Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1910-09-02
CHAPTER XXI.

+ba first day of July; and it was re-
ar1od asa coincidence by the curious
Lot Deer Trace manor-hous was
-I.sod for the summer no more than a
.or, before the return Of the Gordon
black sheep
That Tom was - black sheep, hope
,o.. and incorrigible social iconoclast,
los no longer a matter of doubt in the
r,tnds of any. Something may be for
GIVEN promising young man who has
been unhappy enough, or 1mprudent
enough. to begin to make history TOT
himself in the irresponsible teens; ou1
el.o the act of oblivion may be repeal
ed When It became noised about that
there were two children instead of one
IN the old dog-keeper's cabin IN the
Glen Mountain View avenue was justly
indignant, and even the 1entent Cor
domains. scowled and shook their heads
~ the mention Of the young boss
name.
To such an atmosphere Of potential
socia1 ostracism Tom returned after the
final scholastic triumph in Boston; and
for the first few days he escaped as
Invitation chiefly because the affairs
oY Gordon & Gordon and the Chiawas-
see Consolidated gave him no time TO
test It's quality.
But after the first week he began TO
breathe 1t Enthusiastically. One evening
he called on the F'arnsworths; the Ia
dies we're not at home to him. The
next night he saddled Saladin and rode
over to Fairmount; he Misses Harrl-
son were also unable to see him, and
the butler conveyed a deity worded in
tmation pointiE, 70 future invisibil1t1es
on the part of his mistress. The even
ing being still young, Tom tried Rock
wood and the Dell, suspicion settling
into conviction when the trim maid
servant at the Stanley villa went near
to shutting the door in his face. At the
Dell he Jared a little better. The
Young Decisions w re going out for an
after-dinner call W one of the neigh
bors. and Tom met them at the gate as
he was dismounting. There were re-
grets apparently hearty; but in recast-
ing the incident later, Tom remembered
that 1t was the husband who did the
talking and that Mrs. Young Dickson
stood in the shadow Of the gate tree,
trigidiy silent and with her face avert
ed
Once more old boy, and then We'll
quit" he said to Saladin at the re-
mounting, and the final rein drawing
was at the stone pillared gates of oook
Hill. Again the ladies were not ct
home, but Mr.. Vancourt Henniker came
out and smoked a cigar with his Gus
toner on the piazza. The talk was
pointedly Of business. and the banker
was urbanely gracious-and mildly in
quisitive. Would there be a consolida
ton Of the allied iron industries Of Cor
donia when the Farleys should return?
Mr. Henniker thought it would be un-
deniably profitable to all concerned,
and offered his services as financiertng
promoter and intermediary. Would Mr..
Gordon come and talk it over with him
at the bank?
Tom found his father on the pictur-
esQue veranda at Woodlawn when he
reached home. For time there was
such silence as stands for communion
between men of one blood, and was the
father who first broke It
Been out calm, SOM" he asked,
marking the Tuxedo and the white ex-
panse of shirt front.
punctuated by a short laugh. 1.-The ave-
nue. seems to be depopulated."
so? I hadn't heard of anybody go
In away" said Caleb the literal
Nor l." said Tom, CURLY; and the
conversation paused until the iron
master said:
"Ardee thinks a heap O. you, and if
you could jest We made out to keep
from gettin' so tangled with that gal O.
like he stopped abruptly, but not
quite soon enough, and the word was
as the flick of whip on a wound al
ready made raw by the abrasion of the
closed doors
so that miserable story has got
around to you at last, has it?" said
Tom, IN fine scorn. 81 did hope they'd
spare you and mother"
Shes spared yet, so far as know"
SAID the father, with a backward nod
10 indicate the antecedent of the pro-
noun Following which, he said what
lay uppermost in his mind. II been al
0WIn maybe you'd come back this time
with your head sot on lettin' that gal
alone, SON."
You've believed all you've heard,
nave you?-cOndemned me before
could say a word in my own defense?
IAats what they've all done"
l don't say that, SON." Then, with a
note or tatherly yearning in his voice
I'm Waitin' to hear that word right
now, Euddy-or as much of it as ;e
can say honestly"
You'll never hear it from me-never
IN this world or another. Now tell me
who told you."
Why, it's in mighty near everbody's
mouth, som" said Caleb, in mild sur
Prise You certainly didn't take any
pans to cover it up"
Didn't take any pains? Why should
Tom burst out. After which he
I".Aped heavily to the farther end of
,"e Fefanda, glooming over at the
SI~'Aened windows OF Deer Trace and
-s11.NS bitter anger and disappointment
Ho'A their will on him. And when he
."aAy turned and tramped back it was
why 10 say an abrupt Good night"
anu ana 10 pass into the house and up to
ne thought he was alone in the
promulgated dusk of the upper cham
~ "Aen he closed the door and began
go 81 pace rageful sentry beat back and
-SA III between the windows Ruf ..1l