Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1915-09-04

body had to take care or him.
Like the doctor. Raymer asked the
inevitable question. who is he. Miss
Margery?" and, like the doctor again.
he received the same answer.
haven't the smallest notion of an idea
But that doesn't make the slightest
difference" she went on He is
fellow human being, sick and helplesa-
That ought to be enough for any of VI
to know
Raymer stood watching her as she
tripped lightly into the bank. and when
he went to catch his car the conserva-
tive minority had lost whatever coun-
tenance or support he had ever given
it
True to her latest Characterization
of herself, Margery had a nod and
pleasant smile for the young men be-
hind the brass grilles as she passed on
her way TO the presidents room in the
rear She found her father at his
desk, thoughtfully munching the un-
burned half of one of the huge cigars.
and named her Grand
Il want a safety-deposit box big
enough to hold this she said briefly,
exhibiting the paper-wrapped packet
Jasper Grierson. deeply immersed in
matter of business to which he had
given the better part of the forenoon.
replied without looking up: 60 and
tell Murray; he'll fix you out
As on any other business day, Presf-
dent Grierson was solidly planted in
his heavy armchair before a desk well
Uttered with work He nodded absent
ly to his daughter as she returned,
and knowing that the nod meant that
he would come to the surface of things
her surface-when he could. she
turned aside to the window and wait
ed.
Though she had seen him develop
| day by day in less than three of the
thirty-odd years of his western exile,
her father offered a constant success
sion of surprises to her. When she
| opened the door to retrospection, which
was not often, she remembered that
the man who had stumbled upon the
rich quartz vein in Yellow Dog Gu1ch
could scarcely sign his name legibly to
! the paper recording his claim; that
in those days there was no prophecy
of the ambitious present in the man.
half drunkard and half outlaw, whose
name in the Yellow Dog district had
| been a synonym for-but these were
unpleasant memories. and Margery
rarely INDUCED them.
Just now she put them aside by turn
ing her back to the window and taking
credit for the tasteful and luxurious
appointments of the private office, with
its soft-piled rug and heavy mahogany
furnishings. Her father was careless
of such things; totally Indifferent to
them in business hours; but she saw
to it that his surroundings kept pace
with the march of prosperity. Here in
Wahaska. as elsewhere, a little judi
cious display counted for much, even
If there were a few bigoted persons
who affected to despise it.
She was in the midst of a meditated
attack upon the steamship Autographs
on the walls-sole remaining land
marks of the ante-Grierson period
when her father wheeled in his pivot
chair and questioned her with lift
of his shaggy eyebrows.
Want to see me, Madgie?"
"Just a moment" She crossed the
room and stood at the end of the big
desk He reached mechanically for
his checkbook. but she smiled and
stopped him. mo; it isn't money this
time; it's something that money can't
buy. I met Mr.. Edward Raymer at
the front door a few minutes ago;
does he have an account with you %
Jasper Griersons laugh was grimly
contemptuous-
1.-The bank isn't making anything
out of him. The shoe is on the other
foot"
What is the matter? Isn't he max
ing money with his plant?"
"Oh, yes; his business is good
enough. But he's like all the other
young fools, nowadays; he amt con-
tent to bet on sure thing and grow
with his capital. He wants to widen
out and build and put in new machin-
cry and cut bigger dash generally.
Thinks he's been too slow and sure"
Are you going to stake him?" Mar
gerry waged relentless war with her
birthright inclination to lapse into the
speech of the mining camps, but she
stumbled now and then in talking to
her father.
'1 don't know; l guess not. Some
how, I've never had much use for
him.
why haven't you any use for him?"
'Oh, 1 don't know-because, until
just lately he has never seemed to
have much use for me, guess It's
a stand-off, so far as Hkings go. 1
offered to reincorporate his outfit for
him six months ago, and told him I'd
take fifty-one per cent of the reorgani-
zation stock myself; but he wouldn't