The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-10-17
THE EVENING STORY
A Craven Image.


| In society whose epochs were births,
deaths and marriages, man, mys-
| terry and motor car, all strange, all
| in some occult fashion linked together,
all coming nobody knew how or why,
were amply sufficient to set all tongues
wagging.
The man came first by six hours.
He was thin and tall, with a face
youngish but lined, his hands were
wasted and his voice a trifie uncertain.
Still he was very maSculine-as Betty,
the tavern maid, was ready to avouch.
He had rallied at the sheets, calling for
long fresh ones, big enough to tuck all
over the mattress. He had further or
dered the feather bed into retirement,
and set wide every one of the three big
windows
I'm here for air-understand. you
have plenty of it, he had said. Don't
try to stop us from coming together.
Curtains? Take down the lot of them.
Take your rugs out of sight-they pro-
fame floor boards of real hand-sawn
oak
Also he had banished three perfectly
good chromos in fine gilt frames. Aft
er that he had flung himself on the
fresh white bed and slept like a baby
until the mystery appeared, that is
to say. When it halted in the turn
pike, fifty yards off the tavern gate,
folks stared hard enough, but nothing
to compare with what they did when
the truckman who had fetched 1T I'M
hitched his team, mounted the leader
and whiSked away without a word to
anybody. The thing he had left be-
hind was full of angles and jutting
offSetS-SO much was plain through
padded swathing of tarpaulin upon ex-
celsior. Before real investigat ton
could determine more, the motor, large
and blue, with a forbidding chauffeur
sitting primly upright at the wheel,
t,11y,, RI int ont ctr n
at last in front of Gilead gates and
staying there.
Once Gilead had been the show place
of Midvale- Now 1T was a ruin, pic
turesque but hardly habitable. 1t had
stood twenty years tenantless-but
lately rumor said the last of the family
was coming back to see after it. Hence
the apparition of the halted motor was
not really so amazing as the other
things. The Ransoms, owners of Gill
cad, had been rich-very rich for their
time. If motors had been in fashion
then they would doubtless have owned
at least three.
The man slouching out into the gaz-
ing crowd, viewed the mystery with
eyes that twinkled. Ever hear of Gill
bert Ransom?" he asked of Squire
Barrow, who was poking the mystery
tentatively with his cane.
The squire. snorted. II know Glib
Ransom same as 1 did my own self.
while he was in these parts,' he said,
standing Straighter. What makes We
ask? Has he done anything? Out O.
the common, I mean? The papers
amt mentioned him is I've seem
mo; he's merely made millions;
more than he can count handily,' the
man answered with a faint very faint
chuckle. Mind, I'm not saying 1 know
it, but it has somehow got through my
head that he's tired of making money,
and now wants to play with it. Won
der how Midvale would take it if he
came here, ond played with it, by CIV
ing it Gilead for park?'
why, I should say we'd welcome
him as a noble and patriotic native son
-onless he Wanted franchises and
things to set up a trolley fight, you
KNOW" the squire said, doubtfully.
years back, and the upshot was we
had ter walk three months with snow
two feet deep"
"He isn't that sort-not at all. In
fact I don't believe you could chase
him fast enough to give him any sort
of franchise" the man answered, lift
ing the tarpaulin from a specially sa-
lent spot and peering underneath.
With a satisfied chuckle, he straight
ened and went on: eff this town is
wise it will get busy-at once. Ransom
is coming here in a fortnight or So
He ought to find himself famous-in |
Midvale as he is elsewhere Indeed, |
suppose he came and saw his statue
set up here in front of the Old First |
people worshiped there, I |
hear-why, he'd be about ready to
goldp1ate the town.
"But-we haven't got no statoot-
and it takes time to make them
things" the squire said his eyes
round, his mouth hanging open in
surprise. The man laughed softly.
MY name is Hartly-and I have got |
4 statue. A model rather-there it is
just the clay, you know But it |
will show what bronze or marble will
be like Suppose we set it UPON |
speculation, as it were?
How. dye come by it?" the squire
asked.
Again Hartly laughed. I've a |
knack at such things" he said. |
ALSO, I've a knack of adaptation |
Don't tell-it would ruin us sculptors
to give away ourl secrets-but we |
can get exact measurements from the |
after that it is only matter |
Of eye and knowing how. l had the |
further advantage of seeing Ransom
pretty often-his daughter brought |
him to my place; she is simply dippy |
over art
and artistses-eh?" the squire
the ribs. Say, lad" he went on. |
tell me the straight of all this. I !
sorter like your looks If you're
straight and square-why, I'd know.
But I'll see you through
"a bargain Hartly said, holding |
out his hand.
They walked off together to the
wonderment of the crowd.
J. + =
Midvale simply wallowed in excite |
nent throughout the next month. |
An army of restorers was making !
IiIead not onIv habitat bile but lux
1riouS; another army, smaller but |
more astonishing through being for
sign, was busy in front of the Old |
First, doing something inside high |