BY
JOHN WYCLIFFE
(Henry Bedford-Jones)
NEW YORK
DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY
1924
COPYRIGHT, 1924,
BY DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY, INC.
PRINTED IN U. S. A.
VAIL-BALLOU PRESS, INC.
BINGHAMTON AND NEW YORK
CONTENTS
BOOK I
"The Hidden Things of Dishonesty"
BOOK II
"He Who Did Eat of My Bread"
BOOK III
"A Man's Heart Deviseth His Way"
AGAINST THE TIDE
The old-fashioned Deming mansion, for the hundredthtime in its sedate existence, was filled witha gayety which offset even the menacing weather.
Although noon was close at hand, the morning was deeplygloomy and ominous. Thunder clouds of late summerbrooded over the Ohio, and rain, already sweeping acrossthe wide crescent-bend of the river, was threatening toburst upon Evansville. Yet it was not because of theseclouds that the old house was ablaze with light from cellarto attic.
From the twelve-foot ceilings of the huge rooms hungelectric clusters, whose glare was softened yet quickened bytinkling prisms and pendants of crystal. Along the wallstwinkled sconces and candelabra; this richer glow broughtout the scarlet coats of tapestried huntsmen, pursuing stagsthrough indefinite forests of Gobelin weave. Everywherewas light and sound and laughter.
A babel of tongues filled the rooms—crisply concisenorthern speech, mingled with the softer slur of southernaccents. A listener might gather that this house wassymbolic of Evansville itself, bordering both north and south,drinking of its best from either section; an Indiana city,yet of infinite variety, proudly exclusive, living more inpast than present, yet cordial and open-hearthed.
At noon, in this house, Dorothy Deming was to be marriedto Reese Armstrong. The wedding was yet some littledistance away. Macgowan, who had been dressing for hispart of best man and who was a house guest, crossed theupstairs hall toward the stairway, just as Dorothy herselfappeared from a room which was aflutter with excited femininevoices. With the license of his age and position, heled her to the window-nook and began to speak ofArmstrong. Dorothy, oblivious of the confusion around,yielded to the detention and listened eagerly.
Why not? When Lawrence Macgowan spoke, few menbut would have listened; not to mention a bride who waschatting with the groom's most intimate and trusted friend,and hearing wondrous things about the man whom she wassoon to call her husband.
Macgowan was impressive. More impressive thanJ. Fortescue Deming, in whose features the Deming FoodProducts Company had seared deep lines; more impressivethan Deming's business directors and social friends heregathered; more impressive by far than young Armstrong,whose financial genius was making its mark so rapidly.
Despite the gray at his temples, Lawrence Macgowanpossessed a charm of personality, a steely keenness ofintellect, a direct force of character, which dominated all whocame in contact with him. Being quite used to makingthis impression, he made it the more readily. Men said ofMacgowan that he disdained politics, had refused asupreme court appointment, and preferred corporation lawto marriage as a