Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1913-11-08
CHAPTER I
Caie6 Conover Receives

Greer. ale mu think he's Gem
etery!
The long line of carriages was
passing soiemniy through mighty
marble arch, agiare with electric
light. leading into the "shoW
place" of Pompton Avenue.
Athwart the arch's pallid face,
in raised let ers full loot III
lengta were the words:
"CALEB CONOVER, X. r., 1898.
In the ghast,y, gdrish illumina-
tion. above the sloW-moVlng pro-
cession of sombre vehicles, the
arch and it, inscription gave grue-
some excuse for 9irs. Greer's COM
ment. She herself thought the
phrase rather apt, and stored IL
away for repetition.
Her husband, a downy little man,
curled up miserably in the other
corner of the brougham, read her
thought, from long experience,
and twisted forward into what he
liked to think was a commanding
attitude.
"Look here!r he protested,
you've got to stop that. It's oau
enough to have TO come here at
all, Wit your spelling every
thing with one OF those eernard
Shawisms OF yours. Why, IL IL
ever got back 10 ConoVers ears
"He'd withdraw his support?
And tuen goodby 10 Congress ior
the unfortunate Talbot Firth
Greer?"
"Just that. He'll stand all sorts
of criticism about his start in life.
Jn fact, ne rerels in talking OF
his rise Ia anyone who'll listen.
But wuen il comes to guying any
thing in MS present exalted
"What does the r. X. at the emo
OF his name over the gaze stand
for? I've seen the inscription
ten enough, but
'Railroader.' he uses it as a
sort OF tide. Lite for MIN Is one
long railroad. ADD"
"And now we're to do him honor
at the terminus?'
"If you like to put it that way.
Perhaps junction would hit II
closer. ( was aWiuliy good OF
YOU, Grace, to come. l.
"Of course it was. Ii | didn't
want try at Washington I'd
never have dared it. 1t will be in
all the papers tomorrow. He'll
see to thai. And them hate to
think what everyone will say. l
suppose we're tie first CT iiized
people who ever passed under that
atrocious hanging mortudry cha
pei, aren't we?'
Hardly as bad as that. If is
any comfort 10 sou, there are
plenty more in the same box as
ourselves, tonight
But surely everybody in Gran
ite can't want 10 rua for Con-
gress?"
mo. But enough people have
axes oil tneir own 60 grind TO make
il wOrth their while to visit the
Conoyer milestone. When a man
VINO can float companies At
word, boom or SMASH a dozen
different stocks, swing the Legis-
lature, make himself heard from
here TO Washington and carries
practically every newspaper in
the Mountain State in his vest
pocket; wlen-'
"When such man whistles.
there are some people who lind ii
wise not to be deaf. But what on
earth does he want us far?"
"rhe world-old ambition that
had its rise when Cain ana Abel
began moving in separate sets. The
longing TO butt in az Caleb HIM
self would probably call it. He
has everything money and polit-
ical power can give. And now he
wants the only thing left--what
he terms social recognition.
"And We are to help"
NO. We're to let him think we
help. All the kings horses and all
the kings men, assisted by score
of Conover's own freight derricks,
couldn't hoist that cad into a de-
cent crowd. He's been at it ever
since he got his first million and
married poor little Lefty Stand
ish. She was the fool of her fam
lily, and a broken family at that.
But still it was family. Yet it
didn't land Caleb anywhere. Then,
when that unlocked cub of a son
oil his grew up, he made another
try. But you know how that turn
ed out. Now that his daugh-
ter's captured a more or less au-
theDtic prince, | suppose he thinks
the time has come. Hence to-
nights
"What blow 10 his hopes it
must have been to have the girl
marry in Paris instead OF here at
Granite But / suppose the hon
eymoon in America and this even
ing's reception are the next best
thing. Are we never TO get
there2'
''Soon enough, I'm afraid. Con-
over boasts that he's laid out his
grounds so that the driveway is
a measured half-uiie. Well be
there in another minute or so.'
Mrs. Greer laughed little ner-
vously.
"Itll be something to remember
anyway" said she. 81 suppose all
sorts of horrible people will be
there. ! read half-page account
of it this morning in the Star, and
il said that while the proudest
families of Granite would delight
to do Mr.. Conover honor the hum
bier associates Of political ana
business life would also be
present. Did you hear any