Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-26
CHAPTER X.-Continued.


YOU have grown bitter toward him and
can't judge him fairly. But if YOU think
Mr.. Walsh ought to be asked to the re-
ception I'll send him a card There isn't
any Mrs Walsh, I believe?"
mo. He's married happily to his horses
and cigars. Don't take this too hard:
Walsh has never manifested any interest
in social fuses yet and he'll hardly he
gin now I can't see him in dress suit.
He won't come to your party but it
would be decent to send him ticket"
Certainly. Wayne: not because Mr..
| Walsh has been fathers brains. but be-
cause you ask it.
''Oh. never mind that. Walsh has al
ways been bully to me- I'm keeping my
stock in the mercantile company just be-
cause / like him. When we closed that
deal the other day and told Tom I was
going to hold on to my stock he came As
near being affected I suppose is pos
sible In such a hardy old plant. The
name of the corporation isn't to be
changed. and he said he hoped I'd come
to see him occasionally to help his credit.
He was really a good deal tickled over
it.
The Blair house lent itself we'll to large
entertainments. At 10 o'clock the hostess
breathed sigh of relief. knowing that
her party was success. The representa-
tive people of the greater city We're there.
Men and women who. in Mrs Blair
phrase, stood for something" had pass
ed in review before Mrs. Roger Craighill.
Mrs. Blair was catholic minded i'm social
matters. The wide advertisement of her
city through the coarse social exploits of
some of her citizens during the great
prosperity had aroused her bitter resent
nfent and she had summoned for this oc
casion many who. able to declare them
selves guiltlesS of wealth. proved In their
own lives and aspirations that something
besides vulgarity and greed emerge from
the seething caldron to which the greater
city may be 1ikened. 1t was Mrs. Blair's
delight to discover. and as far as lay in
her power to stimulate and reward. amhi-
ton in the arts and sciences. She had
promoted the fortunes of a long line of
young physicians. placing them on hos
ptal boards and sending them influential
patients. Poor artists We're sure to find
girl seeking counteEances to immortalize
in miniature would. if satisfactorily
weighed in Mrs. Blair's balance. find her
self embarrassed with clients John Nc
Candless Blair could never tell, when he
went home TO dinner. what new musical
genius would be enthroned i'm the music
room-young men in flowing black scarfs,
or. rather more delectable. young girls
of Just the right type to look we'll at tho
harp. and who. no matter what strains
sessed in the requisite degree what Mrs.
Blair capitalized Soul.
Mrs Blair's reception drew a wide cir
Gle within which Mrs. Craighill made the
acquaintance of her husbands fellow
townsmen. Curiosity proved stronger in
most cases than feafty to the dead. even
among the first Mrs. Craighilrs friends.
The obvious answer to any lnvidious
question to the wife's previous history
was that man standing as high as Col.
Craighill, and as careful as he of his
honor and good name. was unlikely to
make a marriage that would jeopardize
his position.
There were however absences that ex
pressed the resentment of certain old
frinds of the family who had, in Mrs.
Blairs phrase. taken stand. These
were fewer than Mrs Blair had hoped
for. but Mrs. Wingfeld did not appear:
the pai.or emeritus of Memorial Church,
gentleman who had been favored by
fortune and was in no wise dependent on
CraighiIl patronage, had declined earlier
an invitation to dine and request for
the honor of his presence at the recep-
ton; and a retired general of the army.
who sat with Roger Craighill among the
elders of Memorial. not only scorned these
overtures. but expressed discreetly his
feeling that the marriage had been an
act of disloyalty to the Craighill children.
There were not more than half dozen
of these instances. and while they were
not to be sure, of great Importance, Mrs
Blair magnified their significance and
took pains to thank the absentees later
for their attitude Dick Wingfield, keen
in such matters, found upon analysis that
those who, like his own mother, rejected
the newcomer. were persons VINO mao
| nothing whatever to lose by mourning the
disfavor of Roger Craighill. His mother
was rich and an independent spirit, If
ever one existed: the old ministers in
come could not be disturbed by Roger
Craighill or any one else; the retired gen
eral had. as a lieutenant invested MS
scant savings in Omaha and Seattle town
lots and checks from Washington were
only an incident of his income Nobody.
in fact, whom Roger Craighill could pos
sibly reach, no one likely to need his help
in any way whatever, had joined IN TINS
tame rebellion.
Wingfeld, not easily astonished by any
thing was nevertheless amazed to meet
Walsh at Mrs. Blair's reception. He
imagined that he knew Walsh pretty well.
but their acquaintance had been a matter
of contact at the club. warmed into
friendliness during period in which
Wingfield had. as he put 1t, aHected
horse Wingfield was looking for the
youngest debutante when he came upon
Walsh stoidly smoking in the Blair IL
brary. Walsh in a white waistcoat was
something new under the SUM- 1t oc-
Cured to Wingfield that he had never
stopped to smoke a cigarette that he
might if possible. aralyze Walshs emo
tons in this alien air.
$50 you've quit the colonel-taken over
the Wayne-Craighill Company. II you
have any stock to sell I'd like to have
slice I've always thought the grocery
business must be entertaining. Its etnno-
logical relations would appeal to me- L
understand that these people who pile
themselves on our social dump--the riff
raft of Europe-bring their delectable ap-
petites with them. and that your cellars
are as savory as Chinese stinkpot with
the bouquet of finnan haddie and such
epicuTean delights. So Wayne's going TO
stay in, is be-
Walsh took the cigar from his mouth
and nodded.
"Yes, Waynes vice president of the
company now.
That's good. You and | are the only
people hereabouts who really appreciate
Wayne There are things that Wayne
can do.
Walsh nodded again He settled him
self back in his chair comfortably and
looked at Wingfield with liking bronze
Buddha, a striking item OF the lares and
upon them benevolently.
Wayne" said Walsh. deliberately.
was born to be man Of power He
was built for big transactions.
(Wingheld was surprised into silence. He
had never before heard Walls. express
himself as to the character of any man.
and there was something akin to hearth
ness in this Endorsement of Wayne Craig
hill. Wingfield forgot his quest of the
debutante in his eagerness to hear the in
scrutable Walshs opinions. Fearing that
he might relapse into one OF the Silences
for which he was famous, Wingfield ap-