Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1911-03-31

nlgn and full favored, not to say unc-
tuous; and his manner in delivering
an opinion was blandly impressive, and
convincing to many. Yet Tom was not
convinced
or course, l came to ask for the
loan, and not specially to justify It," he
said, In mild irony which was quite
lost on the philosopher in the presi-
dents chair. Il wasn't sure Just how
you would regard 1t If you should know
the object for which we are borrowing,
and this high sense OF personal honor
you speak of impelled me to be alto
gether frank with you"
Quite right; you were quite right,
Mr.. Gordon" said the banker urbanely.
lou are young In business, but You
nave learned the first lesson in the
DOCK OF success-to be perfectly open
ana outspoken with your banker AS
have said. the venality of these men
with whom you are dealing Is most de-
plorabl but ="
Ihere was some further glozing over
or the putrtd fact, a good bit of II. and
Tom sat back in his chair and listened.
outwardly respectful. inwardly hot
hearted and contemptuous Was this
smooth spoken, oracular prince of the
'market-place a predetermined hypo-
crlte' shaping his words to fit the mon
ey-gatherins end without regard to
their demoralizing effect? Or was he
only subconscious Pharisee, self de-
celVed and complacent? Toms thought
ran lghtning-like over the long list of
the Vancourt Hennikers: men of the
business world successful to the Cros-
sus mark, large and liberal benefactors
founders OF colleges libraries and hos
pitals gift-givers to their fellow men.
lrreproachable in private life, and vet
apparently stone blind on the side Of
the larger equities. Could 1t be posi-
BILE that such men deliberately admit
ted and accepted the Doubt standard
In morals? 1t seems fairly Incredible
and yet their lives appeared to pro
claim 1t.
Having obtained the sinews of war
Tom kept the appointment with Nor
man, and their joint discussion of the
business situation made him too late
for the early dinner at Woodlawn. To
complete the delay, the evening train
lost half am hour with a hot box at
point a mile short of Gordonia, Two
things came of these combined time
the brown jeans of the mountaineers.
who had been watching the Wood,a yn
gates since dusk from his hiding-ulace
behind the field wall across the pike.
got up stiffly and went away: and Tom
reached nome Just In time to intercept
Ardea on the steps of the picturesof,a
veranda.
Been visiting the little motber?" ha
y1h he
above him.
"Yes-no; ran over to tell you that
we moved Nancy too day"
"Oh! Well, that's comfortable. Sbo
was willing?"
Yes: almost at first; and altogeth-
er willing when l told her that That
she- Ihere was an embarrassed mo-
ment and then the truth came out
Perhaps l should have asked you first:
out she was quite satisfied when told
her That she owed her changed condi-
ton to the person whose duty it was TO
provide for her. You don't mind, do
your"
No, don't mind he said, absentlv
and the under thought dealt savagelv
with Nan--wtth woman who, for the
sake of the loaves and the fishes. and
the shielding of the real offender. would
suffer an innocent man 10 go to the so.
cial gallows for lack OF the word which
would have cleared him. He laughed
rather bitterly and added, out of the
heart of the under-t thought: I'm glaI
I'm not naturally inclined to be pes-
simistic."
What makes you say that?"
Because, after hearing"-he changed
his mind suddenly, and transferred the
hard word from Nan to Mr.. Vancourt
Henniker-"after what I've been hear
ing this afternoon l find myself more
In the notion of weeping with the an
gels than of laughing with the devils"
What has happened?" she asked,
alive to his need IN
one breath. and keeply apprehensive
for her own peace of mind in the nexr.
AN exceedingly small thing, as tina
worlds measurements so. I was in
town, and made a business call on Mr..
Henniker. He's member of your
church. isn't he2 needed some money
to bride lot of political grafters in n
city where I'm trying to
sell bin of water-pipe. I went to Mr..
to borrow, It."
And. of course. NE wouldn't let YOU
have 1t for any such wretched pur-
pose!" she famed out.
mo, you are mistaken; it's Just the
other way around. told him what II
was for, hoping rather vaguely, think.
that he'd sit on me and make the crime
impossible. But he didn't. He took
the trouble to try to explain away my
scruples; made 1t seem quite a virtu-
ous thing before he got through. You
wouldn't believe it now, would your"
But. Toni you didn't take the mon
ey?"
How could refuse so good a man?
Norman is on his way to PENNSYLVANIA
at this present moment. with letter OF
credit in his pocket big enough to make
the mouth of even a professional graft
er water. AT least. hope It is big
enough"
She was hurt, shocked. Mortified, and
be knew 1t and found pleasure of car
tain sort in the knowledge When a
man has done violence to his own best
impulses, the thing that somes nearest
to the holy Joy OF penitence is the I'M
holy Joy of making somebody else sor-
ry for him. There were unmistakabls
tears in her voice when she said:
Tom, why have you told me this
this unspeakable thing?"
WHY guess It was because I
wanted to ask you how you supposed
the Mr.. Henniker kind OF men square