Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1912-11-21
VII.
An Old Perfume.

NOR nine years Stuart had re-
fused to see or speak to Nan.
He met Bivens as a matter of
course. but always downtown
during business hours or at one Of his
clubs. For the first year Nan had re-
scented his attitude in angry pride and
remained silent. And then she began
to do a curious thing which had grown
to be a part Of his Utmost life. For
the past eight years she had written a
brief daily diary recording her doings.
thoughts and memories which she mail
ed to him every Sunday night. She
names appeared in its story and no
name was signed to the dainty sheets
Of paper which always bore the per-
fume of wild Strawberries. But the
man who read them in silence knew
and understood.
The letter from her he held today
was not an unsigned sheet Of her diary.
It was a direct, personal appeal, tender
and beautiful in its sincerity. She beg
ged him to forget the past because she
needed his friendship and advice, and
asked that he come to see her at n
This letter was his first temptation
to break the resolution by which he
had lived for years.
He rose and paced the room with
fury as he began to realize how des-
perate was his desire to go.
"Have l fought all these years for
nothing" he cried.
The thing that drew him with all
but resistless power was the deeper
meaning between the lines. BE knew
that each day the incompleteness of
her life had been borne in upon her
with crushing force. And yet he felt,
by an instinct deeper than reason, that
the day he returned from his exile and
touched her hand would mark the be-
ginning Of a tragedy for both.
In the past nine years he had thrown
his life away only to find it in greater
power. The first year which he had
given of unselish devotion to the serv-
Ice of the people had been a failure.
but at the end of four years he was
nominated for district attorney and
was swept into Office by a large ma.
jority. The enforcement of justice
ceased to be a Joke and became a liv-
ing faith.
His work had stirred the state to a
nobler and cleaner civic life. During
the past year he had become one of
the foremost figures in American De-
m~ocracy-the best loved and the most
hated and feared nan in public life in
New York. He asked nc favors: he
sought no preferment.
The work on which he had just en-
= tered was an investigation before an
unusually intelligent grand jury Of the
criminal acts of a group of the most
daring and powerful fnanciers Of the
world When he realized the magni-
tude of the task he had undertaken
he at nee put his house In order for
the supreme effort. 1t was necessary
that he give up every outside interest
that might distract his attention from
the greater task.
The n matter Of grave importance
to which he was giving his time out
side his Office was his position as ad-
visory counsel to DR.. Woodman in his
suit for damages against the chemical
trust, which had been dragging its
course through the courts for years.
TO his amazement he had Just re-
ceived an offer from Bivens' attorneys
to compromise this suit for 100000.
He would of course advise b doctor
to accept it Immediately. He had
never believed he could win a penny.
What could be Bivens' motive IN
making such an offer? 1t was impos-
sible that the shrewd little president
of the American Chemical company
had anything to fear personally from
this attack. His fortune now could
not be less than 4 ,00O,OOO. and the