Tom Watson's Magazine, Vol. I, No. 2, April 1905Various
Religion
Tom Watson's Magazine, Vol. I, No. 2, April 1905
Various
United States -- Politics and government -- Periodicals
“That’s just the point,” laughed the older man; “the name’s escaped me.
He’s from the East—hasn’t been here very long. I’ll tell you what—I’ll
bring him into your office tomorrow. Will that do?”
“It will—and thank you.”
Westbrook’s “office” was something new. A life of leisure was becoming
wearisome; consequently he invested in various bits of real estate,
opened an office, put a man in charge, and of late had himself tended
strictly to business, such time as he could spare from his social
engagements.
It was into this office that Mr. Barrington came one morning accompanied
by a short, smooth-faced man whose garments were irreproachable in style
and cut.
“Ah, Westbrook,” began Barrington, “let me introduce Mr. Martin, of
Martin & Gray, the lawyer of whom I was telling you yesterday.”
Again the room and all it contained—save the figure of Martin
himself—faded from Westbrook’s sight, and he saw the New England street
with the lawyer’s sign in the foreground. The next moment the vision was
gone, and he had extended a cordial hand.
“I’m very glad to meet Mr. Martin,” he said, looking the lawyer straight
in the eye.
“Mr. Westbrook—delighted, I’m sure,” murmured the little man suavely;
then, in a puzzled tone, “have I had the honor of meeting you before, Mr.
Westbrook? There is something familiar about you.”
“Is there?” began Westbrook, but John Barrington interrupted.
“There, Martin, you’ve hit my case exactly! He’s puzzled me a thousand
times with a little turn or twist that’s like someone I’ve seen. Dash
it—who is it?”
“My features must be cast in a common mold,” laughed Westbrook, “to
remind so many of one they know.”
“Um—ah—well—I shouldn’t want to say quite that!” retorted Barrington.
“Well, gentlemen,” he resumed after a pause, “I’ll leave you to your own
devices. I’m off—good morning.”
“Good morning, and thank you,” replied Westbrook, rising. “I’ve no doubt
Mr. Martin will prove a credit to your introduction,” he concluded as he
bowed the elder gentleman out. Then he turned to the lawyer and began the
business at hand.
* * * * *
In his own room that night Westbrook carried a small mirror close to the
light and scrutinized himself for some minutes.
“H’m,” he mused, “hair rather gray for a man not yet thirty; still—it
looks less like that of a youth of twenty.”
He stroked his carefully trimmed beard meditatively.
“Hides the telltale mouth and chin pretty well,” he murmured. “Mr. Joseph
Westbrook can stay where he is for the present, I think.”
The next evening Westbrook called at the Barringtons’. He found Ethel
and Mr. Martin at the piano singing a duet which they continued at
his solicitation. Then the two musicians drifted into a discussion
of Martin’s favorite composer, which was like a foreign language to
Westbrook.
After a half-hour of this the lawyer took his leave. Westbrook drew a
long breath, but it was caught and stifled in half completion by Miss
Barrington’s first remark.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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