Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-09-10
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Damn the convictions!" snapped
Griswold viciously. IF I've been CIV
ing you the impression that I'm an i'm
practicable theorist, forget it. These
fellows want a fight; I say give them
a fight-all they want of it and lit
tie more for good measure"
Raymer did not reply at once. This
latest Griswold was puzzling him, and
with the puzzlement there went sor-
rowful regret; the regret that has
been the recanter's portion in all the
ages. When he spoke it was out OF
the heart Of common sense and san
ity.
"I know how you feel about it.
don't dare to pull down a fight which
may not only shut US up for an in
definite time but might even go faI
enough to smash u.s."
Griswold took his turn in silence,
rocking gently in the fitting chair
When the delayed rejoinder came, the
harshness had gone out Of his voice
but there was a cynical hardness to
take its place.
Its your affair; not mine," he said.
IF you've made up your mind not to
fight, of course, that settles it. Now
we can come down to. the. causes.
You've been stabbed in the back. Do
you know who's doing it,"
"The Federated Iron Workers, !
suppose"
Not in a thousand years! They
are only the means to an end" The
fitting chair squeaked again, and he
went on: IF I'm going to show you
how you can dodge this fight, I'll have
to knock down a door or two first. If
L blunder in where I'm not wanted,
you can kick me out. There Is one
way in which you can cure all this
trouble sickness without resorting to
surgery and blood-letting."
Name it," said Raymer eagerly.
II will; but first I'll have to break
over into the personalities. Have you
made up your mind that you are going
to marry Margery Grierson?"
Raymer laughed silently, leaning his
head back on the cushion Of the lazy
chair until his cigar stood upright.
That's a nice way to biff man in
the dark" he chuckled. But If you're
in earnest I'll tell you the straightfor-
ward truth: I don't know"
"You mean that Margery Grieson
doesn't measure up to the require
ments of the Wahaskan Four Hun
Gred?" There was satirical scorn in
the observation, but Raymer did not
perceive it.
"Oh, 1 don't know as you would put
it quite so badly" he protested. But
you see, when it comes to marrying
and settling down and raising fam
lily, you have to look at all sides Of the
thing. The father, as we all know, is
a cold -blooded old werewolf; the
mother nobody knows anything about
save that-happily, in all probability
she isn't living. And there you are.
Yet l won't deny that there are times
when I'm tempted to shut my eyes
and take the high dive, anyway-at
the risk of splashing a lot Of good
people who would doubtless be prop
erly scandalized."
Ey this time Griswold was gripping
the arms of his chair savagely and
other wise trying to hold himself down;
but this Raymer could not know.
You have reason to believe that 1t
rests wholly with you, 1 suppose"
came from the fitting chair after
little pause. Miss Grierson is only
waiting for you to speak?"
That's a horrible question to ask
man, Kenneth-even in the dark. If
1 say yes to it, it can't sound any 9TH
er way than boastful and-and cad
dish. Yet I honestly believe that Oh
hang it all! can't you see how impos-
sible you're making it, old mani"
Not impossible; only a trifle diff
cult" was the qualifying rejoinder. "1t
is easier from this on. That is the
peaceful way out Of the shop trouble
for you, Raymer. When you can go to
Jasper Grierson and tel him you are
going to marry his daughter, the trou-
BILE will be as good as cured. This la
Dor trouble that is threatening to
smash you is Jasper Grierson's reply
to the move you made when you lei
me in and choked him off. He is
reaching for you"
Raymer held his peace and the at
mosphere of the room grew pungent
with tobacco smoke.
I'm feeling good bit like yellow
dog, Kenneth" he said, at length
After what I've admitted and what
you've said, I'm left in the position OF
the poor devil who would be damned
if he did and be damned if he didn't
You have succeeded in fixing it so that
l can't ask Margery Grierson to be my
wife, however much I'd like to-"
THAT isn't the point" insisted Girls
wold half savagely. "How you may
feel about it, or what your people may
say, is purely secondary. The thing t.
be considered is, what will happen tc
Miss Grierson?"
why, see here, old man; If yor
were Madge's brother, you couldn't bt
putting the screws on any harder
What's got into you tonight"
Griswold was ineXorable.
Miss Grierson hasn't any brother
and she might as well not have an!
father-better perhaps. AS God hears
me. Raymer. I'm going to see to i
that she gets a square deal"
by George! I believe you are IL
love with her, yourself!"
II am," was the cool reply.
well of all the Say, Griswold
you're a three cornered puzzle to mt
vet. | don't know what the othel
three-fourths of the town is saying
but my fourth of it has it put up tina
/ you've everlastingly cooked my goose
at Doctor Bertie's: that you and Char
lotte are just about as good as engag
ed. Perhaps you'll tell me that it ism
true"