The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-08-31
III FOUND THn Man.

myself beaten and the occasional fascina-
tlon which compensated for the moro fire.
uuept discomfort kept me in the Office.
But all this was before tho day I was sent
to interview tins wife and daughter of the
man who had just disturbed society by
disappearing from it.
Mr.. Grey, 80 it had been learned from
the notices concerning his disappearance,
had one evening after dinner gone out for
a stroll around the block. He had never
come back. His family was of course
Frustrated after the manner Of families on
such sad occasions. After giving him
time to come back, sending to his clubs,
his Office and the houses Of his friends his
wife had finally told his lawyers, and sys-
tematic search was begun. The family
had rseired from public life and denied
themselves to every one, consequently
my chances for an interview with Mira.
Grey did not see hopeful, but the city ed
itor's air Of granting me the opportunity
l had been longing for made me loath to
admit my fears.
Itook the train for the Greys' Athey
lived a little way out Of town-and pre-
pared myself to meet the servants soorn
and the other attendant evils Of such an
assignment. The coach was an ordinary
one, and there were several laboring MGR
in it, evidently travelling to some suburb
whore they were to work upon the roads,
for they carried pickaxes and shoyels.
There sat opposite mo and slightly for
ward q peculiar type of man to whom
found my gaze wandering every few min
utes. Ills iron gray hair was thick and
very unevenly GUS. His face was covered
with q stubbly growth Of grny beard. he
looked unwashed, unkempt and generally
unpleasant. His blue overalls were stain
ed with red clay and his red flannel shirt
opened at tho front III a way that revealed
anything but q beautiful neck, burned
and blistered. But the mans twitching
lips and conyulsive movements of the jaws
attracted my attention, and his deep sst,
steely blue eyes that burned in cavernous
sockets fascinated me. He did not talk to
the other men, but sat with his head sunk
upon his breast, only occasionally raising
It to cast q look about him. BE, with the
other lal,orers, left the train at Forestville,
where the Greys lived, and I soon saw
them, under the direction Of q foreman,
assigned to make various road repairs.
OF course Mrs. Grey would not see me-
I sat in the library while the servant took
my card to her, for there were other callers
In the drawing room. Over the mantel
hung a picture, presumably Mrs. Grey,
done in oil. She was as beautiful as q
cameo and as hard. Opposite har was the
portrait Of a clean shsven mau, with fine
iron gray hair brushed off his forebead-a
more plebeian cast Of countenanoe, but
strong and interesting. The face seemed
familiar. I stared at it until the servant
returned. 49,
"Mrs. Grey is sorry, miss, but she q
pee no one, and has nothing to say for
publication"
"Very WE'LL" said L. Then I rose to 60
SIS that Mr.. GreyS" I asked, 'nodding
toward the picture.
ayes, MISS" was the reply, and sud-
denly it flashed upon me where I had seen
those deep set, ouriously shaped, keen blue
eyes. My heart leaped almost into my
mouth. I took one long look at the por.
trait and left the house.
The men were repairing the road, and ]
noticed one of. the workmen whose face
startled me. The resemblance to the por'
trait I had seen Of Mr.. Grey vas remarka.
Bile. He worked with q fierce delight In
he severe labor. His face seemed more
mad than ever, with the exultation Of mo-
ton and strength deepening the CLEAN In
his eyes.
There was o telegraph office at tho end
Of the street. 7 sent a message to the city
editor. "Send q man to Forestville at
once" was my command. Then while /
paced the street and walked about the
square I reflected upon the welcome I
would receive If I had made a mistake.
Every minute / became moe and more
convinced that I had made the most colos'
sal blunder on record. By the time MIR.
Ellington Ellsworth, the only man who
happened to be available when my tele-
gram was received. had arrived I was
nearly hystericaL I told Mr.. Ellsworth
my theory, and he was properly skeptical.
He discouraged me thoroughly In about
two minutes, but I suddenly rallied.
"Well," I remarked, taking command,
II want you to keep that man In sight. ]
shall 60 to town and get his lawyer. Find
out what train they go in on, and III
meet you"
Mr.. Ellsworth didn't wish to aot upon
that suggestion, but he finally consented
to do SO. I went in, summoned Mr.
Grey's lawyer and with him met the
workingmen's train. Mr.. Ellsworth, look.
ing bored and unhappy, got out and point
ed out our suspected "disappearance" to
his lawyer. My heart stood in my mouth.
Was I to be forever disgraoed or made "a
nous forever -
"Mr. Grey" said the lawyer, stepping
forward, what does this meant"
And when I saw the man start wildly
knew that I was not forever disgraoed-
"well," said the city editor tovially,
"what did they sayp"
"They didn't say anything. They didnt
see me-"
$50 you didn't get the interview" saad
the city editor shortly.
"No," I replied meekly, "but I found
the missing man."
And now, such Is the irony Of fate, the
CITY editor, instead Of letting me rest on
my laurels, Is always exhortinR me to live
up to the reputation I made IN the Grey
case, when I found the missing man,
learned how overwork had worn out his
brain and how In his half orazed condi-
ton he wandered away and returned 10
his original occupation in life, to the hor-
ror Of bis wife with the cameolike face. II
only / had never been 80 brtllianti-Ax-
change.