The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, July 27, 1902, Page 12

o CONDUCTED BY B. G. LATHROP RS, a tale of the 113 | il gpenkalaces s o i belongs to works of fiction nd charm ge mass of e sake of while upor is is a tory to be en- aded reader t delightful ters, - v of varied 5 to nature that wong th ne’s acqua It is dif- for which point the book jed most eservedly of the plot, the cter, or the charm of iption. Although al- 1 the scenes of the novel are laid is the West which has s dominant jdea. As its sub story of a fast in- our American life—the on of society, the leisure s has come to them as & result of clever rected efforts on the part of ancestors, in most instances not remote. The interest of the novel centers upon the co of i held by the spending generation and the pro- he founder of the fortune. e of whose consuming the book d type of the self- of whose membe to the 1s devoted, is & sple: made man of the W This man, Peter Bines, has gone to the e of the Middle ng the earliest period For years he ifting from one rer. For twenty as- will k with the > many others the bonanza ge which the akes in the life describes as fol- had followed for £ the new money being suffi- 1 was losing its ife of priva~ y happy nunity wher( a4 peace, , and, e I'm rich,” he argued; money can't keep me for he had, habit of ospitable men- propositions thag nen without ques me from doin' maybe, don't t b I'd fur sure be back happs 4 so would Evalina, you could call a he strike.” o S he cught to enjoy he hed once been con- necess I was poor and had to hit E wi the t loved them hills, so why ain't pike back to 'em mow when I finale was to k about it, a rich more excuse fur bein’ r man has!" Is that called him had the cities where people and too far apart”; earth where the als ck and & man could see a people lived far enough &pert to be neigl There co 4 blessed him again; con- tent not slothful, but exciting; a content that embreced his own beloved West, tfashioning first in fancy and then by deed its own proud future. He had never ceased to plan and stim- uiste its growth. He not only became one with its manifold interests, but proudly dedi- Dantel to its further making. erdent and bigoted Westerner, r the East €0 profound that no Basterner's ecorn for the West hath by any chance equeled it. Prospecting with the simple outfit of old became his relaxation, his eport, and, s be ®ged, his hobby. Jt was said that be had exaited prospe to the dignity of an art, and no longer hunted gold as a pothunter. ® * * To a tamely p: s Easterner who, some years after his re to the West, made the conventiona! n. n't it amazing that you w h those hard years of toil whe: were 80 poor?” Peter Bines bad replied, to his guestioner's hopeless be- wildermen No. But it is surprisin’ that I kept happy after I got rich—after I got what 1 wanted I reckon you'll find,” he added, by way of explanation, “‘thet the proportion of happy rich 1o unbappy & mighty sight smaller than the prop: appy Poor to unhappy poor. I'm one of former minority, all right—but, by Cripes! it's because I know how to be rich and still oy all the little comforts of pov- erty?! Peter’s only child, Daniel, marries and has tw hildren, Percival and Psyche. It is wher se two have reached mau- hood and 00d that this tale of their adver ns. With the begin- s the sudden death ning of. the er his death nis e ——— He 2 Ve e of verse that 2 v who cares at for verse re in reading.”— Songs of the And Oiher Dr @SS tevenwresin Verse. 1 By BAILEY MILLARD, Who first gave recogsition to T dwis Mirkbam aad acc pted for ihe Examiner “The Man With the Hoe.™ for the small num- enjoy real poetry, that the heart.”—George 75¢, net Eider and Shepard, 238 Post Street, Szn Francis 1" Unique Catslogue. \PENDERS 5 )¢ —]—;m LLUSTRATED DY | (NCILLJAITA' PETI T RO VN RS 7 “wrrLs BiTiy = BRUEL, WHATS DornN?" COPYRIGHT /902 BY LATHROP PUBLISHING CO children feel that the strongest tie which has bound them to the West has been As they feel out of sympathy with the West and its ideals, they per- suade their mother to take them to New Percival has been and has learned to disdain upon his Montana home. he and his sister long for the gay and brilliant life which they amid the rude surroundings of Bines is a simple, is willing to live East or shall decide. woman, and ‘West, as her chfldren Peter Bines offers a strenuous objection to the project of a change of home for educated at THE SUNDAY CALL. L SISO £ S the family of his son. Without having vielded to the temptations which great wealth brings to its possessor, Peter Bines fully appreclates their allurements. He fears that if his grandchildren become enamored of the seductions of the life of older and more cultivated communi- ties they will be unwilling to return to the West. For he hopes that Percival will do his part in developing its re- sources and in furthering the enterprises established by himself and his son, Dan- fel. However, the will of the gzandchil- dren prevails, and they go to New York. There their wealth attracts about them fortune hunters and sycophants. Psyche is sought in marriage by several men who think their assured position in so- clety a fair exchange for the milllons which she will bring as a dowry. One of the men, the Hon. Cecil Mauburn, is the nephew and presumably the heir of an English Earl. Attracted by the title’ which Mauburn expects to inherit, Psyche becomes engaged to him. Percival meets a girl with whom he falls in love. When he discovers that she is intent upon marrying him for his for- tune he determines not to ask her to be- come his wife. This girl, Avice Mllbrey, belongs to one of the old New York fam- flles. To restore the family fortunes which have become exhausted, it is In- tended that Avice shall make a brilllant marriage. Avice is a beautiful, clever girl, and in reality possessed of a fine character. As a young girl she has tried to live up to a high ideal, but the train- ing of a worldly father and mother and an acquaintance h a society which ex- ists apparently only to indulge in selfish pleasures little by little stifles the bettar impulses of her nature. At last Avice comes to believe that she is incapable of disinterested love for any one, and that money. is the only thing for which to mar! Percival has an attraction for Avice, but, true to her training, she tries to win him for the sake of his wealth. Avice divines the love which Pergival feels for her. When she discovers that for some reason Percival will not ask her to marry him she accepts an im- mensely wealthy suitor who presents himself. For a year after arriving in New York Mrs. Bines, Psyche and Percival spend their money with great recklessness. Per- cival, in particular, seems to have no thought that even a large fortune may in time become impaired by prodigality. He gambles for immense sums, which he loses without concern. Rumors of the gay life led by the Bines and of their extravagance reach the ears of Peter Bines. He appears in New York. Apparently he makes no effort to per- suade his family to change their mode of life. In reality Peter Bines is walting for an opportunity to give his grandson an object lesson on the folly of the course which he has pursued in New York. After some thought Peter formulates a plan to THE Flouse oF f > cure Percival of his mania for specula- tion. This plan follows the principle that like cures like. By the use of flattery Peter Blnes makes Percival believe that he is wasting his talents in ordinary gambling. and that he would do better to exercise them on the more important is- sues of the Stock Exchange. So Percival starts out to make a career as one of the great financlers of the age. He invests almost the whole of the Bines fortune in what he supposes will prove to be enter- prises of colossal importance. In a short time all of Percival's ventures prove fail- ures and the Bines millions vanish. At first Percival is stunned by the reverse of fortune. Soon, stung by the reproaches of his grandfather, he determines to show that he, too, possesses the Bines talent for fortune building. Percival decides to return to the West with his mother, sis- ter and grandfather, and there, far from the unwholesome influences of his life In the East, try to bulld his life and his for- tune anew. Before he leaves New York he persuades Avice Milbrey to marry him. For when Avice is put to the test she proves false to the training of her lifetime. On the eve of a marriage which will satisfy the greatest ambitions of her family she consents to brave poverty in a distant land for the sake of an unsel- fish affection which she has discovered she is capable of feeling. To an ending no less happy the loss of wealth brings the engagement of Psyehe Bines. At the time that the Bines lose their wealth Mauburn discovers that he is no longer heir to the title of his uncle. When the mercenary motives which have led Mau- burn and Psyche Bines into an engage- ment cease to exist they discover that they feel for each other a genulne, dis- interested affection. They marry and go West to do their share in recreating the family fortune. As a comparative study of certain con- ditions of American life East and West, “The Spenders’” is more successful than many other attempts which have been made in the same direction. It is essen- tlally a novel of the West, although most of its scenes are laid on the opposite side of the continent. Yet certain phases of life in the East are depicted with an un- erring accliracy, which throws into @ re- lief all the more marked a type of life with which these are contrasted. In- deed, Mr. Wilson has been peculiarly suc- cessful in entering into a sympathetic understanding of certain social condi- tions, against which the book is never- theless a protest. As a result, although the types of character portrayed are va- ried, each has been kept distinct and de- veloped with a rare consistency. The character drawing deserves high pralise. Mr. Wilson nas a very happy faculty of employing concise but telling phrases, which bring clearly before the reader the idlosyncrasies of the character under dis- cussion. What is even better, he allows the different people of the story, by the utterence of characteristic dialogue, to bring conviction of their purpose to the mind of the reader—a thing to be accom- plished only by one who is a teller of storfes as much by the grace of nature as of art. Among the many good passages which the book contains it is difficult to select for quotation any in particular. Perhaps the following are especlally distinctive, the first as showing the leading idea of the book, the second 'as characteristic of its terse, graphic style. Peter Bines in speaking of the advisa- bility of a return of his grandson to ths ‘West from the East says: The West is the only place for him. He was gettin’ bad notlons about his own country hers from them folks that's always crackin’ up the “‘other side,” 'sit there wa'n't any “this side’ worth speakin’ of in company. This {s no place fur him. Mr. Shepler, this whole country is God's country. I don’t talk much about them things, but I believe in God—a man has to it he lives s0 much alone in them wild places as I have—and I believe this country is his fa- vorite. I belleve he set it apart fur great works. The history of the United States bears me out 8o fur. And I didn't want any of my stock growin’ up without feelin’ that he had the best natlve land on earth, and without bein' ready to fight fur it at the drop of the hat. And jest between you and me, I belleve we can raise that kind in the West bettern you can here in New York. You got & fine, handsome town here, it's a corkin’ good place to see—and get out of—but it ain’t any breed- in’ place—there ain’t the room to grow. Now we produce everything in the West, includin’ men. Here you don’t do anything but con- sume—includin’ men. If the West stopped pro- ducin’ men fur you, you'd be as bad off as if it stopped producin’ food. You can’t grow a blg man on this island any more than you can 5 grow wheat out there on Broadway. You're all right. You folks have your uses. I ain't like one of these crasy Populists that thinks you're rascals and all ltke that; but my point is that you don’t get the fun out of lifs. You don't get the big feelin’s. Out in the West they're the flesh and blood and bone; and you people here—meanin’ no disrespect—you're the dim- ples and wrinkles and—the warts. You spend and gamble back and forth with that money we raise and dig out of the ground, and you think you're gettin' the best end of it, but you aim't. I found that out thirty-two years ago this spring. I had a crazy fool notion then to 20 bick there even when I hadn't gone.broke— and I done well to go. And that's why I wanted that boy back there. And that's why I'm mighty proud of him, to see he's so hot to 80 and take hold, like I knew he would be. The following scene describes the woo- ing of a rude Westerner, whose acquired Eastern polish vanishes under the stress of strong emotion. Those who appear in this scene are Miss Milbrey and Percival Bines. Miss Milbrey is at the time en- gaged to the muiltimillionaire, Rulon Shepler. Peter Blnes on the eve of his departure from New York, after his financial disaster, appears unexpectedly in the home of Miss Milbrey. She stood by the table, the light from =& shaded lamp making her color glow. Now shegnoted that he had not spoken. She turned quickly to him as if to question. He took & swift little step toward her, still without speaking. She stepped back with & sudden instinct of fright. He took two quick steps forward and grasp- ed one of her wrists. He spoke in cool, even tones, but the words came fast: “I've come to marry you to-night; to take you away with me to that Western country. You may not like the life. You may grieve to death for all I know—but you're going. I won't plead, I won't beg, but I'm going to take you.” She had begun to pull away In alarm when he seized her wrist. His grasp did not brulse, it 4id not seem to be tight, but the hand that held it was immovable, “Mr, Bines, you forget yourself. Really this 1s—" “Don’t waste time. You can say all that needs to be sald—I'll give you time for that before we start—but don't waste the time say- ing all these useless things. Don't waste time telling me I'm crazy. Perhaps I am. We can settle that later.” “Mr. Bines, how absurd! Oh! let me gol You're hurting my wrist! Ohl—don‘t—don’t— don’t! ORI When he felt the slender wrist try to writhe from his grasp he had closed upon it mors tightly, and thrusting his other arm quickly behind her, had drawn her closely to him. Her cries and pleadings wers being smothered down on his breast. Her struggles met only the unbending, pitiless resistance of steel. ‘Don’t waste time, I tell you—can’t you un- derstand? Be sensible—talk if you must—only talk sense. “Let me see you—I want to ses your eyes— they're my eyes now.' Her head strained against h# hand to be down again, and all her strength was exerted to be away. Bhe found she could not move In any direction. ‘'Oh, you're hurting my neck. What shall I do? 1 can't scream—think what it would meanl—you're hurting my neck!" “You ave hurting your own neck—stop it He kissed her face, softly, her cheeks, her her chin, ve loved you so—don’'t—what's the usq? Be sensible. My arms have starved for you so —do you think they're going to loosen now? Avice Milbrey—Avice Milbrey—Avice Mil- brey!" His arms tightened about her as he sald the name over and over. “That's poetry—it's all the poetry there is in the world. It's a verse I say over in the night. You can't understand it yet—it's too deep for you. It means I must have you—and the next verse means you must have me—a poor man—be & poor man’s wite—and all the other Verses—millions of them—mean that I'll never Bive you up—and there's a lot more verses for you to write, when you understand—mean- ing that you'll never give me up—and there one In the beginning means I'm going to carry you off and marry you to-night—now, do you understand?—right off—this very night!" ‘Oh! Oh! This is so terrible! Oh, it awtul “I'm golng back to Montana in the morn- ing. I'want you to marry me to-night—I won't even walt one more day—one more hour. I know it's a thing you never dreamt of—mar- rying & poor man. You'll look at it as the most disgraceful act of folly you could com- mit, and so will every one else here—but you' do it. To-morrow by this time you'll be half way to Chicago with me." “Mr. Bines, I'm perfectly reasonable and serfous—I mean it—are you quite sure you didn’t lose your wits when you lost your money 2" “It may be considered a witless thing to merry a girl who would marry for money— 0 but never mind that—I'm used to taking chances.”" She glanced up at him, curiously. “You know I'm to marry Mr. Shepler the 10th of next month." “Your grammar is faulty—your tense s wrong—you should say ‘was to have married Mr, Shepler.” I'm fastidious about these lit- tle things, I confess.” There was a knock at the door. He went over and unlocked it. Jarvis was there “Mr. Shepier, Miss Avice.” They looked at each other. Jarvis, shut that door ani wait outside.’” Yes, Mr. Bines.” ou can’t see him.” ‘But 1 must—we’re engagsd, don't you un- derstand?—of course I mus “T tell you I won't let you. Can’t you un- derstand that I'm not talking idly " He drew her toward the door. “Oh, not that—don’t open {t—] yes, I win! Still holding her closely with one arm, he opened the door. The man stared impassively above their heads—a graven !mage of unccm- sclousness. “Jarvi “Yes, sir. “Miss Milbrey wishes to say to Mr. Shepler thet she is engaged—" “That I'm ill,”" she interrupted, still making Itttle strugsies to twist from his grasp, her head still bent down. ““That she is engaged with Mr. Bines, Jarvis, and can’t see him. Say it that way—‘Miss Milbrey 1s engaged with Mr. Bines and can't see you!" " “Yes, sir.” The girl made a little move with her right arm, which was imprisoned fast between them. and which some fntuition led her captor not to restrain. The firm little hand worked its way slowly np, went creepingly over his shoul der and bent tightly about his neck. “Yes, sir,” repeated Jarvis, without the quiver of an eyelld, and went. He closed the door with his free hand and they stood as they were until they heard the noise of the front door closing and the soft Tetreating footsteps of the butler. “Oh, you were mean—mean—to shame me %0, and floods of tears came again. ‘T hated to do it, but I had to; it was a critical moment. And you couldn’t have made up your mind without it." She sobbed weakly in his arms, but her own arm was still tight about his'neck. He felt it for the first time. “But T had made up my mind—I Aid make it up while I talked.” They were back on the couch.’ He held her closa and she no longer resisted, but nestled in his arms with quick little sighs, as if re- lleved from a great strain. He kissed her fore- head and hair as she dried her eyes. “Now rest a little. Then we shall go.” “I've £0 much to tell you. That day at ths jeweler’s—well, what could I do but take one peor, last little look at you—to keep?” “Tell me if you cars for me?" “Oh, I do, I do, I do care for you. I have— ever since that day we walked in the woods. I do, I do. (Published by the Lothrop Publishing Company, Boston. Price $1 50.) The Blue Diamond. Previous to the French Revolution of 1792-3 a celebrated blue diamond, said to be the largest, most brilliant and beauti- ful blue diamond in existence, was one of the crown jewels of France, but during the turmoll of that period it was lost, t gether with the Sancy, another larger diamond subsequdntly recovered. Ths blue dlamond, however, was never again heard of In the trade or by the public. The “Hope diamond,” a large blue stone weighing about 4% karats, once owned by a Mr. Hope, is the only diamond of that color at all to be compared In size and beauty to the lost crown jewel since it disappeared, but the Hope diamond is far Inferior to it in size, brilllancy and value. All large jewels have a history more or less interesting, and In the story entitled “The Blue Diamond” Roswell W. Keens has attempted to tell the history of the French crown jewel after the revolution. (Published by the Abbey Pross, New York. Price $1 50.) "1 tell him— Grammar School Algebra. The American Book Company, New York, has just issued ‘“White's Grammar School Algebra,” by Emerson E. White, A. M, L. L. D. It correlates arithmetioc and algebra in a practical manner, af- fording pupils training in the algebralo solution of such problems as may also be solved by arithmetical processes. Only so much of algebraic notation is given as is necessary for the more elementary opera- tions, and the book may be readily mas- tered in the last year of the grammar school. Price 35 cents. Books Received. PINE TREE BALLADS—By Holman ¥. Day. Small, Maynard & Co., Boston. ON A DONKEY'S HURRICANE DECK— By R. Pitcher Woodward. 1. H. Blanchard Company, New York. THE FUTURE OF WAR—By L 8. Bioch. Ginn & Co., Boston. CHIQUITA—By Merrill Tileston. 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