The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1914-06-18
CHAPTER XVIII.
They whs Sow the Wind,


The Information given by the ex-
director in regard to the whereabouts
Of Charles Halsey was substantially, II
not circumstantially. correct. He had,
indeed, done the most unlikely thing
He had taken up his abode, for the
: time at least. at the very place to
which he might have seemed least apt
to return: that is to say, the home of
his father-in-law. John Rawn.
Many things moved Halsey to this
action. In the first place, having end.
ed his labors. he found no reason for
any pretense of continuing them.
Again. although he fully intended to
bring divorce proceedings. and fully
Intended to leave the city. he was un.
willing to depart without seeing once
more his wife and their child, because
news came to him of the little Grip
pies serious and continued illness. In
point Of fact. Grace Halsey. unhappy,
morose. and now jealously suspicious,
had brooded over her unfortunate stu
alton In life until she also really was
i'll. Halsey grieved over this. In spite
OF all. As to the little hunchback,
Laura, she had known only illness all
her life; and Halsey, father after all,
felt some foreboding which made him
unready to leave for yet time.
Halsey. in spite Of his own bitter
ness of soul. realized that Rawn him
ssif was well-nigh crazed by the bust
meas situation. and his conscience mis-.
gave him when he reflected upon the
sudden consequences of his own acts.
His sense Of business honor and of
personal justice told him he owed
even so unreasonable man as Rawu
some sort of definite accounting for
his own stewardship unwelcome az
another meeting between them must
be to both.
Lastly, 1t may be added. Virginia
Rawn had sent for him.
When he received her message he
spent a night resolving that he would
not go. that he would never again see
either her or Grace; never again
would set foot on ground belonging to
John Rawn, como what could, let be
lost what any of them all might lose.
In the morning he changed his reso-
luton. By evening of the next day he
was at Graystone Hall.
To his surprise. he found 1t not i'm
mediately necessary to patch a peace
with the master af Graystone Hall, for
Rawn was absent The great mansion
seemed strangely and suddenly
changed An air of anxiety hung over
all, the place was oddly silent The
ties, and their mistress did not chlde
Them. Swift disintesration of the do
nestle machine seemed to threaten;
mysterious danger seemed to menace
the very structure Itself, long Of so
bold and indomitable front. Nalsey
still hesitated-and still remained.
Rawn customarily divided his time
between the operating headquarten in
the western city and the general Of
fees in the eastern capital. but now
be had found 1t needful Immediately
10 transfer all his activities to the
( latter scene He did not know Of his
vife's invitation to Halsey, for he had
started from his office, without even
advising her of his intention, and even
without conversation with her by tele-
phone. He telegraphed from the train.
stating that he had been called East
On urgent matters. After that. no
word at all came from him. 1t was
not known when he would return. Hal
eey could only wait. In truth. he was
little better than man gone mad him
self, and Rawn was worse than such.
Gradually. day by day. hour by hour.
The terrible strain Of this suddenly de-
ycloped situation began to show Its
Adects upon Rawn. He slept but little