CHAPTER XXI.

FAIR ARGUMENTS.

As Mollett left the house he saw two men walking down the road away from the sweep before the hall door, and as he passed them he recognised one as the young gentleman of the house. He also saw that a horse followed behind them, on the grass by the roadside, not led by the hand, but following with the reins laid loose upon his neck. They took no notice of him or his car, but allowed him to pass as though he had no concern whatever with the destinies of either of them. They were Herbert and Owen Fitzgerald.

The reader will perhaps remember the way in which Owen left Desmond Court on the occasion of his last visit there. It cannot be said that what he had heard had in any way humbled him, nor indeed had it taught him to think that Clara Desmond looked at him altogether with indifference. Greatly as she had injured him, he could not bring himself to look upon her as the chief sinner. It was Lady Desmond who had done it all. It was she who had turned against him because of his poverty, who had sold her daughter to his rich cousin, and robbed him of the love which he had won for himself. Or perhaps not of the love--it might be that this was yet his; and if so, was it not possible that he might beat the countess at her own weapons? Thinking over this, he felt that it was necessary for him to do something, to take some step; and therefore he resolved to go boldly to his cousin, and tell him that he regarded Lady Clara Desmond as still his own. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. What did the man see as he left?
2. Where?
3. How many were there?
4. Did he recognize any of them?
5. As whom?
6. Did they see him?
7. Did they pay attention to him?
8. What were their names?
9. Did they obstruct his passage?
10. What was the name of the man who passed them?
11. Where had Owen departed from?
12. Did the events of his last visit, teach him humility?
13. Who did he blame for his injury?
14. Why had she turned on him?
15. What had she done with her female child?
16. What did he think he had stolen from him?
17. Did he feel he needed to take action?
18. To whom did he intend to talk?
19. What was he going to say to him?
20. What had followed the men as they left the house?
Answer: 1. men walking
2. down the road
3. two
4. yes
5. young gentleman
6. no
7. no
8. Herbert and Owen Fitzgerald
9. no
10. Mollett
11. the house
12. no
13. Lady Desmond
14. because of his poverty
15. sold her
16. love
17. yes
18. to his cousin
19. he regarded Lady Clara Desmond as still his own.
20. a horse

CHAPTER IV

THE WAY INTO PRINT

Sam Cotting's General Store at Millville divided importance with Bob West's hardware store but was a more popular loafing place for the sparse population of the tiny town. The post office was located in one corner and the telephone booth in another, and this latter institution was regarded with much awe by the simple natives. Once in awhile some one would telephone over to the Junction on some trivial business, but the long-distance call was never employed except by the "nabobs"--the local name for John Merrick and his nieces--or by the manager of the new mill at Royal, who had extended the line to his own office in the heart of the pine forest.

So, when Uncle John and the girls entered Cotting's store and the little gentleman shut himself up in the telephone booth, a ripple of excitement spread throughout the neighborhood. Skim Clark, the youthful hope of the Widow Clark, who "run the Emporium," happened to be in the store and he rushed out to spread the news that "the nabob's talkin' to New Yoruk!"

This information demanded immediate attention. Marshall McMahon McNutt, familiarly known as "Peggy" McNutt--because he had once lost a foot in a mowing machine--and who was alleged to be a real estate agent, horse doctor, fancy poultry breeder and palmist, and who also dabbled in the sale of subscription books, life insurance, liniment and watermelons, quickly slid off his front porch across the way and sauntered into Cotting's to participate in the excitement. Seth Davis, the blacksmith, dropped his tools and hurried to the store, and the druggist three doors away--a dapper gentleman known as Nib Corkins--hurriedly locked his door and attended the meeting. Presently the curious group was enlarged by the addition of Nick Thome the liveryman, Lon Taft, a carpenter and general man-of-all-work, and Silas Caldwell the miller, the latter a serious individual who had "jest happened to come acrost from the mill in the nick o' time." What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. who used long-distance calls?
2. what was the name of the town?
3. what was nabob the local name for?
4. whose store was more popular, Sam's or Bob's?
5. was it a specific store or a general store?
6. what did people like to do there?
7. who went in the telephone booth?
8. did it cause excitement?
9. whose nickname was Peggy?
10. who was Widow Clark related to?
11. were they the one who talked about the phone call?
12. how many professions was Peggy alleged to have?
13. what chopped off his foot?
14. what was Nick Thome's job?
15. was Peggy excited?
16. where did he go to participate?
17. did Seth Davis also go?
18. what were they doing?
Answer:
1. the "nabobs"
2. Millville
3. John Merrick and his nieces
4. Sam's
5. General
6. loaf
7. Uncle John
8. yes
9. Marshall McMahon McNutt
10. Skim Clark
11. Yes
12. Five
13. a mowing machine-
14. a liveryman
15. Yes
16. into Cotting's
17. Yes
18. watching the nabob's use the phone