The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1915-10-02

'Tt is wonderful-simply wonder
full" he said. drawing a deep breath:
and then, with flush of honest confu-
sion to drive away the work pallor:
''Of course, you know don't mean the
story; 1 meant your reading OF it.
Hasn't anyone ever told you that you
have the making Of a great actress in
you, Margery. girI?"
No"
She was smiling across at him,
ieye[eyed. Let me pass it back to
you, dear boy" she said. You have
the making of a great novelist in
you. 1t may take years and years,
and-and I'm afraid you'll always
have to be helped; but If you
can only get the right kind of
help. :" She looked away, out
across the lake where a fitful breeze
was turning the molten-metal dimples
into laughing waveIets. Then, with
one of her sudden topic-wrenchings
Speaking of help, reminds me. Why
didn't you tell me you had gone into
the foundry business with Edward
Raymer?"
Because it didn't occur to me that
you would care to know, 1 guess" he
answered unsuspectingly. "As mat
! ter of fact, I had almost forgotten it
myself
'Mr. Raymer didn't ask you for
help?"
No: it was my own offer"
But he did tell you that he was in
trouble?"
yves" hesitcntly.
What kind of trouble was it, Ken
meth? 1 have the best right in the
world to know"
Griswold Strengthened himself in his
chair and the Work-weariness became
thing of the past.
You can't have a right to know
anything that will distress you"
"Foolishi" she chided. You may as
well tell me. Mr. Raymer had Dor
rowed money at poppas bank What
was the matter? Did he have to pay
it back-alF at once?"
There seemed to be no further open
ing for evasion. YES; think that
was the way of it," he answered.
Griswold expected something in the
nature of an outburst. What he got
was transfxing glance of the pas
| sionate sort, quick with open-eyed ad-
miration.
And you just tossed your money in
| to the breach as if you had millions OF
it, and by now you've almost forgotten
that you did It'll" she exclaimed. Ken
meth, dear, there are times when you
are so heavenly good that I can hardly
| believe it. Are there any more men
| like you over on your side of the
World?"
At another time he might have
smiled at the boyish frankness of the
question. But it was a better motive
than the analysts that prompted lis
answer.
Plenty of them, Margery, girl; toe
many for the good of the race. You
mustn't try TO make a hero out OF me
Once in while get glimpse of the
real Kenneth Griswold-you are Civ
ing me one just now-and it's sicken
ing. For a moment I was meanly
jealous; jealous of Raymer. 1t was
only the writing part Of me, l hope
| but"
He stopped because she had sudden
ly turned her back on him and was
looking out over the lake again. WheI
she spoke, she said: "SeeI The breeze
is freshening out on the water. Yor
are tagged and tired and needing {
bracer. Let's go and do turn on the
lake in the Clytie''
From where he was sitting GriswolC
could see the trim little eatboat, re
| splendent in polished brass and ma
| hogany, riding at its buoy beyond the
lawn landing-stage. He cared little
for the water, but the invitation point
ed to delightful prolongation of the
basking process which had come to bt
one of the chief luxuries of the Mere
side afternoons.
At the landing stage Griswold made
himself useful, paying out the sea lin'
of the movable mooring buoy and haul
ing on the shore line until the hand