The evening world. Newspaper, January 14, 1922, Page 18

a THE —— @ilenced by an exclamation from Mrs. Ward. “Here's news indeed! This is a note from Mrs. Campbell, the Ruth Sanders who was my best friend at school—Mvrs. falter Scott Campbell,” she added im- pressively. “Dearest Iphigenia: ' (“You know the girls at Miss Wood- burn’s school always call me Iphige- nia.) “It's so sweet of you to remember me year after year with a Christmas card. The very thought of you always brings up all the jolly times we had at Miss Woodburn’s. The class letter doesn't come around any more, but your children must be*grown up. Mino are very much so and getting marricl. “Don't be startled, but Mr. Camp- bell and I are planning to go to Cali- fornia next month, and we can easily leave the Limited at Cleveland and run down to Kernville. Now don't go to any trouble for us, and if it isn’t convenient for us to stay with you for a night we can put up at the hotel. We ghan’t leave here until Feb, 17, but wishing to acknowledge your card I thought I'd give you fair warning of our approach, Always, dear Iphigenia, your affectionate RUTH.” “That's a charming letter!” Helen volunteered. “She must be lovely!” All their lives John and Helen had heard their mother sing the praises of Mrs. Walter Scott Campbell, nee Sanders. “I suppose,” Mrs. Ward's tone ex- pressed awe, “I suppose Mr. Campbell is worth fifty millions.” “Campbell's one of the most impor- tant men in Wall Street,” Ward as- sented, “One of his institutions, the Sutphen Loan & Trust, financed the Kernville Water Power Company, 4 small item, of course. Campbell :prob- ably never heard of it.” ~ “Well, men of his calibre -wsually know where the dollars go,” said John. “Of course we simply can't let them go to the hotel,” continued Mrs. Ward; “the Kipperly House is a_ disgrace. And if Ruth hasn't changed a lot ia twenty-six years she'll” accept us as she finds us.” + John exchanged telegraphic glances with Helen, but he buttered a bit of bread before he spoke. “Well, mother,” he began briskly, “I'm sure we're all tickled that your old friend's coming. Now don't worry about the house—you or ‘father either; I'm going to manage that. I see in this visit the hand of Providence!” “If they carry a maid and valet as part of their scenery we're lost—-hope- lessly lost!” Helen suggested. “Oh, not necessarily!” John replied, “Anyhow, we've got a month to wock in. When we begin to get publicity for the coming of*sthe Campbells, I miss my guess if things don't begin to look a lot easier.” “But,-John,” his mother began, “you wouldn't do anything that would look —vulgar?” “Certainly not, but the Sunday Jour- mal's always keen for news of impend- ing visitors in our midst, and no peo- ple of the Campbell's social and finan- cial standing have ever honored our city with their presence. The Presi- @eedent of the Transcontinental did park his private car in the yards last sum- mer, but before the Chamber of Com- merce could tackle him about building a new freight house he faded away.” “Walter Scott Campbell is a direc- tor in the Transcontinental,” remarked Mrs. Ward. “I saw his name in the list when I looked up the name of the company’s Secretary to send on the resolutions of the Women's Municipal Union complaining of the vile condi- tion of the depot.” “Our business organizations have worked on the General Manager for years without petting anywhere,” Ward said mildly. “Just a word from Mr, Campbell wiil be enough,” replied John spaciously. “The train schedule ought to be changed to give us a local sleeper to Chicago. We'll stir up the whole ser- vice of the Transeontinental when we get Walter here!” “Walter!” exclaimed Mrs, aghast at this familiarity, “The directors of the Water Power Ward, EVENI “It's short; I'll just read it: Company want to refund their bonda, I suppose Mr. Campbell could help about that,” Ward remarked, interest- ed in spite of himself. “But it would be a betrayal of hos- pitality,” Mrs. Ward protested. “Oh, that visit’s going to be a great thing for Kernyille!” said John loftily. “And the Campbells can't object. They will pass on, never knowing the vast benefits they have conferred.” “Your imagination’s running away with you, John,” said his father. “With only one day here they'll hardly care to be dragged through the factories and over the railway yards, “While mother and Helen are enter- taining Mrs, Campbell, we'll borrow the largest car in town and show Walter the sights. All Walter will have to do will be to send a few wires to the right parties and everything the town needs will be forthcoming.” “But why should we worry about the town?" asked Helen as she began to clear the table, “I don't quite follow. you either,” said his mother. “You can’t, you rea'ly mustn't” —— “Such matters are for the male of the species to grapple with. You and Helen arrange a tea ar dinner or whatever you please, and I'll do the rest.” “Please, John, don’t do anything foolish," his mother pleaded, but she smiled happily. WORLD'S FICTION SECTION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 14, “I’m going to pull this thing off ac- cording to specifications, Observe my smoke, dearest one. The magic of the name of Walter Scott Campbell, it properly invoked, manipulated and flaunted, will put us all on the high road to fame and fortune. “The Campbells will never be con- scious of my proceedings, as they don’t read the Kernville papers and will linger only a day. By the way, St happens that Bill Townley, a fraternity brother of mine, has just been made city editor of the Journal, and when T hiss the password in his ear and tel! him I'll need a little space daily for a few weeks he'll go right down the line for me. And the boys on the Evening Sun are friends of mine, too, They have less space, but they make up for it with bigger headlines.” “You're a dear boy, John, if you are crazy! I'll stand by you whether you land us in jail or in the poorhouse.” “Bully for you, sis!" And then low- ering his voice, “This chance moy never come again! I'm going to wring every possible drop out of it. By the way, if it isn’t impertinent, when did you see Ned last?” “Not since the day you saw me walking with him—for the last time. But he telephoned this afternoon. He wanted to come up this evening.” “Helen,” said John, lifting his eyes dreamily to the ceiling, “I'll wager a diamond tiara against one of your de- “VE REGRETTED VERY MUCH OUR LITTLE DIFFERENCES.” al ‘ “Trust me for that!” the replied, lay- ing his hands on her showers. “We're all too humble; that’s what's the matter with the Ward family. And for once I want you to step right out!” : He waved her into the sitting room and darted into the kitchen, where he threw off his coat and donned an apron, “Crazy! You've gone plumb stark crazy!" said Helen. “It’s cruel to raise mother’s hopes that way. You know well enough that as things are going we're just about getting by.” “How does that old tune go?” asked John, balancing a plate on the tip of his finger, ““The Campbells are coming, tra la, tra la, “The Campbells are coming, tra la!’ licious buckwheat cakes that you and I will get an invitation to the Kirby party.” F “Taken! The cards went out yester- day.” “Let ‘em buzz! Ours will probably come special delivery with a note of ex- . planation that in copying the list we were regrettably omitted. And let me see,” he went on. “I rather think Ned will ask you to go to the party witn him. It occurs to me that old man Shepherd owns some land he's trying to sell to the Transcontinental, I must now step’ down to the Public Library and the Journal office to get dope on the Campbells. Also, I'll have to sneak mother's photograph Of Mrs. Camp- bell out of the house, <A few illustra- 1922, apts oA. ; tions will give tone to our publicity stuff.” “Be bold, John, but not too bold!” “The Campbells are coming, tra la'™ he sang mockingly, and seizing her hand, danced back and forth across the kitchen, “By Jing, that tune’s wonderful for the toddle!"” he cried. “We'll make all Kernville step to it.” “The point we want to hammer in is that we—the Ward family—are the only people in Sycamore County who are in touch with the Campbell power, social and financial,” John elucidated to ‘this friend Townley. “No other fam- ily in the community has ever bein honored by a visit from so big a bunch of assets. And their coming will link Kernville right on to Newport, where old Walter Scott owns one of the lori- Hest villas, Here's a picture of it I found in ‘Summer Homes of Great Americans.’ We'll feed in the pictorial stuff from time to time, using this photograph of Mrs. Campbell that she sent mother, and that cut of Walter Scott I dug out of your office grave- yard.” “You've got to hand it to that lad,” said Townley ruminatively. The usual double column “lead” was devoted wholly to the announcement of the visit of the Walter Scott Camp- bells of New York and Newport to the Robert Fleming Wards of Kernville. Mrs. Ward, the article concluded, had not yet decided in just what manner she would entertain for the Campbeils, but the representative people of the city would undoubtedly have an oppor- tunity to meet her guests. “The first gun is fired!” John whis- pered thrusting the paper througa Helen’s bedroom door. “Read and pon- der well!” Mrs. Ward read the aloud at the table soberly. “That Miss Vivens who does the society news for the Journal has more sense than I give her credit for,” she said. “Thera isn’t a word in that piece that isn't true. But that portrait of Ruth is a trifle too large; you announcement ought to have warned them about that!" “Well, mother, the Journal simply begged for a photograph. People of note don’t mind publicity.” “Well, the article is really very nice,” said Mrs. Ward, “but I hope they won't say anything more until tho Campbells arrive.” N Tuesday the Journal's first page contained a new articie on the crying need of en- larged railway facilities, adroitly written to empody the hopes ofsthe Transportation Committee, of the Chamber of Commerce that when Mr. Walter Scott Campbell of the Board of Directors of the Transcontinental paid his expected visit to the city he would take steps to change the reac- tionary policy of the road’s operating depagtment, “See here, John, you've got to be careful about this Campbell business!” Mr. Ward's tone was severe. “I know you imspired*s that piece in this morn- ing’s paper. It’s going to cause us a lot of embarrassment.” “Sorry if it bothers you, father; but there's nothing untrue in that article! You'll be the only man in town who can get Campbell's ear. If he refuses to interest himself that’s his affair.” The stenographer nnounced = Mr, Pickett. “Say to replied John, indif- ferently, “that we are in conference, him,” but he can see us in just a moment.” “Pickett!” exclaimed Ward senior. “What on earth brings him here?” “The Campbells are coming,” replied John with a grin. “Pickett’s Presi- dent of the Water Power Company, and he wants Campbell interested in mak. ing a new bond deal. Let's go out and give him the glad hand of greeting.” “I've regretted very much our little differences"’—— Pickett began. “There's no feeling on our side at all, Mr, Pickett,” John declared, “Fact is," remarked Pickett, with a sheepish grin, “you were dead right on that matter of the pollution of thes river when you told me I'd save money and avoid arousing hostile feeling in the community by pleading guilty. ! Now I got a matter IT want the truth about, respect you for your honesty. A Complete Story Every Saturday << =