SOUVENIRS
Because the world is such a very big place and there are so many people
busy with so many different things, life goes on as usual with little
time for more than a brief pause of wonder at the experiences of
others. The metal which casts the page of to-day's events goes back
into the melting-pot of the stereotyper to appear to-morrow with new
announcements.
During the weeks that followed the _Recorder's_ sensation routine
resumed its sway and only among those directly concerned did memory
linger. There was a very lively meeting of irate shareholders in the
offices of the Interprovincial Loan & Savings Company and a unanimous
demand for the return of Nathaniel Lawson to the government of its
affairs. Upon Old Nat's recommendation the new secretary appointed was
a reliable and loyal young man by the name of James Stiles.
Nickleby's attempt to secure bail was unsuccessful, and while awaiting
trial upon several charges he had plenty of time to philosophize.
Thanks to the work of Bob Cranston, Chief of the Special Service
Department of the Canadian Lake Shores Railway, Nickleby's past record
stood revealed and there was talk of extradition.
After a conference between Wade and the Honorable Milton Waring it was
decided to prefer no charges against Harrington Rives, who pleaded to
be allowed to carry out his plan of going to Mexico to look after his
interests there. He departed for the south, where he could bestride a
burro and lose himself among the Mexican hills.
Ben Wade had nodded his approval. Rives had learned his lesson and was
not fool enough to come back. Knowing the calibre of the man, he had
regarded Rives as a dangerous breeder of mischief and when Mrs. Waring
had confided her fears that the Honorable Milton was in difficulties,
Wade had been afraid that Rives would seek some revenge on his old-time
enemy through Aunt Dolly. That he was preparing for something of the
kind in sending Weiler to Sparrow Lake was apparent. Placing
McCorquodale at the summer resort had seemed a Quixotic thing to do;
but Benjamin Wade was not given to over-looking bets. He was glad to
see the last of Rives.
And McCorquodale? The "Iron Man" had scored official notice when he
brought the notorious "Red" McIvor to trial. He had had several
flattering offers as a result of it; but all of these he had refused at
the request of President Wade. Bob Cranston had decided to accept a
place with another railroad, and McCorquodale took over his duties as
Chief of the Special Service Department for the C. L. S.
Another promotion that took place about the same time affected a "gude
smart mans," named Svenson, who became foreman of an important section
of the line, with a shanty of his own and six-foot Olga Olafson as his
brand new bride. The couple went on a wonderful honeymoon trip to
Niagara Falls, all expenses paid by President Wade no less, and when
they got back to their new home they found certain bulky packages and
boxes piled on the big deal table that Svenson had made. Cristy
Lawson's gift was a complete set of beautiful dishes and a bolt or two
of dress goods and curtain material; there was a brand new, latest
model repeating rifle from Phil and a gold watch, monogramed;
McCorquodale sent a case of assorted tobaccos and a fine hunting-knife
in a leather sheath, while from Jimmy Stiles came a big box of
groceries. When everything lay open before them Mr. and Mrs. Svenson
stared at the array, speechless.
"Yumpin' Yudas!" yelled the big fellow at last. He grabbed his
six-foot smiling wife and kissed her with a loud smack.
The selection of these gifts had been the outcome of many consultations
between Mr. Philip Kendrick and Miss Cristy Lawson. It was surprising
how much serious thought was necessary in order to decide on the weight
and pattern of a set of dishes or the color scheme of window drapes.
Almost every evening in the week Kendrick had found it necessary to go
up to the Lawson home to discuss something or other and they had gone
shopping together for two whole afternoons--excursions which had
extended to motor spins into the country and dinners down town and so
on. And when the Svenson wedding presents no longer furnished excuses,
for the very good reason that they had been shipped to their
destination, there was always something else that needed consultation,
such as President Wade's flattering offer to Phil to join the executive
of the Canadian Lake Shores Railway or the very exceptional investment
opportunity that presented itself in connection with a certain choice
suburban villa with a wonderful lake frontage.
It was surprising, too, the way the gasoline consumption of the Waring
motor launch increased. The Honorable Milton even took occasion to
mention the matter to Aunt Dolly in Phil's presence at dinner one
night; he thought there must be something wrong with the engine, but
there was a twinkle in his eye that betrayed him.
"Here's a clipping that I got to-day from Billy Thorpe," said Phil,
quite irrelevantly. "It's from the North Bay paper and concerns our
friend, Hughey Podmore."
He read it aloud. It cited the particulars of a strange case which had
reached the hospital at North Bay some weeks ago--a man who had been
found wandering in the woods with bits of what appeared to be
bank-notes sticking to his skin. His skin had been scratched and
bleeding in many places and the man when taken in hand had been
delirious. Later, when he had become rational apparently and his
condition had improved, he had refused positively to reveal his
identity or to make any statement as to the circumstances which had led
to his condition; so that he had been discharged as a "mystery." He
had expressed an intention to go West, take up a homestead and
eventually go in for pure-bred stock. It was presumed, therefore, that
he was a young farmer who had been working in some lumber camp and on
his way out to civilization had got lost in the woods and had become
temporarily deranged by the experience.
Having successfully sidetracked the conversation, Phil excused himself
from the table and hurried to his room. Here he dressed with
scrupulous care. He unfolded a small cambric handkerchief and a dollar
bill to make sure that the little hand-painted pin was quite safe; then
he folded the articles together again and placed them in an inside
pocket with a care befitting the important part they were about to play.
He now unlocked a drawer in the cheffonier and took out a very small
square box, morocco leather, velvet-lined. The stone was a beautiful
white one and he stood off a pace or two and admired it. It certainly
made that other solitaire she had been wearing on her engagement finger
look like thirty cents! And to think that the "engagement" had been
merely a detail of her masquerade in Fergey's office! To-night----?
With a sigh of satisfaction he pocketed the little leather box. Then
he slipped out the back way, taking a latch-key with him. They were
going canoeing to-night and he knew that it would be late, very late,
when he returned.