The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1915-08-21

respectful aHdDlllIy.
"Glad to have you with US, Mr.. Girls
void. Would you like a room, or
suite?"
Neither; if I have time to get my
supper and catch train. Have you
railway guide?"
There is one in the writing room.
But possibly 1 can tell you what you
wish to know. Which way are you |
going?"
Without stopping to think of the |
critical happenings which had inter
vened since the forming Of the i'm
pulsive resolution fixing his destina-
ton, Griswold named the chosen field
for the hazard OF fresh fortunes, and
it's direction.
North; to a town in Minnesota
called Wahaska. Do you happen to
know the placer"
The clerk smiled and shook his
head.
Plenty of time, is there?" Griswold
asked.
ooh, yes. Your train leaves the ter
minal at eleven-thirty; but you can
get into the sleeper any time after
eight o'clock"
Seated at a well-appointed table in
the Chouteau cafe, Griswold had ample
time to overtake himself in the race
reconstructive, and for the moment the
point Of view became frankly Philis-
tine. The luxurious hotel, with its
air Of invincible responsibility; the
snowy napery, the cut glass. the
shaded lights, the deferentia1 service;
all these appealed irresistibly to the
epicurean in him. 1t was as if he had
come suddenly to his own again after
an undeserved season of deprivation,
and the effect of it was to push the
hardships and perils of the preceding
| weeks and months into a far-away
past.
| He ordered his supper deliberately,
and while he waited for it's serving,
imagination cleared the stage and set
| the scenes for the drama OF the future.
| That future, with all its opportunities
| for the realizing of ideals, was now
safely assured. He could go whittier
he pleased and do what seemed right
in his own eyes, and there was none
| to say him nay
| In this minor city of his hasty selec-
| ton he would find the environment
most favorable for a rewriting of his
book and for renewal of his studies.
Here, too, he might hope to become by
unostentatious degrees the benefcent
god-in-the-car of his worthier ambition.
raising the fallen, succoring the help
| less and fighting the battles of the
oppressed.
Further along, when she should have
quite forgotten the Belle jules deck
hand, he would meet Miss Farnham
on an equal social footing: and the
conclusion of the whole matter should
be triumphant demonstration to her
by their irrefutable logic of good deeds
and a life well-Iived that in his case,
at least, the end justified the means.
The train of reflective thought was
broken abruptly by the seating of two
other supper guests at his table; a
big-framed man in the grizzled fifties,
and young woman who looked as if
she might have stepped the moment
before out of the fitting rooms of the
most famous of Partisan dressmakers.
Griswold's supper was served, and
for time he made shift to ignore the
couple at the other end of the table
Then an overheard word, the name OF
the town which he had chosen as his
future abiding place. made him sud
denly observant.
} 1t was the young woman who had
named Wahaska, and he saw now
that his first impression had been al
. fault; she was not overdressed. Also
: he saw that she was piquantly pretty;
a bravura type, slightly suggesting the
Ria1to at its best, perhaps, but equally
suggestive of sophistication, travel and
! a serene disregard of chaperonage.
The young woman's companion wa:
undeniably her father. Gray, heavy
proved, and with a face that was
life-mask of crude strength and e1e
mental shrewdness, the man had be
: queathed no single feature to the alert
i Iy beautiful daughter; yet the resem
D blance was unmistakable. Griswoll
: did not listen designedly, but he coult
5 not help oYerhearing much of the tall
y at the other end of the table. From
E it he gathered that the young woman
was lately returned from some Flor
/ da winter resort; that her father hai
: met her by appointment in st. Louis
D and that the two were going on to
g gether; perhaps to Wahaska, sine
that was the place name oftenest OF
) the lips of the daughter.
1t was at this point that the apex O
e Philistine contentment was passed an
$ the reaction set in. He had bee
e spending strength and vitality reel
Ii lessly and the accounting was at hand
y The descent began when he took hin
q self sharply to task for the high-price
E. supper. What right had he to orde
Il costly food that he could not eat whe
7. the price Of this single meal Woul
T. feed a family for week?
!! After that, nothing that the obsequ
Gus and attentive waiter could brin
ID proved tempting enough to recall tn
n vanished appetite. Never havin
er known what It was to be sick, Gri
void disregarded the warning, dram
lie a cup OF strong coffee and went out
rs the l0hhV tn GET 2 cigar leaving hi