The Columbus journal., 1910-08-03

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fortably along. to my relief. leaving
the young man far behind. avoid
reporters on principle. having learned
long ago that ] am an easy mark for
q clever interviewer.
It vas perhaps nine o'clock when
left the station. Our way vas along
the boulevard which Rugged the side
OF one OF the city's great hills. Fur
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 gays and blacks
of the smoke blended into . half-re-
vealing haze. dotted here and there
with 6re. It was unlovely. tremen-
dous. Whistler might have painted II
with its pathos. it, majesty. but b
would have missed what made Il In
nnitely suggestive rattle and
roar OF iron on iron. the rumble Of
wheels. tho throbbinE beat. against
the ears. Of fire and heat and bravn
fielding prosperity.
Something Of this I voiced 70 the
grim old millionaire who Was respon-
sible for at least part Of t. He vas
propped up in bed in his East end
home. listening to the market reports
read BY . nurse. and he smiled little
ct my enthusiasm
Il can't see much beauty in e ny
SELF" he said. But it's our badge Of
prosperity. The fun dinner pail here
means Q nose that looks like . due.
Pittsburg without smoke wouldn't b
Pittsburg. any more than New York
prohibition would be New York Sit
down for few minutes. Mr.. Blskeley.
Nov. Miss Gardner. Westinghouse
Electric"
The nurse resumed her reading IN
. monotonous voice. She read liter
ally and without understanding. using
initial and abbreviations n they came.
ooS SuS ooSSWO Os0 UA0 AOuOWSO W.
easily.
Az the nurse droned along. I found
myself looking curiously ut . photo
graph In . silver frame On the bed
side table. II was the picture a .
girl In white. With her hands clasped
loosely before her. Against the dark
background hcr figure stood out slim
and young. Perhaps Il was the rather
grim environment. possibly Il was ny
mood. but although - q general thing
Of young girls make No
appeal to me. this one did I found
my eyes straying back to T. By .
little finesse ! even made out the
name written across the corner. All
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.
81 keep II there to remind myself
that am an old man." he said. THAT
Is my granddaughter. Alison West"
expressed the customary polite
surprise. at which. finding me resron-
sive. he told me his age with q chuc-
kle Of pride. More surprise. this time
genuine. From that we went to what
he ate for breakfast and did not eat
for luncheon. and then to his reserve
power. which at IS became a matter
for thought. And so. in a wide circle.
back to where We started. the picture.
Father was a rascal" John Gil.
more said. picking up the frame. ''The
harp:est day Of my life was when I
knew he was safely dead in bed and
not hanged. II the child had looked
like Tim. well. she doesn't. She's
q Gilmore. every inch. Supposed to
look like me-"
VERY noticeably." I agreed soberly.
I had produced the notes by that
time. and replacing the picture Mr..
gathered his spectacles from
beside IT, He went over the four notes
examining each care
FULLY and putting 1t down before
he picked up the next Then he
leaned back and took on his glasses.
They're not SO bad" he said
Not SO bad But
never saw them before. That's my
unofficial signature. am inclined to
was speaking partly to
think that he has got
hold Of letter Of mine. probably to
Alison. Bronson was a friend of her
of father"
I took Mr. Gilmore's deposition and
put It into my travelling bag with tho
forged notes. When I saw them again. |
almost three weeks later. they were |
q mass Of charred pa |
per on a copper ash tray. In the in |
'erval other and bigger things had |
happened: The Bronson forgery case |
had shrunk beside the greater and
more imminent mystery Of the man In |
over ten And Alison West had come |
INTO the story and into my life.
CTO BE CONTINUEp.)
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