Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1916-02-24
CHAPTER xxIl-contInued.

The Federated Iron Workers.
suppose"
Not in a thousand years. They
are only the means TO an end" The
fitting chair ~squeaked again. and he
went on: If I'm going to show you
how you can dodge this fight. I'll have
to knock down a door or two first.
II ! biunder in where I'm not wanted,
you can kick me out. There is one
way In which you can cure all this
trouble sickness without resCrtinG to
surgery and blood.letting."
Name it," said Raymer eagerly.
Il will; but first I'll have to break
over into the personalities. Have you
made up your mind that you are going
to marry Margery Grierson?'
Raymer laughed silently, leaning his
head back on the cushion of the lazy.
chair until his cigar stood upright.
That's a nice way to bif a man in
the dark" he chuckled. But If you're
in earnest I'll tell you the straighttor.
ward truth: l don't know"
You mean that Margery Grierson
doesn't measure up to the require.
ments of the Wahaskan Four Hun
dred?" There was satirical scorn in
the observation. but Raymer did not
perceive It.
oh. don't know as you would put
II quite that badly" he protested.
But you see. when It comes to mar
rying and settling down and raising a
family. you have to look at all sides Of
the thing. The father. as We all know.
mother nobody knows anything about
save that happily. in all probability
she isn't living. And there you are.
Yet / won't deny that there are times
when I'm tempted to shut my eyes
and take the high dive. anyway-at
the risk of splashing a lot Of good
people who would doubtless be prop
erly scandalized."
~ this time Girls void was gripping
the arms Of his chair savagely and
otherwise trying to hold himself
down: but this Raymer could not
knew.
You have reason to believe that It
rests wholly with you. suppose?"
came from the fitting chair after a
little pause. "M!Es Grierson is only
waiting for you to speak?"
That's a horrible question to ask a
man. Kenneth-even In the dark. II
! say yes to 1t. It can't sound any other
way than boastful and-and caddish.
Yet ! honestly believe that Oh.
hang It all! can't you see how impos.
s!ble you're making 1t. old man."
Not impossible; only a trifie diff
cult" was the qualifying rejoinder. 1T
Is easier from this on. That Is the
peaceful way out Of the shop trouble
for you. Raymer. When you can go TO
Jasper Grierson and tell him you are
going to marry his daughter. the trou.
Bile will be az good as cured. This
labor trouble that Is threaten.
ing to smash you is Jasper Grierson's
reply to the move you made when
you let me in and choked him of. He
is reaching for you"
Raymer held his peace and the at
mosphere of the room grew pungent
with tobacco smoke.
I'm feeling a good bit like a yellow
dog. Kenneth" he said. at length
After what I've admitted and what
you've said. I'm left in the position Of
the poor devil who would be damned
" he did and be damned II he didn't.
You have succeeded In fixing 1t so that
] can't ask Margery Grierson to be my
wife, however much Id like to-"
THAT isn't the point" insisted Girls
void half savagely. How you may
feel about it. or what your people may
say. is purely secondary. The thing to
be considered is. what will happen to
Miss Grierson?"
why. see here. old man; IL you
were Madge's brother. you couldn't be
putting the screws on any harder!
What's got into you tonight?'
Griswold was inexorable.
Miss Grierson hasn't any brother.