Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1915-09-16

l hSu NpIlpAtNS NOucSAtuo
ness returned. the dream impression
was still so sharply defined that he
was not surprised to find her stand
ing at his bedside.
Before he could frame any Of the
queries which came t~hronging to the
door of the returned consciousness
she smiled and shook her head and
forbade him.
Later in the day the doctor came;
and when the professional require
ments were satisfied. Griswold leaned
the bare facts of his succoring. II
was characteristic Of the Griswold OF
other days that the immense obliga.
ton. under which the Griersons had
placed him made him gasp and per
spire afresh.
Griswold looked long and earnestly
at the face OF his professional adviser,
1t was a good face. clearly lined. be-
nevolent, and, above all. trustworthy.
Tell me n thing more, doctor. II
you can. What was the motive? Was
it just heavenly good,heartedness?-
Or"
The doctors smile was the least
possible shade wintry.
when you have lived a few years
longer in this world of ours. you will
not probe too deeply into motives;
you will take the deed as the sufh.
cient exponent Of the prompting be-
hind it. II / say so much. you will
understand that / am not %impugning
Miss Grierson's motives. There are
times when she is the good angel Of
everybody in sight, Mr."
The pause after the courtesy title
was significant, and Griswold filled it
promptly. Acknowledgement Girls
void. Do you mean to say that you
haven't known my name, doctor?"
"We have not. We took the Good
Samaritan's privilege and ransacked
your belongings-Miss Margery and
thinking there might be relatives
or friends who should be notified"
And you found ~nothing?" queried
the sick man. a cold fear gripping at
his heart.
Nothing but clothing and your tot.
let tools, a pistol. and a typewriter
book manuscript bearing no sigma
ture."
Griswold turned his face away and
shut his eyes. Once more his stake
in the game OF life was gone.
There was another package of-of
papers in n of the grips" he said,
family; quite a large package
wrapped In brown paper"
I'VE found nothing but the manu-
script. Could anyone else make use
Of the papers you speak OFF,"
Griswold was too feeble to prevari-
cate successfully.
There was money in the package"
he said, leaving the physician to infer
what he pleased.
"Ah: then you were robbed. It's a
pity we didn't know 1t at the time. 1t
is pretty late to begin looking for
the thief now. I'm afraid"
Quite too late" said Griswold mo-
notonously.
1t was not until after the doctor had
gone that Griswold was able to face
the new misfortune with anything
like a sober measure of equanimity.
With or without money, he must re.
lieve the Griersons of their self.
assumed burden at the earliest pos
sible moment.
This was the thought with which he
sank into the first natural sleep OF
convalescence. But during the days
which followed. Margery was able to
modify it without dulling the keen
edge Of his obligation. What perfect
hospitality could do was done, with
out ostentation. with the exact de-
gree of s%pontaneity which made 1t ap-
pear as a service rendered to a kins-
man. 1t was one Of the gifts Of the
daughter OF men to be able to ignore
all the middle distances between an
introduction and a friendship; and by
the time Griswold was strong enough
to let the big. gentle Swede plant him
In a Morris chair in the sun-warmed
bay window, the friendship was a fact
accomplished.
DO you know. you're the most won
derful person / have ever known?" he
said to Margery, on the first Of tho
summing days when she had come to
perch in the window seat opposite his
chair. do you believe in destiny?"
She nodded brightly. Sometimes /
do; when 1t brings things GU the way
/ want them to come out"
1--WE often wondered" he went on
musingly. Think Of it-somewhere
back in the past you took the first
step in the path which was to lead
you to that late supper in the Chou
teau. Somewhere in my past / took
the first step in the crooked trail that
was to lead me there"
"Well?" she encouraged.
The paths c~rossed-and / am your
poor debtor" he finished. e" can
lever hope to repay you and your
father for what you have DONE"
"Oh, yes you can" she asserted
lightly. you can pass It along to the
man farther down. Forget 1t, and tell
me what you want to know about Wa
haska."
First, I'd like to know my Doctors
name"
THE idea!"t she exclaimed. Hasn't
there been anybody to introduce you?