Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1925-09-02
CHAPTER /
No Mortgage


Tiably hesitated as he reached the
door which proclaimed on it's glass
panel, that beyond lay the office of
Leon BarrOws, attorney at law.
Rogers never had sought to divine
the reason; he simply felt the pa Use
20 be necessary, in the same sort of
manner in which one pauses before
opening the heavy door of a giant re-
frigeratOr. And perhaps there was a
similarity in the ideas; for the Office
of Leon Barrows was frigid-iust as
he was frigld-a great, bare room Of
olctureless walls.
In keeping with the room was the
attorney himself, white-faced, mar
Tow-eyed person whose long features
were heightened by the smoothness of
q three-inch bald streak which ran
straight back from his forehead.
such was the attorney who occu-
pied the big, uncomfortable chair at
Che orderly, thronelike desk, and be-
cause of whom Bart Rogers hesitated,
wen with his hand on the doorknob.
Yet, withal, he resented the uncon-
sclous revulsion, for. in spite of the
tcness Of the man, his thin-lipped
Enappiness, his general CLEANLINESS of
appearance and Of manner, Rogers
could look upon him as nothing if not
a bonefactor
u had been the money which had
come from his lean hands which had
filed fhe breach when Bart Rogers
had cod1e home to find his father suf-
fering from the slow death Of paraly-
sis 1t rFd been this money which
had helped rehabilitate the small tract
of irrigated iand three miles from Bel
.uine-land which represented the saw
ings and the toni and the faith of both
Bart and his father, which had b5ught
the seed to SOW, and carried them
both until the harvest osdld come in.
Now that harvest mad arrived, an1
Bart, with mis- FIRST check, had hurried
90 The office of Leon Barrows, to halt
aith his hand on the doorknob; then,
at last, to smile with the happiness of
an approaching freedom from debt,
and to go in. Leon Barrows looked
up swiftly from his voorhees, desk.
well, what is it9" He asked the
question as though he had been dis
urbed. Bart Rogers knew that he
had not. He went forward happily,
and reached for the pen and ink
"I want to indorse a check" he an
nounced.
"Go ahead The attorney watched
him narrowly. you've been out on
tne street?"
Yes"
"How's the election going?"
Tom Jordan's winning"
How do you know? The ques-
Zion came sharply. Rogers looked up.
Well I don't know-of my own
knowledge I'm just going on what
people are saying. They seem to think
Frnnistons beaten to a fragile"
The votes aren't counted yet No
chance for Jordan to win"
Then if you knew. why did you ask
meg There was an exasperating air
about Leon Barrows which always
stirred sleeping resentment "I'n
only telling you what l picked up
AN right, then. It's wrong"
Very well. Anyway. it won't take
Song to find out. The polls will be
closing in ten minutes. They ought
70 now pretty shortly after that who
Che mayor'n be-
Who'd you vote for7"
Jordan"
"Nh, you did, WhyT-
Tie evaporation returned.
TIA the first place, because / wanted
g. IN the second place. because l
oonr like Bull Franniston. Anyway.
t1at isn't what / came here to talk
about This check. Mr. Barrows, is
Tor YOU"
For whatT
Tor what?' Bart Rogers stared.
why. for part payment on that mort
gage"
he narrow eyes blinked quickly.
Leon Barrows came forward In HIS
big chair.
You've talking riddles. What mort
gage2'