The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1915-03-18


so,oh+ar.s lack of enthusiasm.
aov different from Alaric, always ful
90 Yearly new ideas. always about TO
do something. Alaric Kept those areuh"
him ON the alert. No one ever really
tnew what he would do next On the
other hand. Ethel depressed by hel
stolid content with everything about
her. Every one knew what sue "ou'u
door thought they Ola.
Nrs chichester had long since aban
doned anv further attempt to interest
,o. brother Nathaniel in the children.
Angela's wretched marriage had up
GOT everything-drlven Nathaniel To De
recluse and to close his doors on
near and distant relatives.
Anqela,s death the following year
ala NOT relieve the situation II any
thing. it intensified it. since she lett
baby that. naturally, none OF the ram
ily could possibly take the slightest
notice of-nor interest in.
II was tacitly agreed never to speak
~ tho unfortunate incident, especially
before the children. 1t was Such
terrible example for Ethel and so dlS-
couraging to the eager and ambitious
Alaric.
Consequently Angela's name was
never spoken inside of Regal Villa.
And so the Chichester family pur-
sued an even course, only varied by
AIaric's sudden and definite decisions
TO enter either public life. or athletics.
or the army. or the world of art-it
was really extremely hard for so well
equipped a young man to decide 10
limit himself to any one particular pur-
suit. Consequently he put off the final
choice from day to day.
Suddenly most untoward incident
happened.
AIaric. returning from long walk,
alone-during which he had almost de-
cided to become doctor-walked in
through the windows from the garden
info the living room and found his
mother in tears an open letter in her
hand.
This was most unusual Mrs. Chiches-
ter was not wont TO give vent to open
emotion. 1t shows lack OF breeding.
So she always suppressed it. 1t seemed
and almost audibly-impressed Alaric
that something of more than usual i'm
portance had occurred.
Hello, mater.' he cried cheerfully.
though his looks belied the buoyancy
of his tone. Hello! What's the mat
ter? What's up?"
At the same moment Ethel came in
through the door
1t was II 80. and precisely at that
time every morning Ethel practiced for
half an hour on the piano-not that
she had the slightest interest in music
but it helped the morning SO much
She would look forward to it for an
hour before and think of it for an hour
afterward, and then it was lunchtime.
1t practically filled out the entire morn
ing.
Mrs. Chichester looked up as her be-
loved children came toward her. and
real tears were in her eyes. and real
note of alarm was in her voice:
"Oh, Ethel! Oh. Alaric."
Alaric was at her side in Il moment.
He was genuinely alarmed.
Ethel moved slowly across, thinking
vaguely that something must have dis
agreed with her mother.
"What is it. mater?' cried Alaric.
Mother said Ethel. with as nearly
tone of emotion as she could feel
Were ruined!" sobbed Mrs. Chiches-
ter.
"Nonsensew said the bewildered son.
Really" asked the placid daughter.
Our bank has failed. Every penny
your poor father left me was in it,
walled Mrs. Chichester. We've moth
ing-nothing! We're beggarsT'
A horrible fear for moment gripped
Alaric--the dread of poverty. He SHY
cred Suppose such a thing should
really happen. Then he dismissed it
with shrug of his shoulders. How
perfectly absurd. Poverty. indeed,
The Chichesters beggars! Such non
sense. He turned to his mother and
found her holding out letter and II
newspaper. He took them both and
read them with mingled amazement
and disgust. First the headline of the
newspaper caught his eye:
Failure of Giffords Bank
Then he looked at the letter: e.
"Giford's bank suspended business
yesterday" Back his eye Travelled to
the paper:
S"Gilrord's Bank Has Closed Its/
Doors.'
He was quite unable at first to grasp
the full significance of the contents of
that letter and newspaper. He turned
to Ethel
En- he gasped.
Pity" she murmured. trying to find
particular piece of music among the
mass on the piano.
Were ruined" reiterated Mrs Chi
chester.
Then the real meaning of those cryp-
tic headlines and the businesslike let
ter broke in on Alaric. All the Chiches-
ter blood was reused in him.
Now, that's what / call downright,
rotten. blackguardly shame-a black
guardly shamer His voice rose in
tones as it increased in intensity until
1t almost reached u Shrek
Something was expected of him-at
any rate. Indignation. Well. he was
certainly indignant.
CLOSED its doors, indeedr' he wont
on why should it close its doors?
That's what / want to know. Why
Shouldn't And he glared at the I'M
offending letter and the noncommittal
newspaper
Cd Of