Mr. Forbes

“ Forbes cared less. She had not the order of vanity which would have dispensed with a walking advertisement [Pg 54] of her years, but she resented having borne an ugly duckling, one, moreover, that had tiresome fads. She had been her husband’s confidante in all his gigantic schemes, financial and political, and Augusta’s intellectual kinks bored her.
She crossed the room and gave her husband’s necktie a little twist. Mr. Forbes sustained the reputation of being the best-groomed man in New York, but it pleased her to think that she could improve him. ”

“ Forbes myself. His people are good customers. It's his ideas I object to, and he's a Republican."
"Haven't you ever voted for a Republican?" asked the girl. "Don't you think it better to vote for the best man, rather than the best party, in a case like this?"
"Why, perhaps it is. But in what way is Mr. Forbes the best man?"
"He's honest. He doesn't want to make any money out of the office. On the contrary, he's willing and able to spend a good deal in passing laws that will benefit his district."
"And Hopkins?" ”

“ Fighting Jack.
Upon his arrival at Edinburgh, Charlie visited Mr. Forbes (or advocate Forbes, as he was more frequently called) , the leading and brightest luminary of the Scottish bar, to present his father's credentials. Mr. Forbes had been a widower for several years, and had been married to a sister of the late Mrs. McKay, Bella's mother. ”

“ We're the signs
Of the times—
Fair as heaven's orbs.
If we look good,
Then all men should
Vote for Kenneth Forbes!"
The cheering was renewed at this, and Mr. Hopkins became angry. He tried to make himself heard, but the popular fancy had been caught by the object lesson so cleverly placed before them, and they shouted: "Forbes! Forbes! Forbes!" ”

“ Forbes!"
"But it's of no consequence, really, Miss Burnett. I was quite warm until a short while ago. And I'm warm again already. No, please!"
For Prue had seized her coat and was coming toward him determinedly.
"You must put this on," she declared. "Just around your shoulders, Mr. Forbes. Oh, but you must, really! If you should catch cold I'd never forgive myself for being so mean and disagreeable."
"You weren't," declared Wade as he drew the coat around his shivering body. ”

“ Faith managed to say at last. "Oh, Mr. Denton, can't you see what you've done? You've made that woman love you, and now she is going straight to destruction!"
CHAPTER XVII. THE PARTNERS DO A LITTLE TALKING.
Mr. Forbes was at his office in the store early the next morning after his interview with Mr. Watkins. He would have been glad to stay away for another day, but there were many details of the business that needed his attention. Sam Watkins, his office boy, was not waiting for him as usual, but Mr. Forbes was confident that he could find him when he wanted him. ”

“ Then he found Lanice, white and heavy-eyed, huddled in her furs as an owl huddles in his feathers, holding the black cat in her lap. The great moon on the snow made a new and colder day. The shadow of trees lay like black lace. Mr. Jones drove with his left hand; with his right arm he clasped the long, delicate body of the sleeping girl. He hoped she would not be too hard to forget; he hoped he could some time forgive himself for his treatment of her. Nothing hurts for long, thank God. ”

“ Frank told him.
"Faster, everybody!" called Mr. Wallace, conscious of the magnitude of their danger.
"Yep, move lively, 'case she's a-tearin' down the mountain like greased lightning!" Zander Forbes called out; lapsing into cowboy lingo, college graduate as he claimed to be.
As Jerry had to be in the van to serve as their guide, Zander had taken it upon himself to tow the pack-pony as well as his own mount. This was a tremendous responsibility under such conditions, and few punchers there were who could have managed it; but then Zander seemed to be little short of a wizard among animals. ”

“ Lanice in her turn studied him slyly. The sunlight gilded Mr. Jones, and she noticed how it coarsened the skin of his face and showed every pore on his nose. It gilded his hair, too, which was like dark, half-pulled molasses. The two inches of beard before either ear was rough and metallic in comparison. Towards the eyes beyond the sweep of the razor was a delicate fruit-like down, almost white. This carnal discovery shocked her, and she blushed at her own powers of observation. Surely no woman before had ever examined a man with such morbid care. ”

“ I believe I shall admire her more than you do to-night.'
'I only hope you may,' said the American cordially; 'I am afraid, however, that from any standard that is worth using there is not much to be said for her as an actress. But as a human being she is very nearly perfection.'
The afternoon guests departed, and just as the last had gone, Mr. Forbes was announced. He came in in a bad temper, having been delayed by business, and presently sat down to dinner with Mrs. Stuart and Wallace and Kendal in a very grumbling frame of mind. Mr. ”

“ Paul waved his hat enthusiastically. Mr. Wallace did the same while both Jerry Brime and Zander Forbes joined in the hearty greeting. The latter had just come back, after combing the lower reaches of the canyon, the flood having passed away, leaving only a bare trickle of water to hint at the almost tragic event of the preceding night.
By degrees the story was told, and everybody seemed to think Frank must surely bear a charmed [Pg 134] life, to pass unscathed through two such exciting and hazardous adventures in one night. ”

“ This was stronger food than was fed out to 'elegant womanhood' and reflected to some extent the diverse, diverting, and sophisticated personality of Mr. Fox. He had run it for years in New York before old Mr. Redcliffe one day had come raging into his office and persuaded him into partnership. Then he removed his headquarters from the vulgar capital of fashion to that of culture and gained the benefit of a closer union with the celebrated Concord, Cambridge, and Boston literary men who were in those days sprouting up like mushrooms, but branching out like oaks. ”

“ With a ten-mile drive, and a horse far from fresh, Bones had decided that they would do well to start without any delay. He had tried out his gun, and was satisfied; while on Frank's part, he rejoiced in the fact that he would be away from town while all the glorification was going on.
"Hold on, Mr. Benson, that's enough. Eight is all we want to take back with us. Ralph here is boarding and has no use for his share. So he asks you to accept it," called out Bones, as the farmer started to toss the game in the back part of the doctor's buggy. ”

“ And yet Frank, as he looked now and then at the faces of both Mr. Baxter and his wife, thought he could see traces of seriousness there.
"Of course, what else could you expect?" he said to himself. "Perhaps the shock of having that fire, and the attempted robbery has upset them. People at their time of life feel such things much more than young folks,."
The dinner came to an end at last, and as Lanky arose, he was shaking his head as though he had some doubts concerning his ability to continue that long trip down the Harrapin to Columbia. ”

“ Frank, that settles it; doesn’t it? The girl is there, we know that now; don’t we?”
For answer Frank clutched his chum’s groping hand, and squeezed it.
“And we keep right along in the game, waitin’ to hear from Mr. Elverson; don’t we, Frank?”
“That’s what we do; and I’m hoping that it comes out just as you’re expecting, Lanky, because you sure have got yourself keyed up to top-notch speed right now. But perhaps we’d better be getting back to town. If we hurried, we might reach there by eight, and lend a hand at that anthem in the choir.” ”

“ His weight would have caused any line to sag, so that the poor [30] fellow would have been an easy mark for the butting horns of the bull.
After leaving the farm of Mr. Hobson behind the runners found that they would have to pass over some more dubious ground. Frank realized that unless some better course was found than this it would be the height of folly for a runner to think he could save time by leaving the firm road, and taking to the cross country. And being a good, square sportsman he determined to do all he could to warn the Clifford and Bellport fellows against any such attempt. ”

“ And, besides being slippery, I suppose he is a little to be feared, too.”
“I’ve no fear of him, dad” said Frank. “I have found that when a man does a whole lot of threatening he isn’t dangerous in the open.”
“That’s just it, my boy,” quietly replied the elder Allen. “If he were dangerous in the open he would have made you promise to pay for the dog right then—or fought.”
“There’s Mr. Van Kirk!” ”

“ Get into your everyday togs as fast as you can, and come with me.”
“Why, what’s the matter now?” demanded Frank; though perhaps he began to have a dim suspicion as to the cause of his chum’s new excitement.
“Had a message over the wire,” Lanky went on, tersely, as though breath was more valuable now than when on his long run; “little Effie had on just such a bonnet when she disappeared. Mr. Elverson and his wife were away, and just got my wire. They’re coming along right now, and’ll get here to-morrow, Frank.”
“Well, what are you going to do about it?” asked Frank. ”

“ He must have either been quite reckless, or what is known as a “barrack-room lawyer.” I let him be, as I was not sure that there is any military law under which he could have been punished. A comfortable man, Mr. Harry Howard, to be entrusted with the despatch of an all-important message at the critical moment of a campaign, while a spy who had “crossed the palm” was waiting round the corner!
It was presently disclosed that this correspondence on the official side was from the first simply what the Germans expressively call “a blow on the water.”328 It began with a foregone conclusion. ”

“ At that Frank laughed.
"Oh! Lanky couldn't sleep a wink unless he finished that part of his job to-night. So he's going to drop around here about nine, and we'll take a little run up the river to interview Bill," he remarked.
"I'm afraid you're overdoing this thing. You must be ready to drop after going through what you have to-day. Better wait until morning, son," cautioned Mr. Allen.
"If I did, Lanky wouldn't; and I want to see Bill when he hears the good news. I feel better since that second dinner. Eating so much is more apt to founder us than the exercise, for we're used to that. ”

“ Mr. Fox would not sympathize. He was an earthly man. He whispered:
'They're Miss Pauline's females out for their rights! Is that it? And Captain Poggy is in New York.' Then added out loud, 'Oh, my God! Well, all I want is a glass of the Captain's Nautilus Madeira. I'm planning to read his "Salem Witchcraft" to-night and must strengthen myself for the endeavor.'
'Shhh. Can't you hear Mrs. Morgan talking about women's work in temperance? "We must demand," said a throaty voice, "the closing of the saloon ”

“ Zander Forbes had warned them. "A horseman can keep riding for ten hours steadily in a straight line, and at the end of that time seem to be hardly any closer to the mountains than when he started."
"But we understood there'd be only two days of hard riding after we headed into the west!" remonstrated Lanky.
"Well, by late afternoon to-morrow we ought to be inside of fifteen or twenty miles of the foothills. But like as not we'll have to make a third camp on the prairie."
This turned out to be the case; and when the towering Rockies seemed to be so close, the boys [Pg 72] wondered why Mr. ”

“ I’ve got some money with me, and if we need more I know where to go for it, Lanky.”
“That’s the idea!” declared the tall lad; “nothing like striking while the iron is hot, as we used to learn in our copybooks in school, when we were kids. Let’s head for the station right now, then, Frank, and see if we can’t hatch up a message that ought to give this Mr. Elverson the shock of his life.”
Ten minutes later two boys, breathing hard from [93] fast walking, appeared at the little railroad station in Columbia, and asked for a bunch of telegraph blanks. ”

“ Frank arranged in his mind that after he returned he would hunt Lanky up, or failing to locate him, get Paul Bird to go down the river with him after the girls, who might find the current stronger than they imagined, and balk at the row home.
Flying along the road he reached the country seat of Squire Prentice, who conducted the law business of Mr. Allen, owner of the big department store in Columbia. ”

“ She Feels the Shadow
1 They came and went through her office on heavy feet that struck brutally through her consciousness. They talked and their voices were as unreal as voices heard through fever. She could not write the story Miss Bigley had ordered by mail, a story to show once again virtue triumphant. Even the little faces of her fashion plates looked peakedly back at her under her pen. Luckily, Mr. Fox, with his shrewd feminine intuition, was in New York with Professor Ripley. They had seen Jones sail. Mr. ”

“ I was heavy at heart, but I felt that Forbes was right, and my own instinct told me that my ideas were better than my performance—and Forbes was right. Nothing was left of the tales; not a shred of paper, not a scrap of writing. They had all gone up the chimney in smoke. There was no self-pity. I had a grim kind of feeling regarding the thing, but I had no regrets, and I have never had any regrets since. I have forgotten most of the titles, and indeed all the stories except one. But Forbes and I were right ”