Mr. Anderson

“ With the possible exception of Poor White one feels that in his Mr Anderson is subject to an ever recurring species of shell shock projects him volte face towards the prickly actualities of life, and in his efforts to regain his spiritual poise he drags one about with him in a cloud of splintering conventions and mysterious clogged desires through passages too cluttered to permit of escape into the clear light of day. ”

“ The coroner, who was an old friend of Anderson's, fidgeted a little and in silence. He took off his glasses and put them on again. His tanned face, long and slightly twisted, with square harsh brows, and powerful jaw set in a white fringe of whisker, showed an unusual amount of disturbance. At last he said, clearing his throat: "We are much obliged to you, Mr. Anderson, for your frankness towards this court. There's not a man here that don't feel for you, and don't wish to offer you his respectful sympathy. We know you--and I reckon we know what to think about you. ”

“ The effort required before a naturally amiable and nervous man could bring himself to put such an uncomfortable question made it appear particularly offensive.
"Our daily companionship?" repeated Elizabeth in bewilderment. "What can you mean, Mr. Arthur? What is wrong with Mr. Anderson? You saw that everybody at Winnipeg seemed to know him and respect him; people like the Chief Justice, and the Senator--what was his name?--and Monsieur Mariette. I don't understand why you ask me such a thing. Why should we suppose there are any mysteries about Mr. Anderson?" ”

“ Anderson. To tell the truth, we should scarcely understand the difference.”
II
One summer afternoon two years later the Ripley sisters were again drinking tea in their attractive summer-house. In the interval the peaceful current of their lives had been stirred to its depths by unlooked-for happenings. Very shortly after their refusal of Mr. Anderson’s offer, their only brother, whose home was on the Hudson within easy distance of New York, had died suddenly. He was a widower; and consequently the protection of his only daughter straightway devolved on them. ”

“ Anderson was equal to the occasion.
"What the devil d'you mean?" he said. "Let my man in at once. Come in, Rigby."
Tenterden pushed, and we got the door back. Mr. Anderson's face showed very white in the gloom.
" 'Pon my word, I think you were right!" he cried. "Servants get more insolent every day. I shall report you to your master."
The surly man said nothing, and I wondered whether Mr. Anderson had saved the situation with his quotation. It seemed hardly a likely thing for a man-servant to say to his master. We followed Mr. Anderson into a library, and there awaited Dr. James and his ward. ”

“ Shore only, a man of great abilities, and intimately acquainted with the revenue, who must know when he was in a situation to do good and when not. The other gentleman whom I have mentioned, Mr. Hastings's confidant in everything but his bribes, and supposed to be in his closest secrets, is Mr. Anderson. I should remark to your Lordships, that Mr. Anderson is a man apparently of weak nerves, of modest and very guarded demeanor, as we have seen him in the House of Commons; it is in that way only I have the honor of knowing him. ”

“ Anderson. A crook has a wife and children the same as anybody else. I have been in this funny business for ten years, but now I’m out of it for good.” He looked round and dropped his voice, “Mr. Anderson, I told you last night that we’ve been five or six weeks away from England. Didn’t that sound strange to you?”
“Not to me,” said Timothy.
“That is because you don’t know the game,” said the man. “As a rule, when we’re working these liners, we go out to Cape Town and come back by the next ship that sails. ”

“ However, there followed a whispered consultation between the two clerks, and both chuckled, and finally Sam Riggs advanced with bravado to the office door.
“Mr. Anderson,” he said, with mischief in his tone, and Anderson turned and looked at him inquiringly. “Oh, it is nothing, not worth speaking of, I suppose,” said Sammy Riggs, “but that kid, the Carroll boy, swiped an apple off that basket beside the door when he went out with his sister. I saw him.”
Chapter XII
Anderson was in the state of mind of a man who dreams and is quite aware all the time that he is dreaming. ”

“ At the age of twenty-six he left his native soil for the New World, arriving in the United States, April 24, 1880. After ten years of various employment in the eastern states he came to Seattle, engaging in hotel business on the corner of Terrace and Fifth Avenue, where the Anderson looms in emphasis of the proprietor's energy. Mr. Anderson is a man of a genial disposition, social and affable and in all respects an honored citizen.
Oscar Anderson.—A man of honor and integrity is a worthy adjunct to any community. Oscar Anderson belongs to this type which his career bespeaks. ”

“ Mr Anderson received his education at Edinburgh, and in 1820 was apprenticed to a merchant in Leith; but not liking the employment, he was afterwards placed in the office of a writer in Edinburgh, with the view of studying the law. Having a strong bent towards literature, he began to write poetry, and in 1828 became a regular contributor to the press. In 1830 he published a volume of poems designated, "Poetical Aspirations," and soon after issued a thin volume of prose and verse, entitled, "Odd Sketches." ”

“ He said, “Well, a man who will do such a thing needs killing. Who was it?” He looked round, but the man was gone. Mr. Anderson did not blow out the light. The man did not come in, but some of the men went out to look for him. ”

“ The servants obeyed. Before his departure the beggar turned to Mr. Anderson and told him that very soon he would know how painful it was to be hungry.
When the beggar was gone Mr. Anderson thought of his last remark and laughed. He [Pg 78] was a well-known rich man and a good paymaster. An order for a £100 on a dirty slip of paper would be honoured by his banker without hesitation. Naturally he laughed. He forgot that men had committed suicide by drowning to avoid death from thirst. Well, there it was.
The bell announcing breakfast rang punctually at 10 o'clock in the morning. Mr. ”

“ And being dissenters, we do not like to appear illiberal to those who are not of our own way of thinking: so the Andersons sometimes come in after church; and I am sure you will accept their call just as if it was made in any other way.”
Hester and Margaret could only say that they should be happy to see Mr and Mrs Anderson in any mode which was most convenient to themselves. A laugh went through the family, and a general exclamation of “Mr and Mrs Anderson!” “The Andersons” happened to be two maiden sisters, who kept a young ladies’ school. ”

“ I live my life; I do as I please. I ask nothing of anyone. And in the end—I take what I deserve. That is my creed. The boy must be punished."
He turned away, but she followed. In her earnestness she laid her hand on his sleeve. "He has been punished," she said. "Look. He will carry Sir Donald's brand all his life. He's just a boy, Mr. Stratton. He left home angry, outraged, and Yelm Jim took the opportunity to make him his tool. But he has good in him, I know. Remember, too, he saved my life. And I need him; I'll be responsible for him."
Her eyes were raised to Stratton eloquent with appeal ”

“ At last the saddle sling was ready, and Myers tucked the folded paper carefully into his pocket, weighing it down with his small prospector's mallet and a ragged plug of tobacco. Forrest's eyes moved from the mineral ledge and rested an instant on the place where the tower had stood. "You may meet a runaway horse somewhere on the trail, Eben," he said. "If you do, don't try to take the bridle close under the bit. He has been taught a mean trick."
"Oh," said Alice, "you mean Sir Donald. I had forgotten. Mr. Myers, you came down-stream. Did you see Mr. Stratton near the ford?" ”

“ Anderson and Peter to listen:
“Washington, D. C. “My Dear Mr. Lyon, Allentown, Ind.: “Thanks for your very great kindness. I have the President's pass through onr lines; when you hear from me again, I will let you know about your son Henry. “Very respectfully, “SERAINE WHITCOMB.”
“'Well, well,' said Peter; 'that tells a tale. Now, father, I agree with you. She is a brave girl; there is not more than one in a thousand like her.'
“'Yes ”

“ Anderson laughed again. “I am too proud to have pride,” he said, and went out of the room. He went leisurely down the steps, and crossed the little brick walk to the gate, and then approached the carriage. The gentleman inside, with what seemed an unpremeditated movement, raised his hat. Randolph bowed. Carroll smiled in the gentle, admiring way which he had.
“Perhaps I have made a mistake,” he said, “but I was directed here. I was told that Anderson, who keeps the grocery, lives here.”
“I am Anderson,” replied Randolph, with dignity and a certain high scorn, and purposely leaving off the Mr. ”

“ Calder, which drew forth a rejoinder from Anderson, ‘Curate Calder whipt,’ a title that may readily suggest the bitterness by which it was characterised. The work by which Anderson continues to be known is a ‘Defence of the Church Government, Faith, Worship, and Spirit of the Presbyterians,’ published in 1714 in reply to a work entitled ‘An Apology for Mr. Thomas Rhind, or an account of the manner how, and the reasons for which, he separated from the Presbyterian party and embraced the communion of the Church’ (Edin. 1712) . ”

“ Forrest took the flute and the knife and made several careful cuts in the green wood. "This is a fine knife," he said.
"You kin jes' bet your life on that; ther schoolmarm give it to me."
"Yes?" said Forrest. "How is she, Lem? She must feel the long trail sometimes; in hot weather or when it rains."
"Oh, I dunno. She 'lows it don't 'mount ter much, long as she has Colonel, an' all summer, off an' on, she's be'n havin' pleasant comp'ny. I mean Mr. Stratton. He wa'n't huntin' any ter speak of."
A quick flush flamed in Forrest's face. He gathered the bridle and raised the flute to his lips. ”

“ Farther down, the great railroad bridge crossed the stream, and at all hours he could catch the swift glisten of the train-windows as they shot past.
Anderson's office was about twelve by fourteen, and lined with shelves on two sides. On these he had books, not law-books. Those he had relegated to the library at home. He had probably in the depths of his consciousness a sensation of melancholy at the contemplation of those reminders of his balked career. No man, no matter how gracefully he may yield to it, cares to contemplate failures. ”

“ She could not help looking at him curiously, and presently even Philip noticed something wrong.
"I say, Anderson!--what have you been doing to yourself? You look as though you had been knocking up."
"I have been a bit driven this week," said Anderson, with a start. "Oh, nothing! You must look at this piece of line."
And as they ran down the long ravine from Field to Golden, beside a river which all the way seems to threaten the gliding train by the savage force of its descent, he played the showman. The epic of the C.P.R.--no one knew it better, and no one could recite it more vividly than he. ”

“ He felt barred out by age from actual conflict, and was content with his rôle of wicked, old Nestor to the party, though his advice consisted of little besides qualifying expletives.
"You ban a wise old bird," jeered the Pink Swede, the cunning twist of his usually expressionless mouth belying the vacuous look of his eyes, which had the chalky blue of watered milk. "The chief he ban no little baby. They do the dirty work. We cop the gold." ”

“ He knew the large boy; he was a nephew of Henry Lee, whose wife had invaded the Carroll house in the absence of the family.
“See here, Harry,” said Anderson, “what is this about, eh?”
The large boy, who, in spite of his size, was a youngster, looked at once terrifiedly and pugnaciously into his face, and beginning with a whimper of excuse to Anderson, ended with a snarl of wrath for the other boy. “He tells lies, he does. He tells lies. Ya-h!” The boy danced at the other even under Anderson's restraining hand on his shoulder. ”

“ The spirits of the stranger became elevated at every draught to a fearful sort of desperation;— Anderson attempted to be gay, but a sigh occasionally escaped him, and he then seized the glass with a frantic haste. He at last became, what the landlord had never before seen, half intoxicated. A whistle was heard without. The stranger instantly grew collected; and in a minute threw off the influence of the liquor. He said, in a low but determined voice to Anderson, “It is time.” ”

“ He passed on to another part of the armory yard and did not return for a considerable time. When he came back Anderson was yet breathing and the farmer thus addressed him: "Well, it takes you a h— of a long time to die." If Anderson had vitality enough left in him to hear the words this soothing remark must have contributed greatly to smooth his way to the unknown land of disembodied spirits. ”

“ She ran up the street, turned into the alley. A mongrel sniffed at the face which lay on the edge of one of those half-dried green puddles. She looked into the still features. There was a dark stain upon them. Tenderly she gathered the head to her bosom, murmuring an incoherent jumble of love-cries.
Three squares up the Main Street and one turn to the right, Pushbutton Pete was taking his seat in the launch. With its cocky "put, put, put," the little boat moved on its course towards the steam yacht. ”