The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1921-03-04
Part I-contInued.

On that day she had been Miss Imo-
gene Pamela Thornton, petted darling
OF the gods and Mr.. Brewster Thorn
ton, banker andswidower; two months
later had come Thorntons financial
smash and, Immediately afterward, his
spiritual moral and bodily collapse.
Everything that had made for life I'm
him having been swept away, he died
as a matter of course, and was buried.
For sole Inheritance, little Genie
Thornton found herself possessor and
possessed Of one Maggie O'Rourke,
nurse of long standing, of earnest and
faithful face, and monster heart Inn
prisoned In pitifully thin chest.
1t had taken Genie's great-uncle,
Asa Thornton, six more months to for
get a quarrel Of sixteen years stand
Ing with his nephew and by that time
child and nurse had been seeped into
that lower world which can't afford
morning and afternoon editions and Is
too busy praying for daily bread to
look for rain OF mamma in the daily
press,
In short, Maggie and her charge,
| traced down the ladder of reputable,
dlsreputable and impossible lodgings,
had slipped ultimately from sight and
the ken of people with addresses, and,
| as result. Mr., Robert Hervey Ran
dolph, whose relationship to Mr.. Asa
| Thornton Is Of no Import whatever to
this tale of cause and effect, came into
ten thousand a year and a string--the
string being the possible temperance
Of Miss Imogene Pamela.
Bob" had said old Asa, on the
verge Of tardy demise, "I'm not In
/ Producing you to war between con-
science and self-interest. There's no
silly story-book test about my money !;
you are under no obligation to look
for Imogene or to shout IL you step on
her by any twist of chance, My law
yers have all the Instructions neces-
sary along those lines; they are to
| make every reasonable effort, and II
| they succeed, why, you're man enough
to look out for yourself, Tit isn't
i going to make devil of lot of differ
ence to me where the cash goes so
long as die with--die with the
| credit
With that last sentence, his mind
had stumbled and wandered Off to
memories OF his nephew Brewster.
Looking back from the vantage of
twenty-six years, Randolph caught,
for the first time, the full import of
Asa Thornton's farewell words to him
and 70 life; 'Die with the credit"
They held the kernel OF the old mans
carefully measured amend.
Great old top~ murmured Mr..
Randolph aloud. and half unconscious
~ turned 10 the left at Forty-second
street Five minutes later he was
caught In the maelstrom OF the
Thanksgiving crowd milling around
Times square.
Presently he found himself on the
edge of human sea, banked up to
! give passage to honking empty taxi
cab, Here was another question for a
suddenly inquirlng mind. Where did
taxi-cabs, empty ones, go TO In such a
hurry? The door of this one was
swinging open. and the proof of how
intent the crowd was on Its myriad
Individual goals 70 evidenced by the
tact that a dozen voices did not il,.
form the driver that the season was
or for fans on wheels.
The cab was moving more slowly
than Mr., Randolph's subeonscious
mind. which led him to step into y and
quietly close the inviting door. Upon
! seating himself, he tried to analyze
, the impulse that had lifted him from
the curb. He decided that 1t was not
so much tine curiosity as to the desti
nation of empty cabs rs natural and
ancient dislike for being pushed an6
clbowed by people.
Ii was not long before the cab. un
Willingly loaded for bear, drew VI
with a final honk at the stage-door d
the Crocodile Immediately came
y rasping voice that was vaguely IA
= milIar to Mr.. Randolph.
SWELL" Il said. "you sure took you
own time getting here" The driver
! expert in aggrayating repartee with
!. ont words, pressed the bulb of hi
J, stroeious horn three times. ''Cut |
y vut " said the rasping voice. 'ATher
e ant any hurry now
y II was Incredible, reasoned Mr. Rar
!. slpR With himself. that anyone shout