The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-10-18

Continued From Yesterday
They gave up trying 20 be festive.
they began TO talk naturally. as they
did az their shops and homes.
The men and women divided. as
they had been tending to do all
evening. Carol was deserted by
the men. left to a group Of matrons
49, steadily battered Of children.
sickness. and cooks-thcir own shop
talk. She was piaued- She rcmem-
bered visions OF herself as a smart
married woman In a drawing room.
fencing with clever men. Her de-
lection was relieved by speculation
as 10 what the men were discussing.
IN the corner between the piano and
the photograph. Did they rise from
these housewifciy personalities 10 a
larger world Of distractions and al.
fairsr
she made her best curtsy TO Mrs.
Dawson: she twittcred. Il won't have
my husband leaving me NO soon, I'm
going over and pun the wretch's
ears" She rose with ieune file
bow. she was self absorbed and
tanned that quality Of scntimentLity.
She proudly dipped across the room
and. TO the interest and commcnda-
ton OF all beholders. sat on the arm
OF kennicott's chair
He was gossiplnx with sam Clark.
Luke Dawson. jackson Elder OF the
G1nniny min. Chef Dashaway. Dave
Byvf Harry Haydock. and Ezra
.Ssowbody. president OF the tonic
bank.
Ezra Stowbody was a trogiodyte.
He had come TO Gopher Prairie in
1855. He was a distinguished bird OF
prcy--swooplng thin nose. turtle
mouth. thick brows. portwine
checks. floss OF white hair. contcmp-
tuous eyes. He was not happy in
the social changes Of 30 years. Three
decades ago. 'Dr. westiake. julius
Fiickerbaugh the lawyer. Merriman
Pccdy the Congregational pastor and
himself had been the arbi,ers- That
WAS as IL should be. the fine arts
y medicine. law. religion. and finance
recognized as aristocratic: four
Yankees democraticaily chatting
with but ruling the Ohioans. and IL
uni and swcdes and Germans who
had ventured to follow them but
Wcstlake was old. almost retired.
julius Fiickcrhaugh had lost TOO
much cf practice TO livelier afsor-
neys; Reverend mot The Reverend
Peedy was dead: and nobody was I'm
pressed In this rotten age Of auto
mobiles by the spanking grays-
which Ezra still drove. The town
.1mas heterogeneous as Chicago.
Eorwegians and Germans owned
stoFaeL The social leaders were com
mon merchants. seIitpg nails was
cunsidered ~ sacred a. banking.
These upstxrss--ths Ciarks. the
Haydocks-had no dignity, They
were sound and conservative In poll
tics. but they talked about motor
carr and pump-guns and heaven
only knew what new-fangied fads.
Mr.. Stowbody felt out Of place win
them But his brick house with the
mansard roof was stili the largest
residence In town. and he held his
position as squire BY occasionally APP
pearing among the younger men and
reminding them by a wintry eye
that without tho banker none Of
them could carry on their vulgar
businesses.
As Carol dsfied decency by sitting
down with the men. Mr.. sfowbody
was piping to Mr.. Dawson. Say.
Luke. when vast higgins first set
tied In winnebago Township, Want
Il IN 1887
why no twa'n'tr' Mr.. Dawson
was indignant. He come out from
11mont In 1ss7--no. wait. in 1858.
Il must have been--and took a claim
On the Rum river. quite q ways
above Anoka-"
~He did notr' rosred Mr.. Stow
body. He settled first In Blue
Earth county. him and his father
fswhat's the point at issue7'' Car.
oil whispered TO Kennicott.
rsWhefher this old duck higgins
had an English setter or Liewei.
, Iyn. They've been arguing 1t all
eveningrD
Dave Dyer Interrupted to give It'd
ings. ID tell you that Clara higgins