Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-08-24
The Gift
Supreme
BY
George Allan England
Author Of
/ Darkness and Dawn"
"The Alibi," etc.

What rotten shame!" calculated
Bradford hotly. Then, as under
standing dawned: You don't sup
pose the governor
do your"
don't know, Sylvia. Il doesn't
seem possible that he'd stoop to per-
scouting woman; but he could
have had you fired easily enough, If
he'd wanted to. Those people do lots
of business with him. BY Jove, Syl-
via, If I thought
Never mind, Bradford" she tried
to calm. him. smiling. Its only one
more little obstacle to face. I'll find
something else to do. I've still got
my. other jobs, anyhow. I'm not
afraid. tho If anything should hap
pen to throw me out of my
other work.
Bradford stood up, paced the little
room FOR a moment or two, and then
returned to her. He sat down beside
her on the worn sofa, tok her hand
in his. and earnestly studied her
face.
Don't worry, little GIRL said he.
Everything will come out all right
In tho end. If can't make a go of
the newspaper game, I'll tackle
something else. There's always work
somewhere for a man who's willing
ITO work lat least I've heard that
said q great many times. Well pull
thru somehow"
$50 long as we stay pa1tners!" she
answered with a smile.
IS Which means forever!" he
whispered. drawing her head down
on his shoulder and kissing the
tawny-golden masses Of her, hair.
One week later, on. a drizzly April
morning. the old shipmaster went to
sec his son. He went partly because
Of Martha Vinton's expressed deter
minat1on to seek out the young man,
herself, IL Eliot refused--a continr
genoy which the old gentleman very
greatly feared-and partly because
he hoped some compromise might
still be effected and sonle result at
tained without pushing Bradford to
the very brink. Tho he by no means
shared Ma:tha's fears that their son
might be III, starving, perhaps dying.
he had been so worn down by her
opportunities and his own longings
that he had decided to humble his
pride to tho extent OF once more in
terviewing Bradford And 80. half
ASHAMED Of his weakness, on the
morning Of the tenth day after his
son had left home, he climbed Into
his -limousino with the curt order to
the chauffeur.
appleton streetl"s
He knew where and when to md
Bradford. Stage had told him that
much at least, even tho he had as
vet made no report on Sylvia.
81 Tho shipmaster felt IAN odd con-.
traction at HIS heart as the car
swung into Appleton street and stop
ped Looking askance at the shah
,by-genteel row OF red brick houses
that confronted him as he got out,
he stood there staring for q moment
in the rain: then he perceived the
number he wanted, mounted the
long, cracked stanstorle steps. and
rang the Jangling bell.
'"To think" he muttered, that 1t
should have come to this! To think
that T., Elliot Chandler .vinton, should
he seeking my son La this environ
ment!"
"a slattern In . dirty kimona ad-
mitted him and pointed his way up
staircase reminiscent Of departed
onions.
third door back" she informed
him, amazed at the presence Of the
Limousine before the house and the
appearances Of "a silk hat in her hall
way; then she vanished into lower
regions.
Eliot climbed the dark stairs and
presently reached a door. behind
which he heard, with some emotion,
the click -click-click Of a typewriter,
hard at work He raped with gloved
knuclles. The machine ceased clat-
tering. A key turned. The doc.
swung inward, and the two Vintons
came face<to face; the father i'm
maculate, the son in shirt sleeves,
with tousled hair and pipe in his
mouth
"Good morning, Bradford, !" said the
shipnaster, trying to make his tone
matter fact, tho really it trem
bled just little. With a yea-ning
eagerness OF which he felt ashamed,
he looked on his son, noting the un-
mistakablet signs Of change visible
in the young mans face. He prof.
fered his hand, which Bradford did
not appear to see. Pardon my in
trusion. but If yotl are not too busy,
should appreciate brief converse
sion with you. You can spare few
minutes for your father, can you
not?'
Yes, si-," answered Bradford, I'M
moved; Come ill!" His eyes grew
hard as he tried to fathom the 9TH
er'B purpose. II didn't expect YOU
governor" he sdded; but since
you've. come, I'm glad 70 see you.
What can I do Tor your
Eliot's mouth frightened, but for
the moment he made no answer as
he he walked into the room. He stood
peering about him at the tumbled
bed. the dingy wallpaper, the
chromos and flowery, QUITO date cal
endars on the waals, the shoddy fur
-niture pretending, to, be what it was
not. the cheap curtains at the rain
wet windows that overlooked an alley
sid contrast with the Marlborough
street home!
He observed the shaky-legged pine
table that held his sons typewriter,
and the litter Of papers on the floor
scornfully observed all this, yet with
a certain relief. For there was here
no hint or sign Of the feminine; no
hairpin on the bureau, no tag end Of
lace or ribbon trailing from the bu-
-eau drawer, no evidence of the kind