The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-05-01
swinging door of a small cast iron

the chimney above fine Old man.
tel, and threw in a double handful
of corncobs from box in the cor
ner. The fire roared up, and, by
, its Pickering light, Theodore saw
that the curious looking machine
which thanked fine bust of
Shakespeare, was q cream separa-
tor; and what he had taken for
frieze in alto-relievo was a string
of seed corn, composed of pairs Of
ears tied together by their husks,
and hung over a wire. In It's deep
er personal implications it was the
most battling room Theodore had
ever seen. ~
"You see here" said Craighead,
IAN illustration Of the manner in
which the souls of things express
those of people. Here we find the
reflective mingled with the defect
i've, serials with cereals, literature
with litter, the diary with the
dairy, expressing our good friend
Mr.. Waddy, who combines the
types of the more or less honest
prince of haute finance and the
horny handed son of toll. The
owner of eight banks sits here in
the shade of his own cream separa-
/ tor and seed corn, surrounded by
art, Aldines and Elzevirs, all coated
with the desiccated soil from which
we are made, to which we return,
and out of which, under moister
conditions, all wealth Is derived.
l am touched"
Il ain't,' said Mr.. Waddy. mot
yit."
A pause succeeded this Delphic
remark. Either Mr.. Craighead was
doubtful as to Mr.. Waddy's exact
meaning, or he sought the psychol-
ogical effect of silence.
80 you did RELY drop into the
garden?" their host finally asked.
YES" answered Carson. 81
think it was foolish to take the
risk-but I did"
"Why?" queried Waddy; and
Carson explained.
boy foolishness," said Mr.. Wad-
dy; and silence fell again, broken
at last by Therodore's inquiry as
to whittier Mr.. Waddy was active
in eight banks, and If he did not
find it irksome.
NO." replied Waddy, still Del
phic. 1.-THE things growed up on
me. l never wanted to be bank
er; but my rents KEEP loadin' me
up with deposits, an / sort of got
one bank after another-darn it
Country banks-the boys run 'em.
came here to have a quiet time
in my own way-an' see how
make OUT"
This conclusion was so full OF
rancor that Theodore felt hurt,
and was about to say that if Mn.
Waddy's privacy was so precious
he would no longer intrude; when
their host, at the sound of the
dragging of some heavy body in the
hall, ceased pulling his beard and
eyebrows to the vanishing point
in his facial perspective toward
which they all seemed directed,
stealthily peeped out and returned
shifting his palm with his fist in
unmistakable agitation.
ahth ooi tiiC hC
cried. The hatchll be, ruined!
Ruined!"
Pardon me-" said Craighead,
''if l mention the fact that some
change-or cataclysm-Seems TAX
ing place here"
I'D got shut of 'em ALL" walled
Mr.. Waddy. They wanted me to
put on style! They reckoned
was going to when l bought this
place. l could slick up and go to
stockholders meetin's-an' the boys
never knowed! An just as l got
things right, Caroline's man dies
an here she comes to take care
of me. l shan't be allowed to
earn a cent by workin' for Wither-
spoon-and it brought me into such
society. Them jags is mighty nice
fellers. some of EN-"
Il thank you.' said Craighead.
with an excess of manner. And
as for your being condemned by
family pride to sterile uselessness,
it is truly a shame. But, is Caro-
line relative?"
"Unly daughter" answered Mr.
Waddy. Come to live with me.
Settin' things to rights"
"Mr. Waddy," said Craighead,
bear up under this. 1t may be for
the best And let us take up Mr..
Carson's great project for monop-
olizing aviation. l have long be-
| lieved that some one would turn up
with a machine to subordinate all
others; but since the time of San
tos-Dumont. Farman and the
| Wrights, aerial navigation has
made no real progress. Mr.. Car
son is the genius. We offer you
the unique chance to be with us
co-master of the world. Mr.. Car
son will be glad to explain the
aeronef."
Il wunt put a cent in it," said
Mr.. Waddy.
Carson's heart sank; the I'M
expected affluence of Mr.. Waddy
had bred faith in Craigheads fl
nancial plans,
Certainly not" replied Craig,
head, as If Mr.. Waddy's refusal
was the most natural thing in the
world. until you have ciphered
the thing down to brass nails. And
then--but tell Mr.. Waddy about
it. Mr. Carson. You need not enter
into the offers of the millions We
have had. and spurned-just de-,
scribe the machine"
Carson switched on the lights,
and they gathered about the table.
The boy talked slowly at first
but as the theme grew the others
had the rare experience of hearings
man discourse upon the thing
which dominated an intense and
repressed life. 1t was complex
much of 1t too technical for Mr..
Waddy-though familiarity with
concrete things of his practical
career had made him acute. Once
in while he interjected question
which evinced intelligent compre-