The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1915-09-16

theni You must we been having a
mighty particular customeT-to get
so many of 'em out"
1T was Mr.. Griswold, Mr.. Ed Ray
mer's new partner" said the clerk.
And he was pretty particular; wouldn't
have anything but these new-fash-
ioned automatics. Said he wanted
something that would be quick and
sure. and I guess he's got It'll sold
him two of EN-"
Brofin played with the stock long
enough to convince the clerk that he
was only counter lounger with no in
tention of buying. Took two Of 'em,
did he?-for fear one might make him
sick, reckon" he said, with the half
humorous grin still lurking under the
dropping mustaches. Automatic thirty
twos, eh? Well, / amt goin' to try to
hold your Mr.-Griscom, did you call
him?-up none after this. He might
git me-"
Whereupon, having found out what
he wanted to know, he lounged out
again and went back to the hotel to
smoke another of the reflective cigars
in the porch chair which had come to
be his by right of frequent and long
continued occupancy.
GrIswold had left the Mereside
library considerably shaken, not in his
convictions, to be sure, but in his con-
fidence in his own powers Of imagi-
native analysis. For this cause it re-
quired a longer after-dinner stay at
the Farnham's than he had been allow
ing himself, to re-establish the norm
of self-assurance. Charlotte Farnham
was never enthusiastic; that, perhaps,
would be asking too much Of an ideal;
but what she lacked in warmth was
made up in cool sanity, backed by a
moral sense that seemed never to wa
yer. Unerringly she placed her finger
upon the human weaknesses in his
book people, and unfalteringly she
bade him reform them.
For his Fidelia, as he described her,
she exhibited a gentle affection, tenn
pered by compassionate pity for her
weaknesses and waverings; an atti-
tude, he fatuously told himself, forced
upon her because her own standards
were so much higher than any he
could delineate or conceive. For Joan
there was also compassion, but 1t was
mildly contemptuous.
"If ! did not know that you are In
capable of doing such thing, l might
wonder If you are not drawing your
Joan from life, Mr.. Griswold," she said,
little coldly, on this same evening Of
rehabilitations. "Since such characters
are to be found in real life, ! suppose
they may have place in book. But
you must not commit the objectionable
sin of making your readers condone
the evil in her for the sake Of the good
Please forget what have said about
your Fidelia and-and your Joan. You
are trying to make them human, and
that is as it should be-"
Griswold could scarcely believe the
evidence of his senses. He told him
self fiercely that he would never be-
lieve, without the confinement OF
fact, that the ideal could step down
from its pedestal.
"You are meaning to be kind to me
now, at the expense of your convic
tions, Miss Charlotte" he protested
warmly.
mo-" she denied gravely. Listen
and you shall Judge. Once, only a
short time ago, was brought face tc
face with one Of these terrible com
promises. In single instant, and by
no fault Of my own, the dreadful shears
of fate we're thrust into my hands, an6
conscience-what I have been taught
to call the Christian conscienCe-tolC
me that with them l must snip the
thread of a mans life. And then chance
threw us together. A new world was
opened to me in those few moments.
had thought that there could be nj
possible question between simple righ
and wrong, but almost in his first wore
the man convinced me that, whateve
l might think or the world might say
his conscience had fully and freely &C
Quilted him. And he proved it; proveC
it so that l can never doubt it as lonl
as live. He made me do what m.
conscience had been telling me l ough
to do-just as your Fleming make
Fidelia do"
"And he was taken?" he said, and h
strove desperately to make the sayinj
completely colorless.
HE was; but he made his escap
again, almost at once. He is still
free man."
Instantly the primitive instinct @
self-preservation, the instinct Of tn
hunted fugitive, sprang alert in tn
listener.
, How can you be sure Of that?" h
asked, and in his own ears his voic
sounded like the clang of an alarr
. bell.
Again a silence fell, surcharged, thi
, one, with all the old frightful poss
bilities. Once more the loathsom
a fever quickened the pulses of the ma
at bay, and the curious needlelik
! prickling of the skin came to signs
: the return of the homicidal fear-frenz!
I The reaction to the normal racked hil
/. like the passing of mortal sicknes
y when his accusing angel said in he
, most matter-of-fact tone:
4 81 know he is free; have it on tn
best possible authority. The detective
|, who are searching for him have bee
n here to see me-or, at least, one (
2 them has"
|. The hunted one laid hold Of the pa
o tial reprieve with a mighty grip an
n drew himself out Of the reactionaI
4 whirlpool.
| y a.