Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-11-18

always just right without being like q tAilor.s
dummy. She eagerly admired his air - 30
pleasant. so arniable, yet assured; beArif,g
himself toward the world with q smile. yet
with poise, and with that effect of alert, Wig
orous capability. He was a big man, NOV
ing at ease in big affairs! TX
She was by. no means above a certain
invidious pleasure which his compnhiohship
conferred upon her. For example. she wa
abundantly willing to let other Slow River
ladies. young and old, see her sitting beside
him in the long. shiny car. Here ana there
one Of these ladies had been inclined to look
down upon the shabby genteel Maldensl
she had a very sincere. warm hearted admi-
ration and regard for this rather splendid
visitor from Chicago
But Of late there had been d troublesome
Interrogation mark in the back OF her head.
She could account for Harwood on the
ground that he was coming up there. on
business: he, found her good company: he
was old enough to be her father; he liked
to visit and run around with her. But Of
,late-well, she seemed to feel q tempera.
ture above mere friendship; an ardor behind
this pleasant companionship. Wasshe pos
sibly going to be asked a, momentous ques.
ton? s
OF late there had been such an interroga.
ton point In the back Of her head. But this
offer OF the secretaryship seemed to erase
the question mark. He was proposing d
perfectly matter Of fact professional ,rela.
in a business way! She was u~nreservedly.
happy over that. She was to 10 to Chicago
q week from the following Monday.
Her last Saturday in SLOW River. Three
O'Clock in, the afternoon. Judge Liscofnb
returned to the office from this courthouse
where he had gone to look up a clients
: taxes-hoting' the time, as he came in, by a..
mQHAiVp. MD Ia fOahi0noh Si1r,ors 1i,ok olxE..) A,
3glased brown straw hat, whose age nobody
knew was pushed to the back OF his bald,
~perspiring head. alpaca. jacket dangled
from his lean shoulders, the left sleeve
empty-since Shiloh. His Grand Army but
tor. was III the lapel of the. Jacket. lie
seemed to Bess a kind Of beloved ghost
more than ever ghostly since the country
was full Of smooth checked veterans OF an.
ether war.
=" Proper hot" he confessed, as he replaced
the watchS and wiped his forehead witt. a
hand that had long done the work Of two.
His thin, parchment face. with a pendant
nose, wrinkted deeply in a smile which con.
fesgetsSthe joke OF Its being 30 hot In Sep
teriber. He retained some OF the smile as
he added with Acasual air: y 80 -
You'll be having, errands.. No. use your
staying here any longer Therell be moth
Ing, for You to do rAe stunp Of his. left
arm Hoped IN the empty sleeve. When he
was nervous the stump Topped that way.
His a ,spsee N. meant sadtd that her employment in
She knew well enough that Judge Liscomb
was no onger the leading lawyer of Slow
River, nor by any means the most prospet.
GUS. This office was old and shabby, But
1t had been a haven. The old man, with
his empty sleeve and Grand Army button,
loved her; she had a port Of call in his heart.
She wanted to catch him in her arms and
1I,n. him. nho' uypnfoa RI EaSs IihA ~ tJS,& i,se
lifelong, ptim Yankee decorum would have
been vastly disconeerted at either demon.
s~tration.
" OF course, I'll run around tomorrow to
say good.by." she assured him. +.
Yet this was the: real leave taking. Mon!
day the stout Harrington girl, who chewed
gum. would be his stenographer.! With d
bright ned and smile she went out-and
paused a moment in the dihgy hall to bite Q
corner Of her lip and wink her eyes rapidly.
When the door closed, on her bright nod
and smile the judge stared at. it a moment
very thoughtfuliy. Sort Of ,ghostly. for he
had reached that old age when q loved face
be seen again, It tuaged at his heart. Then,
with a vague smile uhdet his white mustAche,
he Eat down at his desk, took of his glazed
straw hat, and, began writing out a mehao.
randum OF the tax matter.
She had another good-by to say and was
presently approaching the squat brick basket
factory. The street which:tt fr6nted had been
faiied;sgfass and weeds grew IN the roadway;
s@lhe cement sidewalk was broken here and
there. grass sticking through the tracksss3.,
Nearing the factory she heard high. angry
words from within. Then q hatlsss, gangAng
old man came lying out Of the open door.
and reeled across the broken cement walk
K and feiiNsnrawitn1 In tho weeds beyondIAT.t.: