The Raymer enterprise., 1917-10-18
CHAPTER |.
Bank Cashier and Society Man.


1t was ten minutes OF eight when j.
Montague Smith had driven his run
about to Its garage and was Fastening
across to his suite Of bachelor apart
ments In the Kincnld terrace. There
was reason for the haste. Ii was his
regular evening for calling upon Miss
Verda Richlander, and time pressed.
The provincial beatitudes had chosen
fit subject for their Illustration In
the young cashier OF the Lawrence
vile Bank and Trust. From his earliest
recollectlons Montague Smith had lived
the life OF the well.behaved and the
conventional. He had his niche In tho
Lawrencevllle social structure, and an
other In the small-clty business world.
and he filled both TO his own satlsfac-
ton and TO the admiration Of oil and
sundry Ambitions, other than to take
p.omotions In the bank as they came to
him. and. eventually, 10 make money
enough to satisfy the demands which
Josiah Rlchlander might make upon a
prospective son-in-lnw, had never trou-
BLEED him. An extremely well-balanced
young man his fellow townsmen called
him, one of whom II might safely be
predicted that he would 60 stralghtfor-
wardly on his way to reputable middle
life and old age; moderate In all things,
lmpulslye 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 n
charter member OF the Lawrenceyllle
Athletic club and took q certain pride
In Keeping himself physically fit and up
TO the mark, It was not his habit to be
violent In anything. Lawrenceyllle
expected Its young men and young
women to marry and "settle down."
aud J. Montague Smith, figuring In a
modest way as a leader In the Law
reneeyllle youngest set. was far too
conservative to break with the tradl.
tlon, even II he had wished to. Miss
Richlander was desirable In many re-
spects. Her fathers ample fortune had
not come early enough or rapidly
enough 20 spoil her In moments when
his feeling for her achieved It's near
est approach to sentiment the conser-
yatlve young man perceived whnt
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 n GER
tnin air OF calm dcilberatlon. inserting
The buttons In the waisteoat. choosing
hose of the proper thluncss, rummag-
Ing virgin tie out Of its box in the
top dresslng-case drawer.
II was In the search for the tie that
he turned up u mute reminder Of his
nearest approach to any edge Of the
real chasm Of sentiment: small glove.
somewhat solled and use-worn, with a
tiny rip In one Of the fingers. II had
leen n full year since he had seen the
glove or Its owner, whom he had met
bnIy once, and that entirely by chance.
The girl was visitor from the West,
the daughter Of ranchman, he had
understood; and she had been stopping
over with friends n nelghboring
lown. Smith had driven over one eve
ning In his runabout to make a call
upon the daughters Of the house. and
had found a lawn party 10 progress
Nth the western visitor ~ the guest
II honor.
Arr-i..,trrc-such an acquaintance