The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1915-10-07

haven't taken your hands on Of Mr..
throat by three o'clock this
afternoon, the envelope will be
opened"
Jasper Grierson's teeth met in the
marrow of the fat cigar. Equally with
out heat and without restraint, he
stripped her Of all that was womanly,
pouring out upon her a flood of foul
epithets and vile names garnished
with bitter, brutal oaths. She shrank
from the crude and savage upbraid-
ings as IL the words had been hot irons
to touch the bare flesh, but at the end |
of it she was still facing him hardly. |
Calling me bad names doesn't |
change anything" she pointed out, and
her tone reflected something Of his
own elemental contempt for the eu-
phemisms. You have five hours In
which to make Mr.. Raymer under
stand that you have stopped trying to
smash him. Wouldn't it be better to
begin on that? You can curse me out
any time, you know"
Jasper Grierson's rage fit. or the
mud-volcano manifestation of 1t,
passed as suddenly as it had broken
out. Swinging heavily in his chair he
took up the papers again, reread them
thoughtfully, and then swung slowly
to face the situation.
Lets see what you want-show up
your hand"
"I have shown it. Take the prop of
your backing from behind this labor
trouble, and let Mr.. Raymer settle
with his men on basis of goodwill
and fair dealing"
"Is that all?"
"No. You must cancel this pine
land deal. You have broken bread
with Mr.. Galbraith as a friend and
I'm not going to let you be worse than
an Arab"
Grierson's shaggy brows met in a
reflective frown, and when he spoke
the bestial temper was rising again.
"When this is all over, and you've
gone to live with Raymer, I'll kill hin"
he said, with an outthrust of the hard
jaw; adding: you know me, Madge."
81 thought I did," was the swift re-
tort. But 1t was a mistake. And as
for taking it out on Mr.. Raymer, you d
better wait until go to live with him.
as you put it. Besides, this isn't Yellow
Dog gulch. They hang people here
"You little she-devil! If you push
me into this thing, you'd better get
Raymer, or somebody, to take you In
You'll be out in the street,"
Il have thought Of that, too" she
said, coolly; about quitting you. I'm
sick of it all-the getting and the
spending and the crookedness. Ia
put the money-yours and mine-1n 9
pile and set fire to it, If some decent
man would give me a calico dress anc
chance to cook for two"
"Raymer, for instance?" the father
cut in, in heavy mockery.
, "Mr. Raymer has asked me to mar
ry him, if you care to know" she
struck back.
, "Oho! So that's the milk in the
. cocoanut, is it? You sold me out tt
. buy in with him!"
you may put it that way, if yo'
like; don't care" She was drawing
on her driving gloves methodicall!
and working the fingers into place
! and there were sullen fires in tn
brooding eyes
"I've been thinking it was the othe
one-the book writer" said the father
v Then, without warming Hes
I damned crook"
) The daughter went on smoothin
i the wrinkles out of the fingers of he
u gloves. What makes you think so?
she inquired, with indifference, real @
d skillfully assumed.
u He's got too much money to b
straight. I've been keeping cases o
ID him"
Ie Never mind Mr.. Griswold," she II
terposed. "He is my friend, and
T. suppose that is enough to make yo
- hate him. About this other matter
y. ten minutes before three o'clock tn
ID afternoon l shall go back to Mr.. Ra
% lll6E. IL H0 LSllS llO llieII hAo CAOOOH'
at are Strengthening themselves out, l
n, get the papers"
er You'll bring 'em here to me?"
Some day; after I'm sure that "
1T have broken off the deal with Mr.. Gt
braith."
Jasper Grierson let his daughter 6
as far as the door before he stopp'
her with a blunt-pointed arrow of co
tempt.
as Il suppose you've fixed it up
Ip- marry that college-sharp dub so tn
sr- his mother and sister can rub 1t in
he you right?" he sneered.
tie "You can suppose again." she !
en- turned, shortly. "If I should mar
him, it would be out of pure spite
ok those women. Because, when
lie. asked me, told him No. You werel
ed counting on that, were you?" A
en- having fired this final shot of cont
eft diction she departed.
After Miss Grierson had driV
he home from the bank between
wn and eleven in the morning, an adm
Ter ing public saw her no more until j.
:" before bank-closing hOurs in the aft
led noon. AS she passed in the basil
off phaeton between half-past two a
he three through the overcrossing subj
he there were signs Of an armistice
SIX, parent, even before the battlefield "
lei reached. Pottery Flat was populat
the again, and the groups of men bunch
ore on the street corners arguing pea
hic fully. Miss Grierson pulled up at {
ire Of the corners and beckoned to
ead young iron-molder.
lit Anything new, Malcolm"
pa asked.
hat "You bet your sweet life!" said