Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1915-08-05

my shoulder, fearing he had offended
me.
II guess, old man." he explained,
"there's no balm in post.mortems.
loved her, that's all, and I still do"
"5he married?" inquired
"She is now Mrs. William Clay
Weighborne, Of Lexington. It's a pret.
tier name than Fanny MaXwell-and
looks better on a check. / was num-
ber three, that's all"
"Mrs. who?" repeated in astonish.
ment "You don't mean the wife of
w. C. Weighborne?"
"Why?" he asked suddenly. as the
gentleman an acquaintance of yours?"
"Since this morning, yes. He Is
even business associate"
''How you birds of financial feath-
er do flock around the same pabul-
um," he observed
81 was rather we'll impressed with
him." l admitted, idiotically enough
"He seemed a very decent sort OF
chap"
Maxwell lighted a cigarette. His
voice was trffle unenthusiastic as
he replied;
$50 l am informed"
A few days later / arrived at Lex
ington, and Weighborne, who met me
at the station with his car, announced
that was to go to his home on the
Frankfort turnpike. But at this ar
rangement baked.
Despite a certain curiosity to see
his wife, the lady who had left such
melancholy impress on the heart Of
my friend, there were considerations
which outweighed curiosity. My own
peculiar Affections bore more heavi-
| ly on me than those of my acqua1n-
tances, and l had no yearning for the
effort of socializing.
So Weighborne protestingly drove
me to the Phoenix, and armed me
with visitors card to the Lexing-
ton Union club. could see that he
was deeply absorbed. His mind was
| so focused on coal and timber devel-
opment that it was difficult for him
| to think of other matters. My enthu-
siasm Jagged at the prospect of fol-
lowing his untiring energy over hours
| of close application to detail. / would
put it off until tomorrow.
Yet, l had hardly taken my seat at
table in the dining room of the Phoe-
| nix, when page called me to the tele-
| phone booth, and Weighborne's voice
came through the transmitter.
"Hullo. old man, did l drag you
away from food? Sorry, but there are
some papers here I'd like mighty well
to have you look over. might bring
them in, but if you don't mind run
ming out, it would be better.
OF necessity assented.
"I'll have my chauffeur call for you
at eight-thirty," he arranged; "and
| meanwhile I'll be getting things into
shape here. By the way"-his voice
took on a reassuring note--"you side
stepped my roof-tree this evening, and
gathered that you were not in the
mood for meeting people,"
| I murmured some inslncere assur-
ance to the contrary, which did not
beguile him.
1--WE shall have the house quite to
ourselves" he said "Ali the family
| are fitting off to dance at the Coun-
| try Club"
An hour later his car turned in at
stone gate and up long tree-lined
| avenue. From the windows OF a gen.
erously broad, colonial mansion came
CHEEKY blaze of light, throwing shad-
ows outward from the till white col
umns at the front. I could not help
thinking of Maxwells lodgings in
Washington Square, and rejecting
that, all prejudice aside, the flower of
his worship had not chosen so badly
in transplanting herself here.
Weighborne met me at the. entrance
of a hall over which hung the charm
of ripe old portraits and wainscoted
walls. Furnishings of unostentatious
elegance made the place delight. We
passed into large library, where n
wide hearth dispensed the cheer OF
blazing logs, and our feet sunk deep
in Persian rugs.
| Yet, even here, although instructive
ly hospitable, my host was plainly
immersed in coal and timber; for, as
soon as he had done the honors, he
plunged me into litter OF statistics.
I, poor business man that 1 was,
had, time after tim". to force my mind
back from it's undisciplind straying.
AS he talked of coal-veins, would
find myself thinking of coral reefs.
When he enlarged upon advances in
timber tracts, would be seeing In
my memory circle of mahogany
skinned pygmies squatting silently
about portrait spiked to a sailors
chest with a pair of Damascus dag.
gers.
At last Weighborne began sorting
through the papers for some mis-
| IL he