Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-04-03

down." he remarked. Its all fixed
what there is to fix. This place dom
need a cook, it needs a commits
sary department"
Peters" reproved Magee. That:
hardly courteous to our guests"
Living alone on the mountains,
replied the hermit from the dining
room door, you get to have such
high regard for the truth you CAM
put courtesy first. You want to, ou'
you have not the heart"
The winter guests took their places
at the table and the second December
dinner at Baldpate inn got under way
But not so genially as on the previous
night did it progress. On the faces OF
those about him Mr.. Magee noted
worry and suspicion; now and again
menacing cold eyes were turned upon
him; evidently first in the thoughts OF
those at table was a little package
rich in treasure, and evidently first In
the thoughts of most Of them, as the
probable holder Of that package, was
Mr.. Magee himself. Several times he
looked up to find Max's catlike eyes
upon him, sinister and cruel behind
the incongruous gold trimmed glasses;
several times he saw Hayden's eyes
hostile and angry, seek his face. They
were desperate; they would stop al
nothing; Mr.. Magee felt that as the
drama drew to it's close they saw him
and him alone between them and
their golden desires.
Before l came up here to be her
nit" remarked Cargan contempora-
neously with the removal of the soup,
which l may say in passing l amt
been able to be with any success ow-
ing to the popularity of the sport on
Baldpate mountain, there was never
any candles on the table where 1 ate
No, sir. 1 left them to the people up
on the avenue-to Mr.. Hayden and his
kind that like to work in dim sur
roundings-I was always strong for a
bright light on my food. What I'm
afraid of is that I'll get the habit up
here and will be wanting Charlie to
set out a silver candelabrum with my
lager. Candles'd be quite an innova-
ton at Charles, wouldn't they
Lou?"
TOO swell for Charlie's," comment
ed Mr.. Max. Except after closing
hours. I've seen 'em in use there
then, but the idea wasn't glory and
decoration"
Il hope you don't dislike the can
dies, Mr. Cargan," remarked Miss
Norton. "They add such a lot to the
romance of the affair, don't you
think? I'm terribly thrilled by all
this. The rattling of the windows,
and the fiickering light-two lines of
a poem keep running through my
head:
MY lord he followed after one who
whispered in his ear
The weeping of the candles and the
wind is all hear.
II don't know who the lord was
nor what he followed-perhaps the
seventh key. But the weeping cand-
les and the wind seem so romantic
and so like Baldpate inn tonight"
IF / had a daughter your age -
commented Cargan, not unkindly,
shed be at home reading Laura Jean
Libbey by the fire, and not chasing
That would be the best for her,
I'm sure" replied the girl sweetly.
For then she wouldn't be likely to
find out things about her father that
would prove disquieting."
"Dearie!" cried Mrs. Norton. No
one else spoke, but all looked at the
mayor. He was busily engaged with
his food. Smiling his amusement,
Mr.. Magee sought to direct the con-
versation into less personal channels.
I'VE hear so much about romance,
especially since its widely advertised
DEATH" he said. And to every man
l ever met it meant something diff
ferent. Mr.. Cargan, speaking as a
broad minded man of the world
what does romance mean to you?"
The mayor ran his fingers through
his graying hair and considered Sc
riously.
Romance" he reflected. well,
amt much on the talk out Of books
But here's what 1 see when you say
kn ni0 ha-
fore election, and I'm standing in the
front window of the little room on
Main street where the boys can al
ways find me- Down the street / hear
the snarl and rumble of bands, and
pretty soon l see the yellow flicker OF
torches, like the flicker of that candle,
and the bobbing of banners. And
then-the boys march by-al the
boys, Pat Doherty and Bob Larsen
and Matt Sanders-all the boys! And
when they get to my window they
wave their hats and cheer. Just a
fat old man in that window, but they'll
go to the pavement with any guy
that knocks him. They are loyal
They are for me. And so they march
by, cheering and singing-all the
boys-just for me to see and hear
Well, that-that's romance to me-
Power" translated Mr.. Magee.
Yes, sir!" cried the mayor. Il
know I've got them. All the reform
ers in the world can't spoil my thrill
then. They're mine. 1 guess old Ma
poleon knew that thrill. 1 guess he
was the greatest romancer the world
ever knew When he marched over
the mountains with his starving
bunch and looked back and saw them
in rags and suffering-for him-well,
/ reckon old Nap was as close to ro-
nance then as any man ever gets"
Il wonder" answered Mr.. Magee. 1t
came to him suddenly that in each
persons definition of this intangible
thing might lie exposed something OF
both character and calling. At the far
end of the table Mrs. NOrton's lined,
tired face met his gaze. To her he
put his question.
We'll" she answered, and her
voice seemed softer than its wont, Il