Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1911-08-18
CHAPTER TX.
THE L

LIE OLD COININO" w.
ITO Mrs. Lawrence?" I repeated.
Here was a coincidence, indeed Could
it be, I asked myself again, that this
thing could have been deliberately ar
ranged? But I dismissed the thought
as ridiculous.
"I will tell you the story so far as I
know it." said the clergyman. 1T is
no breach Of trust to do so. for it was
public property at the time, though
long since forgotten. l should not re-
call 1t now but for the fact that it
may shed some light upon today's oc-
c~urrence."
Perhaps it will" I agreed.
Mrs. Lawrence" began my compan-
ion, was born at Scotch Plains about
30 years ago. Her fathers name was
Hiram Jarvis. He had made a COM
Portable fortune in the dry goods bus
mess in New York, and had built him
self a. country house al Scotch Plains,
going In to New York every morning
and returning in the evening. Scotch
Plains is a very small place-a mere
v~illage-but has a number of handsome
country homes. 1t Is not on the rail-
road, but lies about a mile back Of
Fanwood. which it its station. It has
O little Presbyterian church, and when
I graduated in '65 from Princeton SEM
mary, l received a call to II. which I
accepted. Mr.. Jarvis and his daughter
were members Of my congregation-the
former, indeed, being the president of
the board Of trustees"
I nodded my interest. Plainly 7 had
done we'll in coming to DR.. Schuyler.
Jarvis was a tall, straight, austere
Scotchman Of the old school," continued
the clergyman, with a belief In pre-
destination II eternal punishment.
which was-well-rather fanatical, even
for those days. His daughter was a
hA0 a. "a 80 IL -
had died some years before and she
was left solely in her fathers care,
without brothers or sisters. There was
an aunt in New York city, q younger
sister Of her father, and married TO a
banker named Heminway, but she
seemingly took little interest in the
girl. Her character-or SO I Judged
the few times I saw her-was much
like her brothers, tempered, perhaps,
with a little more worldliness. I think
she's still living; at least, I've never
heard OF her death. She has been a
widow for many years.
$50 the girl grew up In the lonely
house, with only her father to care for.
I sometimes thought his treatment of
her a little severe-he would rarely
permit her to take part In even the
most innocent merry making-and I
often found myself plying her. But
/ concluded 1t was none of my business
"a conclusion which was cowardly.
perhaps; but that was my first charge
and Jarvis was quite a terrifying man"
I could we'll believe It, and said so,
There was another member Of my
congregation" went on DR.. SCHUYLER.
concerning whom I had doubts OF
quite an opposite character-that was
young Boyd Endicott. The Endicott
place lay just beyond the Jarvis house,
which it quite overshadowed. for the
Endicotts were very wealthy. The
father did not belong to my church
nor, indeed, to any church-and I sell
dom met him. He had been associated
with Jim Fisk in some operations
which seemed to me OF questionable
UNCONSTITUTIONAL Fiss's reputation NAV
have prejudiced me unduly. But hts
wife was a lovely christian woman,
and devoted to her children"
Her children?" / repeated. The
story interested me so immensely that
I wanted every detail.
There were two, a girl OF II or Is,
named Ruth. and Boyd. who was about
10. and a junior at Princeton. I had
heard something OF his college esca-
bades while I was at the seminary, but
the first time I saw him was when he
Ame home for the holidays. He was
handsome boy, dark. with a face
that showed his breeding: but he was
~ widest, most untamable I ever
knew. When he came walking into
;hurch with his mother. II used 20
tmuse me to see how Mr.. Jarvis would
hare at him; he considered him q
| arebrand Of hell, and didn't scruple to
,ay SO. And young Endicott would
vtare back-at Jarvis, as / thought.
but I saw my mistake afterwards.