The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1915-08-12

Nldu " haNg gOu wan 49, -@%' |
void. Would you like a room' or
suite?"
Neither; If I have time to get my
supper and catch train. Have you
guide?"
There is one in the writing room.
But possibly l can tell you what you
wish to know. Which way are you
going?"
Without stopping to think of the
critical happenings which had inter
vened since the forming Of the i'm
pulsive resolution fixing his destina-
ton, Griswold named the chosen field
for the hazard of fresh fortunes, and
its direction.
North; to a town In Minnesota
called Wahaska. Do you happen to
know the place?"
The clerk smiled and shook his
head.
Plenty of time, is there?" Griswold
asked.
ooh, yes. Your train leaves the ter
minal at eleven-thirty; but you can
get into the sleeper any time after
eight o'clock"
Seated at a well-appointed table in
the Chouteau cafe, Griswold had ample
time to overtake himself in the race
reconstructive, and for the moment the
point of view became frankly Philis-
tine. The luxurious hotel, with its
air of invincible responsibility; the
snowy napery, the cut glass, the
shaded lights, the deferential service;
all these appealed irresistibly to the
epicurean in him. 1t was as II he had
come suddenly to his own again after
an undeserved season of deprivation,
and the effect of it was to push the
hardships and perils Of the preceding
weeks and months into a far-away
past.
He ordered his supper deliberately,
and while he waited for it's serving,
imagination cleared the stage and set
the scenes for the drama of the future.
That future, with all it's opportunities
for the realizing of ideals, was now
safely assured. He could go whittier
he pleased and do what seemed right
| in his own eyes, and there was none
to say him nay.
In this minor city of his hasty selec-
tion he would find the environment
most favorable for a rewriting of his
book and for a renewal of his studies.
Here, too, he might hope to become by
unostentatious degrees the beneficent
god-in-the-car of his worthier ambition,
raising the fallen, succoring the help
! less and fighting the battles of the
oppressed.
Further along, when she should have
quite forgotten the Belle jules deck
hand he would meet Miss Farnham
on an equal social footing; and the
conclusion Of the whole matter should
be a triumphant demonstration to her
by their irrefutable logic of good deeds
and life well-lived that in his case
at least, the end justified the means.
The train of reflective thought was
broken abruptly by the seating of two
other supper guests at his table; a
big-framed man in the grizzled fifties
and a young woman who looked as II
she might have stepped the moment
before out of the fitting rooms of the
most famous of Partisan dressmakers
Griswold's supper was served, and
for time he made shift to ignore tbs
couple at the other end Of the table
Then an overheard word, the name o.
the town which he had chosen as his
future abiding place, made him sud
denly observant.
1t was the young woman who haC
named Wahaska, and he saw nov
that his first impression had been a
fault; she was not overdressed. Alst
he saw that she was piquantly pretty
I bravura type, slightly suggesting tn,
e Rialto at it's best, perhaps, but equal.
t suggestive of sophistication, travel AM
] a serene disregard of chaperonage.
| The young woman's companion wa
t undeniably her father. Gray, heavy
= browed, and with face that was
life-mask of crude strength and ell
J. mental shrewdness, the man had b.
l. queathed no single feature to the aler
!. ly beautiful daughter; yet the reseH
o blance was unmistakable. Griswol
l. did not listen designedly, but he coul
s not help overhearing much Of the tai
y at the other end of the table. Frol
9 1t he gathered that the young woma
b was lately returned from some Flor
/ da winter resort; that her father hs
r met her by appointment in st. Louis
o and that the two were going on t
q gether; perhaps to Wahaska, sine
n that was the place name oftenest c
$ the lips of the daughter.
1t was at this point that the apex I
t, Philistine contentment was passed ar
B. the reaction set In. He had bee
e spending strength and vitality rec
Il lessly and the accounting was at han
y The descent began when he took hill
ID self sharply to task for the high-pric'
e, supper. What right had he to ord
b. costly food that he could not eat whC
r. the price of this single meal wou
T. feed a family for week?
J? After that, nothing that the obseqI
Gus and attentive waiter could bril-
ID proved tempting enough to recall Il
N vanished appetite. Never havil
sr known what 1t was to be sick, CIR
void disregarded the warning, dral
le a cup Of strong coffee and went out
rs the lobby to get a cigar, leaving b
~ table companions in the midst Of the
e. meal. To his surprise and chagrin Il
at carefully selected 'perfecto" made hi
at dizzy and faint, bringing a disquietil
lg recurrence Of the vertigo which hi
s, seized him while he was searching +
Id his negro treasure-bearer on the leVe
s. in this manner. It's particles adhs