
hotels second floor The Philadelphia
brzuch--tC which Mark and Vaughn and
7 belCnged-was at the end nearest the
famous Washington street entrance
We had finished the meal AID speeches
were in progress Applause and scraps
Of song from the nearby rooms told
that most Of the other diners had reach
cd q similar point in the festivities
That apparently was why the 1utburst
AT our table had attracted no notice
from the adjacent apartments.
Mark was still shaking with excite
ment as tursed - face MIN IN the
half light OF the aIcove. He looked
absurdly bOyish and handsome IN his
suIlen confusion had always felt to
ward him more Ike a father than an
elder brother Now doubIy so
as I could, through my chagrin, what
does this nean2 You behaved as no
gentIeman-least Of all as our dead
fathers son-shouId- There must be
some good cause. Out with it
You heard Whit he said" he "faI-
tered
81 heard Yes. But I heard nothing
that could justify
Don't you understand Don't you
know what he meant2'
'T can credit Karl Vaughn with
meaning anything unpleasant in gen
eral- and in particular anything that
I.i-ht be q siur on either You or my
self" 7 answered bitterly. "bUt what
his rambling words about employers
safes and employers daughters meant
l.
.-Hiida Graves" said Mark. curly.
Tt vas my own tU-u to flush and 10
3 bc glad OF The dim light Yet I was
, sjiU at sea as 70 Marks drift
What about herr I asked stihJy.