A Hoosier Chronicle

ify reports as to certain transactions by which Thatcher, in conjunction with Morton Bassett, was believed to be effecting a merger of various glass-manufacturing interests. Tha

lied was tainted by the remote beer vats, she and her two daughters spent most of their time in Europe, giving, however, as their reason the ill-health of Thatcher's son. Thatcher's income was large and he spent it in his own fashion. He made long journeys to witness prize fights; he had the reputation of being a poor poker player, but "a good loser"; he kept a racing-stable that lost money, and he was a patron of baseball and o

ry the Country Club, where he was never known to go, and the University Club, where he doesn't bel

G. Thatcher, and his residence answered not at all; whereupon Harwood took the trolley for the Thatcher mansion in the new quarter of Meridian Street beyond the peaceful shores of Fall Creek. A humorist who described the passing show from the stern of a rubber-n

etaker on the premises and he began patiently punching the front-door bell. Failing of any response, he next tried a side door and finally the extreme rear. He had begun to feel dis

or Mr. Thatcher; it

e," growled a voice in broken English

veral minutes with rising heat on the part of the caretaker. The man's rage at being unable to close the door was not without its humor; but Dan

the other man, who leaned against the wall quite indifferent to the struggle for the door. Dan supposed him to b

and let the gentleman

n-shaven save for an absurd little mustache so fair as to be almost indistinguishable. His blond hair was brushed back unparted from his forehead. Another swift survey of the slight figure disclosed a pair of patent-leather pumps. His socks, revealed at the ankles, were scarlet. Dan was unfamiliar with the ménage of such establishments as this, and he wondered whether this might not be an upper servant of a new species peculiar to hom

e a re

Courier.' I'm lookin

ou're not in a great h

here might be a trick in it; perhaps he had intruded upon a burglarious invasion,-this invitation to the upper chambers might be for the purpose of shutting him in somewhere until the place had been looted. It was, in any case, a novel adventure, and his curiosity was aroused by the languid pace with which, without pausing at the second floor, the young man continued on to the third. Through an open door Dan saw a bedroom in order for occupancy; but the furniture in the upper and lower halls was draped, and a faint odor of camphor hung upon the air. It had occurred to Harwood that he might be stumbling

n't you, and

, still standing. His strange guide struck a match and held it, so that Dan perforce took advantage of the proffered flame; and he noticed now for the first time the young fellow

t's a good one;

icately fashioned, and in this strange setting altogether inexplicable. But Dan's time was important, and he had not yet learned anything as to Edward

st see Mr. Thatcher.

r of use in looking for him.

y so and be done with i

the young fellow from the workb

ss of his voice, awaited further developments. He had no weapons with which to deal with this composed young

are and why on earth y

his is my father's house. To the second-" He hesitated a moment, then shrugged

zically, with a half-hum

it that way. It can't be necessary for you to resort to kidnappin

hat! What's your nam

, Thatcher nodde

lege

al

; and it filled in my time till I was too old to go to college. But now that I'm grown up, I'm going to stay at home. I've been here a month, having a grand old time; a little lonesome, and yet I'm a person of occupations and Hans cooks enough for me to eat. I haven't been down town much, but nobody knows me here anyhow. Dad's been livin

detached fashion. The whimsical humor that twinkled in his eyes occasionally was interesting and pleasing; and Dan imagined that he was enjoying the situation. Silk socks and overalls were probably a part of some whim; th

really wish yo

g in his voice and manner. He lai

if your father has really gone and

Father will be in New York for breakfast in the morning. Search the hou

me you and your mother and sisters were abroad, but that your father was in town. A pe

etty well before the public. But I've had enough ju

it here-is t

sn't amuse me. I lost too much as a kid being away from home. They said I had to be educated abroad, and there you see me-Dresden awhile, Berlin another while, a lot

and to me. I was never e

town in a farm wagon to see a circus that had lions and elephants; and you probably chopped wood and broke colts and went swimming in an old swim

They've always told me that my vo

strong for the Italian a, and I'm afrai

summer trying to earn enough money to carry my sophomore year in college, and cussing

d mittens to a red school-house, and got licked with a hickory stick. But he doesn't understand why I don't either take a job in his office or gallop the Paris boulevards with mother and the girls; but he's all right. We're great pals. But the rest of them made a row because I came home. For a

was deliciously droll; he yielded his

rus. And here, by George, is America the dear, bully old America of Washington, Franklin, Andrew Jackson, and Abraham Lincoln! And they want to keep

was waiting for news of Thatcher, the capitalist. Young Thatcher's narrative partook of the nature of a protest. He was seriously in rebellion aga

lorious! And who am I to spend winters on the dead old Nile when history is being made right here on White River! I

ejection crossed his face. He had, by his own confession, asked Dan into the house merely to have some one to talk to; he was dissatisfied, unhappy, lonely; and his slender figure and

s, while others were obliged to hew their own way to success. He had observed in college that the sons of the rich had a pretty good time of it; but he had gone his own way unenviously. It was not easy to classify young Thatcher. He was clearly an exotic, a curious pale flower with healthy roots

the other side it's all different, the life, the aims, and the point of view. And here we've got just what you call it-the most wonderful experiment the world ever s

g somebody to say! It's so beautiful, so wonderful; the hope and promise

ed to be its inevitable hiding-place, and paus

shake hand

n heartily. "And now I've got to ge

ong. You've been mighty nice about it. I suppose I couldn't help you-I

f course. They were about a gl

a lot about things. Dad's thinking about going to the Senate. Dad's a Democrat, like Jefferson and Jackson. I

. Thatcher was known as a wealthy "sport," and Dan had resented his meddling in politics

areful! There's a

You see, I'm not

y hard enough. They've pulled off worse things. If you're inte

ghing was pleasant; there was

ch fun I missed! And at a queer little place in Switzerland where we were staying-I remember, because our landlord had the drollest wart on his chin-a copy of the 'Courier' turned up on a rainy day and I read it through. A sketch of Bassett tick

t me strangely; I

l-praise from Sir Hubert-I scribble verses myself! So our acquaintance really b

that anything printed in a newspaper is ever remembered

e a hand in the big things. I must get dad to introduce

the front door, continuing their talk. As Dan turned for their

t you in the lobby at six o'clock. The honorable state committee is in town and I'll point o

urmured thanks, emphasized Dan's sense of th

" demanded the city editor. "Well,

e door opened and then I saw

there's no telling whether it's true or not. He

he truth. His father's

s sake, keep at the law, Harwood; this business is hell." The city editor bit a fat cigar savagely. "You no sooner strike