Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1912-11-13
Ran His Glance Up and Down the
Columns OF Visiting Cards.

&40
Ran His Glance Up and Down the
Columns Of Visiting Cards.
soling ends of his abundant mus
tache. Curious; but all these persons
were occupying or about to occupy
adjacent rooms. There was truly
nothing mysterious about it, save that
the stranger had picked out these very
names as a target for his banter. For
tune Chedsoye; it was rather an I'M
usual name; but as she had arrived
only an hour or SO before, he could
not distinctly recall her features. And
then, there was that word bucolic.
He mentally turned it over and over
as physically he was wont to do with
postcards left in his care to mail.
He could make nothing of the word,
except that it smacked of the East
Indian plague.
Here he was saved from further
cerebral agony by a timely Interrupt
ton. A man, who was not of bucolic
persuasion either in dress or speech,
urban from the tips of his bleached
fingers to the bulb of his bibulous
nose, leaned across the counter and
asked if Mr.. Horace Ryanne had yet
arrived. Yes, he had just arrived: he
was eve now On his way to his room
The urban gentleman nodded. Then.
with a finger slim and well-trimmed
he trailed up and down the guest-Iist
cha! l see that you have the Duke
Of What-d:ye-call from Germany here
I'll give you my card. Send it up ia
MI. Ryanne. No hurry. I shall be in
again after dinner"
He hustled off toward the door
He was pursy, well-fed, and decently
dressed, the sort of a man who, when
he moved in any direction, created the
impression that he had an important
engagement somewhere else or was
pairing minutes from timetables. For
a man in his business it was a clever
~expedient, deceiving all but those who
knew him. He hesitated at the door,
however, as If he had changed his
mind in the twenty-odd PAGES it took
to reach it. He stared for a long
period at the elderly gentleman who
was watching the feluccas on the
river through the window. The white
mustache and imperial stood out in
crisp relief against the rudy sunburn
on his face. If he was aware of this
scrutiny on the part Of the pursy gen.
tleman, he gave not the least sign.
The revolving door spun round, send.
ing a puff of outdoor air into the
lounging-room. The elderly gentleman
than Cnoi1nd 0~6 o~nI;oI h;o 41.-oI
and forefinger to the waxen point of
his imperial.
In the intervening time Mr.. Ryanne
entered his room, threw the bundle
on the bed, sat down beside it, and
read his letter. Shadows and lights
moved across his face; frowns that
hardened it, smiles that meIlowed it,
Women hold the trick of writing let.
tiers. Do they hate, their thoughts
flash and burn from line to line. Do
they love, it's lettered music. Do they
conspire, the breadth of their imagi-
nation is without horizon. At best,
man can indite only a polite business
letter, his love-nOtes were adjudged
long since a maudlin collection Of
loose sentences. In this letter Mr.. Ry-
anne found the three parts of life.
"She's a good general; but hang
these birthstone efforts Of hers. She
talks too much Of heart. For my part.
I prefer to regard it as q mere phys
zeal function, a pump, a motor, a pow
er that gives action to the legs, either
in coming or in going, more especially
in going" He laughed. "Well, hers
is the inspiration and hers is the law.
And to think that she could plan all
this on the spur of the moment, down
to the minutest detail! It's a SCIENCE"
He put the letter away, slid out his
legs and glared at the dusty tips of
his shoes. "The United Romance and
Adventure Company, Ltd, of New
York, London, and Paris. She has the
greatest gift Of all, the of hui
NOR"
He rose and opened his kit-bag
doubtfully. He rummaged about in
the depths and at last Strengthened
up with a mild oath.
"Not a pair Of cuffs in the whole
outfit, not a shirt, not a collar. Oh,
well, when a man has to leave Bagdad
the way I did, over the back fence,
so to speak, linen doesn't count
He drew down his cuffs, detached
end reversed them, he turned his fold
ing collar wrong-side out, and used
the under side Of the foot-rug as a
shoe-polisher. It was the ingenious
procedure of a man who was used to
being out late nights, who made all
things answer all purposes. This rapid
and singularly careless toilet COM
pleted, he centered his concern upon
the more vital matter of finances. He
was close to the nadir: four sover-
eigns, a form, and a collection of bat
tered coppeTs that would have tickled