Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1915-08-26
THE PRICE
By FRANCIS LYNDE
"GaYitt-John Wesley Gayitt."

"Gavitt--John Wesley Gavitt."
"All right; off with you," said the
liberator. CURLY; and with that he
shouldered the sick mans load and
fell into line in the ant procession.
Once on board the steamer, he fol-
lowed his file leader aft and made
1t his first care to find safe hiding
place for the tramp's bundle in the
knotted handkerchief. That done, he
stepped into the line again, and be-
came the sick mans substitute In fact.
It was toll of the shrewdest and he
drew breath of blessed relief when the
last man staggered up the plank with
his burden. The bell was changing its
final summons, and the slowly revolv-
ing paddle-wheels were taking the
strain from the mooring lines. Being
near the bow line Griswold was one
of the two who spring ashore at the
mates bidding to cast of. He was
backing the hawser out of the last of
its half-hitches, when carriage was
driven rapidly down to the stage and
two tardy passengers hurried aboard.
The mate bawled from his station on
the hurricane deck.
Now, then! Take a turn on that
spring line out there and get them
trunks aboard! Lively!"
The larger Of the two trunks fell to
the late recruit; and when he had set
it down at the door of the designated
stateroom, he did half absently what
John Gavitt might have done without
blame: read the tacked-on card, which
bore the owners name and address,
written In a firm hand: Charlotte
Farnham, Wahaska, Minnesota"
Thank you," said> musical voice
at his elbow. MAY trouble you to
put 1t inside?"
Griswold wheeled as II the mild
toned request had been a blow, and
was properly ashamed. But when he
saw the speaker, CONSERVATION prompt
ly slew all the other emotions. For
the owner Of the tagged trunk was the
young woman to whom, an hour or so
earlier. he had given place at the pay
ing teller's wicket In the Bayou State
Security.
She saw his confusion, charged 1t to
the card-reading at which she had sur
prised him, and smiled. Then he met
her gaze fairly and became sane again
when he was assured that she did not
recognize him: became sane, and
whipped of his cap. and dragged the
trunk into the stateroom. After
which he went to his place on the
lower deck with a great thankfulness
throbbing In his heart and an inchoate
resolve shaping itself in his brain.
Late that night. when the Belle Julie
was well on her way up the great
river, he flung himself down upon the
sacked coffee on the engine room-guard
to snatch little rest between land
ings. and the resolve became sufficient
ly cosmic to formulate itself In words.
I'll call 1t an oracle" he unused.
Zone place is as good as another, just
so 1t is inconsequent enough. And
am sure I've never heard of Wahaska."
Now Griswold the social rebel was,
before all things else. Griswold the i'm
aginative literary craftsman; and no
sooner was the question of his ulti-
mate destination settled thus arbitrari.
ly than he began to prefigure the place
and its probable lacks and havings.
This process brought him by easy
stages to pleasant idealizings Of Miss
Charlotte Farnham, who was. thus far,
the only tangible thing connected with
the destination dream. A little farther