Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-05-27
THURSDAY AT THREE
By DAVID GRAHAM PHILLIPS.

At eight the next morning, as Day
ton had finished shaving and was go
ing into his bath. there was a knock at
the outer door of his sitting-room.
What is it?" he called.
"a gentleman to see you sir" came
through the door.
Carpenter" he said to himself. Then
to the servant: SHOW him up, please.
Bring him into the sitting room and
tell him I will see him directly" 60.
With this he unlocked the outer
door and went back through the bed
room into his bathroom. Soon he heard
the outer door open and the servant
showing his caller in. When he had
bathed he returned to the bedroom
the portiere was drawn across the
door into the sitting room. He could
wait no longer. IT say, old man." he
shouted, did you get good yarn?"
There was a sharp rustling, then ST.
lence. He went to the portiere and
threw 1t back and stood in the door
way, his bathroom half open, his face
and neck red from the cold water, his
hair tumbled. He was transffxed. Be-
fore him. gaping at him, sat an old
man, a study in the black Of broad
cloth and the white of linen and skin,
and wool-like hail and side whiskers.
His head was wagging end his mouth
was ajar as he stared stupidity at Day.
ton. He raised himself with the aid Of
q gold d-headed cane and adjusted his
eyeglass. II must apologize to you,"
he quavered. I'm so disturbed that I
hardly know what I'm about this morn
ing. fancied I was in the rooms Of a
Mr.. Fenimore Dayton"
I'm Fenimore Dayton" said Dayton.
And then a horrible thought flashed
into his mind.
The old mans mouth had flown open
again. "What?" he exclaimed. I'm
possible!"
Dayton, all the blood in his body In
his face, stood there, unable to speak
or move. Great heavens!" he thought,
what shall do? What has Carpen-
ter been up to?"
Lord Frampton passed his hand over
his face. 'Tmpossible!" he muttered.
'Incredible!" And he again rubbed his
face confusedly. Tell mel" He look
ed strangely at Dayton. did you or
did you not have a talk with me at the
Atheneum club yesterday in the after
noon?"
Dayton opened his mouth several
times before he could articulate: Il
did net-that is"
Then who was 1t? Where Is he?"
Lord Frampton looked angrily around.
81 insist upon an explanation, sir!"
Excuse me-just a few minutes-1
must finish dressing-I was and I
wasn't there-Tll explain" Dayton
withdrew to the bedroom, pulling the
portiere over the doorway. He sat on
the end of the bed. What can have
happened?" he said to himself. did
Carpenter sneak away and get some
drinks while he was waiting? What
has he done? What shall say?" He
could hear the old man muttering and
mumbling.
He hurried into his clothes and re-
turned to the sitting room. He stood
before Lord Frampton, looking asham-
ed, repentant, honest. Il am going to
make a clean breast Of 1t, sir" he said.
II could not keep my engagement with
you yesterday. sent perfectly COM
petent man, thinking 1t made no diff
ference to you, as you did not know me
or care especially who did the inter-
view, so long as 1t was done properly"
"But-where is he? Where Is he?"
Lord Frampton tapped his cane an
grily on the floor.
II don't know, sir. /"
This is outrageous. A person rep
resenting himself to be Fenimore
Dayton, an American journalist, wrote
me q note. I don't know what demon
Of ill-iuck possessed me-I had new
er submitted to an interview am a
very old man and in poor health
permit no strangers to come near me.
But somehow-perhaps in the note-1
don't know--at any rate I consented to
receive this person at my club. He-or
some one representing himself to be
him-came and we talked for about
two hours. He was most agreeable
most intelligent-but he had been
drinking-at least, I feared sol be-
came nervous about the interview. He
promised to bring me what he had
written last night. AS he did mott
came here this morning. wish to re-
call the interview forbid the publi-
cation of a word from mel shall hold
you responsible, sir! 1t is an outrage!
1t is scandalous! I shall protest pub
licly, sir!"
The old man, who had risen in his
excitement, seated himself again, and
trembling from his exertions fell to
rubbing his face violently with the
head of his cane. "At my age! What
folly." he fumed, more to himself thar
to Dayton. ITO intrust my reputation
to an unknown, irresponsible creature!
He may publish anything-have the
whole world laughing at me-"
I've HO eACuSc W OllSl, SeNAN
Dayton, humbly. Il can only throw
myself on your mercy But first let me
say that your irterview Is safe-a
least 1t has not teen published-anc
will not be-" Then he went on to con-
fess the whole truth, holding bach
nothing-his love for young Ameri'
can the impossibility Of keeping botf
engagements, the impossibility oi
breaking either. And I suppose, sir,
he said, in conclusion, that Carpen'
ter slipped away and took severa
drinks before seeing you, and ther
kept on drinking afterward. In spite
of his habits, sir, there isn't man II
the world more competent to get such
an interview than Henry Carpenter"
Hasn't he written on sociology?'
inquired Lord Frampton. He had beer
interrupting Dayton's narrative with g