The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1922-11-01
~THE FRAUD
OF MEN"
llilllIllIIllIIIIIIilllilIlIIlIllIllllIIIIlllI
Cepynsht, 1922, By the Macmillan Co.
TT WAS in the reception room of
WILLIAM ALLEN WHITE

Il where the two young men had
met by chance that evening There
was a stuffy profusion of leather fur
niture In the room that gave 1t q
heavy cast. Men were talking in
knots Of two or three, apparently
on business. and when an outsider
: entered a group. conversation was dis
tinctly and painfully suspended, or
Jagged in cold formalities until ne had
drifted away. The men there were
clearly business men, and were there
by business appointment, and the elc.
ment of sociability was manifested
only in the click of the billiard balls
that echoed In from some invisible
rear room. where the younger men,
too tired to 90 TO the theatef. or to
the evening sathering with their wives
or sweethearts, were walking I'M
counted miles after the ivory balls.
1t was brisk autumn evening. and
the clock on the man;cl was striking
eight when two young men pulled
their fat chairs to the window. where
they could see the thcutcr-G0crs htr-
ryirg BY under th2 are ligit a..l where
they might not be Interrupted
"Wcll old man. what d'you th'nl,
of the East" asked the shorter OF the
two, IA very stubby little man with II
red face. red Inns and hristling
close-cropppG muStachc. His colHpun.
iUn was n rail man with skinny fca-
lures. square shoulders q head poised
too far back at times, but capable o.
bending, and he had habit OF picking
at his mustachc.
"Oh, d-n the East" said the tall
young man. "Jim, I'll tell you what's
Gods truth. they are the worst lot
Of Jays back there-abSolutciy the
worst that grow on earth. They don't
know any more about this country.
and what's in it, than Il satrHp Of
Persia When | told them about our
scheme. showed them the map of all
this land that is 10 be fOrccloscd. and
how the whole thing can be watcrCd
by central ditch, and all-you re-
member how il is out thpre--Onp old
rooster who hasn't been out of his
larnyard in all his life, he up and
said Yes. all very good. very good
indeed, hut Supp0sing there is an In
dian Outhreak-then where's all our
money for your improvements gomez
Say. jim, just fell right over dead.
! met old man Wilson thcre-say. hold
On here, what's ihiS | hearf There
zoe, Martin ana his Kids, taking them
to Ali Baba; see what you're coming
t.. So you finally got your nerve with
Won did you? Go-o-od,"
With this outburst the bubbles Of
the promoters enthusiasm subsidized.
Ills companion rcddcncd slightly ~
the raillcry and put one side Of his
under lip over his Stubby mustache in
an embarrassed silence that ended in
Il Smrk.
"Well, Harris" he responded adj
dressing the taller friend, you've
guessed it the first time, ] suppose.
But we must all settle down sooner or
later. and anyway a man don't find
that Kind of a girl every day in the
year" He paused moment and Ilar-
ris broke in:
"Oh, yes, if IL comes TO that.
suppose he must. | amt a-licklng
amy, am 1? Now, Jimmy, that's good !
hoy. come and tell OwneSt own all
about" He was interrupted in his |
mock coddling by one of the drifters |
who had been knocked from half Il |
dozen groups, and had floated around |
IN front Of the formidable chairs. He |
was pretty old man, who had been Il |
country banker in his day, and had |
come up and put new life into wob-
bling institution after local panic.
He cut in with: "Well. what are you !
kids gassing about? Hello, there, Har-
ris. did you make your irrigation I
scheme go?'
Harris looked up with annoyance |
sitten Enthusiastically on his face ms
ne said, hardly civilly, Yep" and |
lapsed into silence.
There was II pause, In which Jim |
addressed remark to Harris about |
the big crowd that was going TO the !
theater. A street car had just UNI
loaded mt the corner. The Kansas man |
Ntbh lnt ltlutlh uS S'lltldit anu It- /
piled:
"Say, amt they though; been that
way, too. every night this week"
"Lookie quick" exclaimed Harris I,
10 his companion. Moths side
there goes Cameron; who's that with
her? Got new 'mash'?"
"Why, you don't mean TO say that
Won haven't heard replied Jim. as
he shifted his position In his chair.
"Shes going to get married. too. All
the Old birds going home TO nest"
"Why, do you boys know Mrs.
Cameron" asked the banker with
some surprise. IL didn't know she was
IN your set"
"HOi Ho! And 50 you know the
widow, too? l.. No. 3S4 Of the Cameron
series, eh. jimmy" said Harris.
The woman, holding to rather
slender young fellow. perhaps thirty
five years old, dark ana serious, who