Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1917-05-25
CHAPTER |.
Bank Cashier and sooIetv A

1t was ten minutes of eight when ].
Montague Smith had driven his run
about to It's garage and was fastening
across to his suite of bachelor apart
ments In the Kincaid terrace. There
was reason for the haste. 1t was his
regular evening for calling upon Miss
Verda Richlander, and time pressed.
The provincial beatitudes had chosen
a 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
Lawrenceville social structure, and an
other in the small-city business world,
and he filled both to his own satisfac-
tion 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 a
prospective son-ln-law. had never trou-
bled him. An extremely well-balanced
young man his fellow townsmen called
him, one of whom 1t 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 1t was to be
violently In love; though he was a
charter member Of the Lawrenceville
Athletic club and took a certain pride
in keeping himself physically fit and up
to the mark, 1t was not his habit to be
violent in anything. Lawrenceville
expected It's young men and young
women to marry and "settle down." I"
ana J. Montague Smith, figuring in a
modest way as q leader in the Law
renceville youngest set, was far too
conservative to break with the tradi-
ton, even II he had wished to. Miss
Richlander was desirable in many re-
spects. Her fathers ample fortune had
nOl NNAAN NdAAy NhbNSh VI IuDiuig
enough to spoil her. In moments when
his feeling for her achieved it's near.
est approach to sentiment the conser.
vative young man perceived what O
graciously resplendent figure she would
make as the mistress of her own house
and the hostess at her own table.
Smith snapped the switch of the elec
tries and began to lay out his evening
clothes, methodically but with a Ger
tain air of calm dellberation, inserting
the buttons in the walstcoat, choosing
hose of the proper thlnness, rummag
ing virgin tie out Of its box in tn,
top dressing-case drawer.
1t was In the search for the tie tha
he turned up mute reminder of hi
nearest approach to any edge Of tn
real chasm of sentiment: n small glove
somewhat soiled and use-worn, with
tiny rip in one of the fingers. It ha
been a full year since he had seen til
glove or its owner, whom he had me
only once, and that entirely by chance
The girl was q visitor from the Wes
the daughter of ranchman, he ha
understood and she had been stoppin
over with friends in a neighborin
town. Smith had driven over one ev,
ming in his runabout to make a ca
upon the daughters of the house. an
had found lawn party in progres
with the western visitor as the gues
of honor.
Acqualntance-such an ncquaintanC
as can be achieved in n short soci
hour--had followed. At all points Il
bewitching young woman from the wi
derness had proved to be mockir
critic Of the commonplace convention
and had been moved to pillory Il
same in the person of her momentai
entertainer. Some thrills this your
person from the wide horizons h,
stirred in him were his only excuse 4
stealing her glove. There remain,
now nothing of the clashing encOunt
Mt the lawn party save the soiled gloy
rather obscure memory Of face Z
piqunnt and attractive to be cheapen
by the word pretty" these and
thing she had said at the moment
parting: Eyes; | am going back hor
very soon don't like your SNUG mi
Ole West civilization. Mr. Smith
smothers me. | don't wonder that
breeds men who live and grow mp a
die without ever having n chance
find themselves"
Some day. perhaps, he would {
verda Rlchlander Of the sharp-tongu
little Western beauty. Verda-and
sensible people-would smile at I
iden that he, John Montague Smi
wus Of those who had not "four
themselves, or that the finding
which he had understood the WestC
young woman to mean something ra
cal and upsetting-could in any "