Charlevoix county herald., 1913-11-22

/ leb, lncredulOuSIy.
"l can't stay here in Granite all
that time. IL must get back to
New York this week. I've inn
portant business there"
"Well, Iii be- gasped Con-
over finding his voice at las, and
with it the grim satire he loved
to lavish on this son, so unlike
himself. business, Ell? important
business Some restauran, waiter
you've got an appointment to
thrash at 2.t5 a. nj. on Tuesday, or
a hotel window you've made date
to drive through in hanson?
From all I've read or heard OF
your life there, those We're the two
most important pieces of business
you ever transacted in New York.
And it was my money paid the
fines botl times. No, no, Sonny,
your important business will
keep, l guess, till after Novem-
her. Anyhow, in the meantime
you'll stay right here and help
papa. See? CT erwise you'll go to
New York on foot, and have the
pleasure of living on what the
three-ball specialists will give
you for your hardware. No work.
no pennies, Jerry. Understand
that? Now go and think it over.
Papa's too busy to play with lit
tie boys to-day"
To Caleb's secret delight he saw
he had at last reused a spark of
spirit in the lad.
'My business in New York. re-
torted Gerald holly, sis not with
walters or hotels. 1t is with my
wife"
Caleb sat down very hard.
"Your-your--' he suffered
alphabetically.
MY wife," returned the youth,
a sheepish pride in look and
words. st was that l came up
here TO speak to you about this
morning. You were so busy yes
terday when l got to town that
Jerry, you ass! Are you crazy
or only drunk?'
Father" protested Gerald with
petulance chat only haif hid his
growing nervousness, Il do wish
you'd call me Gerald, and drop
that wretched nickname. If
He got no further. Conover was
upon MIN, his tough, knotty hands
y
and shaking him to and fro with
clicking.
"Now then" beloved the Rail-
roader, mighty, masterful terrible
as he let the breathless lad slide
to the floor and lowered wrathful
above him. care you going to tell
me about this thing or have / got
to shake it out of you? Speak up!
Gulping, painting, all the spirit
momentarily buffeted out OF him,
Gerald Conover lay staring stu
pidly up at the angry man.
"Fm-I'm married. he bleated.
al meant to tell you when"
"Who to?" demanded Caleb in an
agony of self-control.
''Miss Enid Montmorency. She"
"Who is she?"
"She is-she's my wife. Two
months ago We"
"Who is she? Is she in society,"
"Her family were very famous
before the war. She"
as she in good New York So
ciety?"
"She-she had to earn her own
living and"
"And what?"
"She-I met her at Rectors first
Her company"
"You MARRIED a chorus girl?'
"She-her family before the war
-"
Caleb had himself in hand.
'fet up" he ordered. "You
haven't money enough nor earn
ing power enough to buy those
boards you're sprawling on. Yet
you saddle yourself with wife-a
wife you can't support. A woman
who will down all your social
hopes. And mine. You let de-
signing doll with painted face
dupe you into"
"You shan't speak that way of
Enid! Z" flared up the boy tearfully.
"She is as good and pure as
GAS you are. And with a dam
ned sight more sense. For she
knows legal way of grabbing
onto a livelihood; and you don't.
Shut up! II you try any novel
hero airs on me, you young skunk,
I'll break you over my knee. Now
you'll stand up and you'll listen
to what / have to say"
Gerald, cowed, but snarling I'M
der his breath, obeyed.
81 won't waste breath telling you
all I'd hoped for you,' began Con-
over, cor how l tried to give you
all / missed in my own boyhood.
You haven't the brains to under
stand-or care. What I've got to
say is all about money. And l
never found you too stupid to lis
ten to that. You've cut your
throat. Nothing can mend that.
Well talk about the future at an
other time. It's the present we We
got to tend to now. You're going
to be of some use to me at last.
The only use you ever will be to
anyone. Your allowance, for few
months, is going on just the same
as before. But you've got to earn
it. And you're going to earn it by
staying right here in Granite and
working like dog for me in this
campaign. II you stir out of this
town, or il your-that woman
comes here, or if you don't use
your pull in my behalf with the
sapheads you travel with at the
Pompton Club-if you don't do all
this saw till further orders