The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1915-09-18
Hrkey-tnnden

and he found himself under the hail
lantern formally shaking hands with
the statuesque young woman OF the
many imaginings-
You are very welcome TO Home
Nook. Mr. Griswold; we have been
hearing about you for many weeks
she was saying when he had relin-
pushed the firm hand and was hang
ing his coat and hat on the hall rack
And then. with 2 half-embarrassed
laugh: Il am afraid We are dreadful
gOssips; all Wahaska has been talking
about you. you know. and wondering
how it came to acquire YOU"
1T hasn't acquired anything very
valuable" was the guests modest dis
claimer. its readiness arising out OF a
grateful easing of strains ncE that the
actual face-to-face ordeal had safely
passed its Introductory stage. And
you mustn't say word against your
charming little city. Miss Farnham."
he went on at is the friendliest. moss
hospitable-"
The doctors daughter was interrupt
ing with an enthusiastic show OF ap-
plause-
Come out to dinner, both of you"
she urged; and then to Griswold: 81
want you to say all those nice things
to Aunt Fanny"
In the progress to the coy. home
like dining-room Griswold found the
contrast between the Farnham home
| and the ornate mansion three streets
away on the lake front strikingly ap-
parent; as Clearly marked as that be
tween Margery Grierson and the
sweetly serene and conventional young
person who was introducing him to
her aunt across the small oval dining
! table.
So far, all was going well But a
/ little later, in the midst of a half
uttered direction to the serving maid.
/ Miss Farnham stopped abruptly. and
| GriswOld could feel her gaze. wide
eyed and half-terrified. seemingly fixed
upon him
It was all over in the turning of q
leaf; there had been no break in the
/ doctors genial raillery. and the breath
! less little pause at the other end of the
| table was only momentary- When the
dinner was over the doctor. in the act
I of filling two iong-stemmed pipes for
/ his guest and himself, was called away
professionally. Miss Gilman. least OBJ
! trusive of chaperons, had been peace
/ fully mapping for a good half-hour in
! her low rocker under the reading lamp,
and the pictures in a thick quarto OF
| Gulf Coast views had pleasantly filled
1 the interval for the two who were
/ awake, when GriswOld finally assured
himself that the danger OF recognition
was a danger past AS a mental an
/ alyst he knew that the opening Of
each fresh door in the house of pres
ent familiarity was automatically clos
! ing other doors opening upon the past;
and it came to him with little flush
| of the seer;s exaltation that once
again his prehgurings were finding
| their exact fuIiIlment- In spirit
! of artistic daring he yielded to a sud-
! den impulse, as one crossing the film
siest of bridges may run and leap to
prove that his theory of safety
stresses is a sufficient guaranty Of his
| own immunity.
You were speaking of first impress
sions of places" he said, while they
| were still turning the leaves Of the
| picture book Are you a believer in
| the absolute correctness Of first i'm
impressions?
81 don't know" was the thoughtful
reply: but its afterword was more def
mite: AS to places. I'm not sure that
the first impression always persists;
in a few instances I am quite certain
it hasn't. I didn't like the Gulf coast
at all. at first; if seemed so foreign
and different and unhomelike- As to
persons. however
She paused, and Griswold entered
the breach hardly.
Il know" he affirmed There have
been times when, with every reason
able fiber in you urging you to believe
the evil, a still stronger impulse has
made you believe in the good"
How can you know that?" she
asked: and again he saw in the eG
pressive eyes the flying signals of in
determinate perplexity and aPprehen
sion
Resolutely he pressed the hazardous
experiment to its logical conclusion
Once for all. he must know if this
young woman with the sympathetic
voice and the goddesslike pose could
even under suggestion, be led to link
up the past with the present
1T is my trade to know" he said
quietly, closing the book of views and
laying it aside There have been mo
ments in your life when you would
have given much to be able to decide
a question of duty or expediency en-
tireIy irrespective of your impressions
Isn't that 500"
For one fitting instant he thought
he had gone too far In the hardy de
termination to win all or lose all, hs
had been holding her eyes steadily, as
| the sure mirror in which he should
be able to read his sentence, OF &C
ouittaI OF condemnation This time
there was no mistaking the sudden
widening Of the pupils to betray the
equally sudden awakening Of Eomanly
terror
Don't be afraid" he began. and he
had come thus far on the road to opeI
confession when he saw that she wa