The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1915-10-09


basket phaetOn. made a stop in front
OF the Farmers and Merchants bank
Since it vas long past the closing
hours. the curtains were drawn in the
bank doors and street-facing windows
But there was a SIDE entrance and she
went straight to the door of the pri-
vate room, entering without warning.
Her father was not alone In the
chair at the desk-end sat man ford
OF face, hard-eyed and gross-bodied-
His hat was on the back of his head,
and clamped between his teeth under
the bristling mustaches he held one of
Jasper GTierson's fat black cigars. The
conference paused when the door
opened; but when Margery crossed
| the room and perched herself on the
! deep seat of the farthest window. it
went on in guarded tones at a silent
| signal from the banker to his visitor.
There was a trade journal lying in
! the window-seat. and Miss Grierson
took 1t up to become idly immersed in
a study OF the advertising pictures. II
she listened to the low-toned talk it
! was only mechanically, one would say.
Yet there was q quickening of the
| breath ROW and again, and a pressing
OF the white teeth upon the ripe lower
lip, as she turned the pages of the ad-
| Vertlsing supplement; these. though
| only detached sentences of the talk,
drlfted across to the window-seat:
You're fixed to put the entire re-
sponsibility for the ruction over on to
the other side of the house?" was one
OF the overheard sentences; it was her
fathers query. and she also heard the
answer Were goin' to put 'em in
bad, don't you forget it. There'H be
| some broken heads, most likely, and
! if they're ours, somebody'H pay for
EN-" A little farther along it was her
| father who said: You've got to quit
this running to me. Keep to your own
| side Of the fence Murray's got his
orders, and he'll pay the bills. If any
| thing breaks loose, | won't know you.
Get that?" I'm on" said the red
faced man; and shortly afterward he
took his leave
When the door had closed behind
the man who looked like a ward heeler
or walking delegate, and who had
| been both, and many other and more
| questionable things, by turns, Jasper
Grierson swung his huge chair 10 face
the window
"WeH?" he said. "how's GaIbraith
coming along?"
The smoIdering fires in the daugh-
ter's eyes leaped up at the provocation
lurking in the grim brutality; but they
were dying Down again when she put
the trade journal aside and said: 81
didn't come here to tell you about Mr.
Galbraith. l came to give you notice
that it is time to quit. When l asked
you to put Mr.. Raymer under cbliga-
lions to you, 1 said I'd tell you when
it was time to stop"
The president OF the Farmers and
Merchants tilted his chair to the
lounging angle and laughed; a slow
gurgIing laugh that spread from lip to
eye and thence abroad through his
great frame until he shook like a gro
tesque incarnation of the god of mirth.
ST am to turn around and help him
out of the hole. am 1? Oh, no; guess
not" he denied Its business now,
little girl, and the tea-fghts are barred
I'll give you a check for that span o
blacks you We're looking at, and well
call it square"
Does that mean that you intend tc
go on until you have smashed him?'
she asked quietly ignoring the puta
tive bride.
I'm going to put him out of bust
ness-him and that other fool friend Of
yours-if that's what you mean
Again the sudden lightning glowed
in Margery Grierson's eyes; again
there was struggle, short and sharp
between the leaping passions and the
indomitable will. Yet she could speal
softly.
What is the reason? Why do yor
hate these two so desperately" she
asked.
Jasper Grierson famed away the
nimbus of cigar smoke with which be
had surrounded himself and stared
gloomily at her through the rift.
who said anything about hating p
he derided That's q fool woman's
notion. This is business. and there
amt any such thing as hate in bust
ness
Ct hate it," she said coldly Their
she dragged the talk back to the chan
mel it was leaving. q ought to have
broken in sooner; / might have known
what you would do. You are respons
ible for this labor trouble they art
having over at the iron works. Dom
bother to deny it; 1 know That wa;
your 'heeler'-the man you had here
when I came You don't play fair will
many people; don't you think you'C
. better make an exception of me?"
Grierson was mouthing his cigal
again and the smoky nimbus va!
D thickening to its customary densit!
e when he said: You're nothing but /;
: spoiled baby, Madge. If you'd cry fol
4 the moon, you'd think you ought tt
D have it. I've said my say, and that's
i all there is to it. Trot along home ant
a tend to your tea parties; that's you
part of the game. l can play my hanC
aIone''
She. slipped out of the window-sea
q and crossed the room quickly to stant
r before him
4 I'll go when you have answered on
: question" she said, the suppresse'
n passions finding their way into he
| ,-o-oo seTsvo ocKod for broad an,