Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-09-07

Il know. I've been TO pol1Ilcal meet
ms. The widows and orphans are al
ways hangin' ON the success of the
party, whichever way you vote. The
amount of tears shed over their invest
ments by fellers you wouldn't trust
with a brass five cent piece is some
thin amazin'. Go on; l didn't meal
to interrupt"
"Then he switched to a more per-
sonal appeal. He said he had taken a
fancy to me-had liked me- from the
very beginning. He recognized my I'M
usual genius at first sight and had
gone as far as to make plans bearing
directly on my future. He was associ-
ated with men of wealth and business
sagacity. Large deals, of which the
trolley combine was but me-, were on
foot. He and his friends needed a rep
resentative on the press-a publicity
agent, so to speak. Some of the great
est corporations employed men of that
kind, and the salaries paid were large
and the opportunities afforded greater
still. Well, that's true enough. l know
writer's who are doing just that thing
and getting rich at it. | suppose they've
squared their consciences somehow
and are willing to write lies and mis-
leading articles for what there is in 1t.
l can't, that's all; I'm not built that
way, and told him SO.
sit ended in an open break. He re-
minded me of the favors he had done
me. He had treated me almost like a
son, had introduced me to his family,
entertained ne at his table. Where
was my gratitude? That was another
bad break on his part, for it made me
mad. l told him l had not asked to be
adopted or fed by him; If l had sup
posed his kindness had an Interior mo-
tive | would have seen him at the
devil before l accept a favor. My ca
reer as a financial visitor vas ended.
Get out of his office! l got. But the
trolley combine did not go through.
The Planet and the other papers kept
I'D the fight. and-and the widows and
orphans are bankrupt, l presume
Captain Elisha's pipe had gone out
long since. He absently rubbed the
warm bowl between his palms.
"Humph!' he muttered. 80 Bile
was deep in that business, was heP"
HE was. Very deep indeed, l found
out afterward. And l declare l almost
pitied him at the time. He acted as If
his whole fortune was staked on the
gamble. His hands shook and the per-
spiration stood on his forehead as he
talked. | felt as if | had been the
means of running him. But of course l
hadn't. He lived for some time after
that and, 1 understand, died a rich
man."
Eyes. He left what I'd call a heap of
money. My nephew and niece don't
seem to think so, but l do"
$50 you see, captain, why | stopped
calling on the Warrens and why | did
not accept Miss Warren's invitation"
81 see-I see. And yet l don't know.
Bile may have took you in for bust
ness reasons, but the children didn't.
-sfhgy> d+~d yuu for y0aFseH Gasoline
as much as said so. And their father
never told EN- a word about the row,
neither. OF curse you couldn't have
called when he was alive, but he's
gone, and T'm-well, I'm sort of tenn
porary skipper there now. And l want
you to come"
The string of japanese gongs hung
in the lower hall sounded generously.
Captain Elisha reached for his coat
and hat, but Pearson caught his arm.
mo, you don't" he declared. You're
going to stay and have lunch with me
here. If you say no l shall believe it
is because you are afraid of a board
ing house meal"
His guest protested, but the protests
were overruled, and he and his host
went down to the dining room The
captain whispered as they entered:
Land sakes, Jim, this takes me back
home. It's pretty nigh a twin to the
dinin' room at the Center House in
South Denboro."
Pearson called. He appeared at the
apartment a week after the luncheon
at the boarding house and was wei.
coined by Captain Elisha, who, hear.
ing his voice, strobe into the hall,
sent the shocked Edwards to the right
2DOuI Ill d hurry, SelAcu LIS lIlShuo
hand and ushered him into the library.
Pearson said nothing concerning his
change of mind, the course of reason
ing which led him to make the visit,
and the captain asked no questions.
They spent a pleasant afternoon to-
gether. Caroline was out, and they
had the library to themselves. The
newest chapters of the novel were read
and discussed, and the salty flavor of
the talk was as pronounced as ever.
Pearson left early, but promised to
come again very O
When Caroline returned her uncle
told her of his visitor. She seemed I'M
%feignedly pleased, but regretted that
she had not been there. HE was such
a friend of father's," she said, that
seeing him here would be almost like
the old days. And so many of those
ubopo ua fbo,1Ubt vvara bic Friends onJ