Mexico Missouri message., 1917-06-28
CHAPTER |.
Bank Cashier and Society Man.

Bank Cashier and Society Man.
1t was ten minutes of eight when ].
Montague Smith had driven his run
about to its garage and was Fastening
across to his suite Of bachelor apart
ments in the Kincaid terrace. There
was reason for the haste. It was his
regular evening for calling upon Miss
Verda Richlander, and time pressed.
The provincial beatitudes had chosen
q fit subject for their Illustration in
the young cashier of the Lawrence
Vile Bank and Trust. From his earliest
recollections Montague Smith had lived
the life of the well-behaved and the
conventional. He had his niche in the
Lawrencevllle social structure, and an
other in the small-city business world,
and he filled both to his own satisfac-
ton and to the admiration of all and
sundry. Ambitions, other than to take
promotions In the bank as they came to
him, and, eventually, to make money
enough to satisfy the demands which
Josiah HIGHLANDER might make upon q
prospective son-in-law, had never trou-
bled him. An extremely well-balanced
young man his fellow townsmen called
him, one Of whom It might safely be
predicted that he would go straightfor-
wardly on his way to reputable middle
life and old age; moderate in all things,
impulsive in none.
Even In the affair with Miss Rich
lander sound common sense and sober
second thought had been made to
stand in the room Of supersentiment.
Smith did not know what ID was to be
violently in love; though he was a
charter member of the Lawrenceville
Athletic club and took certain pride
In keeping himself physically At and up
to the mark, 1t was not his habit to be
violent In anything. Lawrenceville
expected its young men and young
women to marry and settle down."
and ]. Montague Smith, figuring in
modest way as a leader In the Law
renceville youngest set, was far too
conservative to break with the tradi-
ton, even If he had wished to. Miss
HIGHLANDER was desirable in many re-
spects. Her fathers ample fortune had
not come early enough or rapidly
enough to spoil her. In moments when
his feeling for her achieved its near
est approach to sentiment the conser-
vative young man perceived what q
graciously respondent figure she would
make as the mistress of her own house
and the hostess at her own table.
Smith snapped the switch of the cleo
tries and began to lay out his evening
clothes, methodically but with a GER
tain air Of calm elaboration, inserting
the buttons In the waistcoat, choosing
hose Of the proper thlnness, rummag-
ing virgin tie out Of its box in the
top dressing-case drawer.
1t was In the search for the tie that
ne turned up mute reminder OF his
nearest approach to any edge Of the
real chasm Of sentiment: a small glove,
somewhat soiled and use-worn, with a
toy rip In one Of the fingers. It had
Been full year since he had seen the
glove or its owner, whom he had met
only once, and that entirely by chance.
The girl was visitor from the West,
the daughter of a ranchman, he had
understood; and she had been stopping
over with friends In neighboring
town. Smith had driven over one eve
ming in his runabout to make call
upon the daughters Of the house, and
had found a lawn party In progress,
with the western visitor as the guest
M honor.
AeQpnintance-such an acquaintance