Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-06-28
CHAPTER XXXIII.
The High Moment of Their Lives.

Wayne dined at the club with Walsh
break with his father. Walsh listened in
frowning silence to the end.
IT'S a mistake: it's great mistake.
I'm sorry it's happened
There was no other way: it had to
come. He had no right to jump me be-
cause he's in trouble. I'm not responsible
for an his mistakes; I'm one of them my
self and it's enough. He's hot because
he let go of the mercantile company; he
has to fird some excuse now for doing 1t
and he says you tricked him into selling.
The money you paid him went into the
hole without making any impression on
it,
II paid him fair price and he knows
it. The figures were all checked by the
audit company. But you had no business
breaking with him. 1 don't like it. He
means to be square; he's taken his bust.
ness too easy and now that some or
these fancy schemes he's in have gone
bad and the banks are worrying him
you .oughtn't to have allowed him to get
hot. You oughtn't to have done it. boy.
And besides, you might have helped him.
You must be good for nigh on to eight
It's all clean. You don't owe anything,
do your
NO; nothing worth mentioning"
You ought to help him. 1t would be the
fine thing to do. He's your father-you
can't get away from that.
But Wayne was not in a mood for mag
nanimity. Walsh dwelt at length on his
duty. on what was. in the old Fellows
phrase. the right thing He indicated
concrete instances of what might be done
to help Col. Craighill back to a firm foot
ing. Certain things should be dropped
as worthless membranes; the real es-
tate ventures would work out In time:
various stocks now pledged as collateral!
should be redeemed. The pledg1ng OF half
Of Wayne's estate would strengthen his
father immensely with the creditors and
might save him from ruin. Wayne us
tened attentively to Walsh: he saw that
it might be done, but he felt no impulse
to act on Walshs suggestions-he was
Roger Craighilis son no longer
Sorry / can't see it your way. Tom,
but have my side of the case, too That
row yesterday proves how far apart
father and / have been. If our relations
had been right and what they ought to
be he would have asked me for heip' or
I would have gone to him. But he's al
ways taken that high and mighty way
about things. treating me as though
were a fool. incapable of understanding
He doesn't really appreciate the serious
| trouble he's in. He hardly admits that
know his way No, Tom, don't feel
called on to do the dutiful-son act and
dump down on his desk the good assets
inherited from my grandfather ana
have added to little bit on my own ac-
count. 1 don't owe father anything-not
even money. I've ordered my cars sent
to public garage; I'm going up now to
pack my things
1.-THE house is all clear: that's yours"
yes" replied Wayne, with sudden as
perity: 'ft's my own house I'm leaving"
I'm. / hope these troubles OF the
coloners won't be hard on the little
woman up there"
He spoke half to himself. and when
Wayne asked what he had said. Walsh
grunted "Um" and rose from the table.
Wayne found a letter in the club office.
1t was from Jean. written in New York
A large, plain sheet Of paper with the
writing confined to square In the cen
ter; the handwriting small. even. dis
tinctive. 1t was the first message he had
ever received from her and he carried
it to a quiet corner of the lounging room
to read.
my grandfather is again in Pittsburg.
He persists in pressing his claim against
your father, though 1 have begged him
to drop it. I am sorry to trouble you
about such a matter. but If you can see
him l wish you would try to persuade
him to go home. He has brooded over
his claim until he is no longer himself.
and he insisted on staying there at the
boarding house when I left.
1.-The Richardson's have been kind to
me in every way. / am at their house
and shall be here all the time I spend In
New York. l go to my work over on the
East Side every day. and the settlement
house people look out for me and help
me flnd the models I need.
II hope you are we'll and that the new
work with Mr.. Walsh will prosper"
Many readings could not torture into
this unexpected message any personal
interest in himself. This was one re-
Election. but it was something that she
had thought of him in her perplex1ty.
long-neglected claim. was an unfortunate
incumbrance; 1t was too bad the girl had
to be bothered with him. 1t flashed
upon him that he might go to New York
and see her, but he dismissed the IDEA
at once. 1t would only distress her. and
he was Wayne Craighill, and to call on
Jean at the Richardson's might injure
her-a bitter reflection, but one he met
squarely. In the end. after he had stud
led 1t In all possible angles. he felt hap
pier for this contact with something that
had touched her hand. 1t was almost
like her own presence, this sheet or pa
per with its simple. straightforward mes
sage and the block Of script that showed
the artists touch, He would find the
bothersome grandfather tomorrow and
settle the old claim out of his own
pocket and send him back to Denbeigh.
Wayne ordered a motor from a public
/
1t had been his intention to get his things
together and leave without seeing his
father again. The lower floor was de-
serted and he kept on to his own room.
The remodeling of the house shortly be-
fore his mothers death had made no
change In the rooms that had been set
apart to him in his youth There were
things there-pieces Of furniture that had
been in his grandfather Waynes house,
number of old engravings and some
books, that he could send for later. He
packed his trunk as for journey; MAX
ing a pile of the excess clothing to be
called for later by the club valet. Then
he filled q suit case and portmanteau
and rang for the house man to carry
them down. AS he stood at the door
taking a last look at the walls that had
known him so long. the little travelling
clock on the mantel, which had timed
him during his years at st. Johns and
at the TECH tinkled nine. and on the
hint, he picked it up and reopened the
portmanteau to make room for it.
The clock on the stair was still Chin
ing as he closed the door. He was
rather sorry now that he had not made
an effort to say goodbye to Mrs. Craig
hill-poor Addie; this was, in all the cir
cumstances almost desertion, this leav-
ing her to fight her troubles alone. To
his surprise her sitting-room door was
open and she stood just outside it, lean
ing over the stair rail, as though Intent
upon something below. She raised her
hand warningly.
Whats the matter. Addie?"
There's some one in the library with
fof 7 hoard U1on