Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1913-11-08
thing more delicious? And

"His own paper. Why not?
suppose we're the 'proudest famil-
les; and the humber associates
are some of the choice retinue OF
heelers who do his dirty work
Lord! what notice Of it there1l
be ain to-morrow's papers! Wash
irgton will have to be very much
worth while to make up for this
If only /"
+. "Hush!" warned Mrs. Greer, as
the carriage lurched to a halt, in
the pack before a great porte
rochere. "We're actually here al
last. See! There goes Give Stand
ish up the steps with the Polls
sen girls and old Mr.. Polissen
There are few real human be-
ings here, after all. Why do you
suppose-W
"H'ml' commented Greer, "Pol-
issen's Iong" on Interstate Canai,
the routr Conover's c. Ct. & y.
Road is threatening to put out of
business. But why young Stand
ish-"
"Why not? Lefty Conoyer's
own nephew. Though l did hear
he and the Conovers were scarcely
on speaking terms. He Gil
~ fancy that's because Stand
ish's 'Mayflower' back is too stiff
to bend at the crack of Caleo's
whip. He could have made a
mighty good thing OF his law
business if Conover had backed
him. But I understand he refuses
to ally himself with his great rela-
tive-in-law, and prefers a good
social position and a small law
practice
Rather than go to Congress?
finished his wife with such sweet
innocence that Greer could only
glare at her with flabby helpless
ness. Before he could think of any
apt retort, the brougham was at
the foot of the endless marble
stems, and It's late occupants were
passing up a wide strip OF velvet
be tween rows OF wildly liveried
-,oOtmen.
Caleb Conover, Railroa Ter, was
landing Just within the wide
doorway of a drawing-room that
seemed to stretch away into
iniinlty. Behind rose an equally
infinite vista OF heads and Shout
ders. But che loudly blended muir
muir of many voices that is the
lirst thing to strike the ear OF ar
ri ing que. t, at such functions was
cons picuously absent. The scarce
broken hush taat spread through
the chain of rooms seemed to bear
out still further Mrs. Greer's NOR
tuary simile.
But the constraint in no way eX-
tended to the host himself. The
strong, alert face, with its shrewd
light eyes and humorous mouth,
was wreathed in welcoming smiles
that seemed to ripple in a series
OF waves from the close-cut red
dish hair to the ponderous iron
Jaw. The thickest form OF the
Railroader, massive of shoulder
and sturdily full Of limb. was ever
plunging forward to grip some
favored newcomer by the hand, or
darting to one side or me other
as ne whispered instructions 20
servant or relative.
II congratulate you on your
friends repose of manner! whis-
pered Mrs. Greer, as she and her
husb awaited their turn. "He
has all the calm self-assurance OF
a jumping jack"
But there are springs Of chilled
steel in the jumping jack" whis-
pered Greer. "He's out of his
element, and he knows it. But he
isn't so badly confused for all that.
If YOU saw him at a convention
or board meeting, you wouldn't
know him for the same"
"And there's his poor little wife,
looking as much like a rab-
bit as ever! She's a cipher here {;
and even her husbands figure in
front of her doesn't raise the CT
pher to the tenth power. | suppose
that is the daughter, to Mrs. Con-
overs left? The slender girl with
the rust-colored hair and the
brown eyes? She's pprettier and
more of a thoroughbred in looks
than l should have-T
That is Miss Lanier, Conover's
secretary. His daughter is the
"His secretary? Why, is she
receiving?"
"She is his secretary and every
thing else. She came here three
years ago as Blanche's Soverness.
to give the poor girl sort OF
winding-up polish before Caleb
sent her to Europe. She. made all
sorts of hit with Conover Prin-
cipally because she's the only per-
son on earth who isn't afraid of
him, so / hear. And now she is
secretary, and major domo, and
'righthand man. and | don't know
what not else. Mrs. Conover's on
ly a cipher as you say, and Miss
Alice Lanier- not Caleb-is the
figure is front of her. That's the
new-made princess, to the right.
The tall one with the no-colored
hair. l suppose that's the Prince
d'Antri beside her."
Hes too handsome to be a very
real prince. What face for a
sculptor or"
"Or a barber. A beard like that
~
A gorgeously apparellcd couple
just in front of the Greers, in the
line moved forward within the
zone of Conover's greeting. Caleb
nodded patronizingly to the man,
and more civilly to the woman.
"Mr. Conover,' the latter was
murmuring in an anguish of re-
spectful embarrassment, otis a
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