The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-10-19
HE FOUND THE MAN.

LlOu WHICH COjDS SllSttJtl " IN ihOtO !
uuent discomfort kept mo in the Office.
But all this was before the day I was sent
to In serview tne wife and daughter of the
man who had just disturbed society by
disappearing from 1t.
Mr.. Grey, so It had boon 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 AMI Of families on
srch sad occasions. After giving him
time to come back, sending to his clubs,
bis office and the houses of his friends his
wife had finally told his lawyers, and sys'
tematic search vas begun. The family
had retired from public life and denied
themselves to every one, consequently
my chances for an interview with Mira
Grey did not see hopeful, but tho city ed
itor's air Of granting me the opportunity
l had been longing for made me loath to
admit my fears.
l took the train for the Greys' they
lived o little way out Of town-and pre-
pared myself to meet the servants scorn
and tho other attendant evils Of such an
assignment. The coach vas an ordinary
one, and there were several laboring men
In 1t, evidently travelling to some suburb
where they were to work upon the roads,
for they carried picka1es and shovels.
There sat opposite mt and slightly for
ward a peculiar type of man to whom
found my gaze wandering every few min
utes. His iron gray hair was thick and
very unevenly out. His face was covered
with a stubbly growth Of gray 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 In a way that revealed
anything but a beautiful neck, burned
and blistered. But the mans twitching
lips and conyulsiye movements OF the jaws
attracted my attention, and his deep seS,
stcely blue eyes that burned in %cavernous
sockets fascinated me. He did not talk TO
tho other men, bu, "'+ with his head sunk
upon his breast, onl: ~rasionally raising
1t to cast q look about H.. He, with the
other laborers, left the train {, Torestville,
where the Greys lived, and l soon saw
them, under the direction Of a 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 tho drawing room. Over the mantel
hung a picture, presumably Mrs. Grey,
done in oil. She was as beautiful as a
cameo and as hard. Opposite her was the
portrait of O clean shaver man, with fine
iron gray hair brushed off his forehead-a
more plebeian cast Of countenance, but
strong and interesting. The face seemed
familiar. I stared at 1t until the servant
returned.
"Mrs. Grey is sorry, miss, but she can
zee no one, and has nothing to say fos
publication"
Every WE'LL" said I. Then I rose to go
''1s that Mr.. Greys" I asked, noddins
toward the picture.
ayes, MISS" was the reply, and sud-
denly it flashed upon me where I had seen
those deep set, curiously 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 seer of Mr.. Grey was remarka.
bic. he worked with q fierce delight In
The severe labor. His face seemed moro
mad thar ever, with the exultation OF mo-
ton and strength deepening the CLEAN IN
his eyes.
There was q telegraph Office at the end
Of the street. 7 sent q message to tho 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 /
would receive if I had made a mistake.
Every minute / became me Q 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 DO available when my tele-
gram was rccei 7ed. had arrived I waa
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 20 to town and get his lawyer. Find
out what train they go in on, and III
meet you
Mr.. Ellsworth didn't wish to act upon
that suggestion, but he finally consented
to do so. / 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
cd out our suspected disappearance" to
! his lawyer. My heart stood in my mouth.
Was I to DO forever disgraced or made "a
nous forever?
"Mr. Grey" said the lawyer, stepping
forward, what does this meanY"
And when I saw the mar start wildly ]
knew that I was not forever disgraoed.
"Well," said the oity editor jovially,
"what did they sayf"
"They didn't say anything. They didn't
! see me-"
$50 you didn't get the interview" said
the city editor shortly.
"No,"I replied meekly, "but I found
the missing man."
And now, such Is the irony of fate, tho
oity 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 tho missing man,
learned how overwork had worn q his
brain and how in his half orazed oondt-
ton he wandered away and returned TO
bis original occupation in life, to the hor.
ror Of bis wife with the cameolike face II
! only l had never been go brilliant l-E1-
change.
He Preferred Death.
Baron de Mal~r:ic, q German who had
/ .oruod In MnYIml Nth Macmillan. told to