The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, July 26, 1903, Page 2

SUNDAY CALL. rould be her last day while he could write > was down and out philoson of entire freedom. gan to suspect that shyness now ng clear, she and end the luctant of speech; and deterred him. celermired to force the i strain for both. Percival had less happily made a series of discoveries regarding his t caused him to view awzakening hown not a little interest ard was now talk- g creature as she sensations th: took cheer, Ing with that fas, cold drink, which the moment he nerved himsei head and get warmth of the without dam- at neither had been en universally American more than he, and. as it wou'd probably Youth Is prone to endow 1its the dignity of certain trifies mest dai surface talk was barely kles curved them toward knowledge. akfast-room worth looki: On the other hand, you'h is thought she. often g.fted with a credulity divine and beading vi- America is tness and aplomb. came up the road- ing a man whom evident sur- He was sl'ght door as_ they way @ lrap was dep humor that is t look on the O’Neil Lath- York artist, have at least two Mauburn's to conscious- and some restraint. of muvement, hat expanded and quivers like those of a high-bred horse in t ght check. Miss Milbrey introduced him to Percival uld ache him back e @ tally, because 1 knew you'd want to come broad win- came the glo- sun to make Through the breakfast-rocm you'-will, nes > d arranged it has caught the he talented author’s clever all in worcs tly the artist jo''e, wasn’t her awkward roadway, run- were hereabouts,” didn’t know auburn, resplend- trim, alive and plate were him as a calc ent in his myriad freck rtain words and Down the broad swe«p “I've run over from Bloynes to dine and Hallowe'en . s dark eyes quickly over Per- cival and again lignting one of the best features of eek authors; a choice which th 7 Call’s literary policy. ¥ y get the very by the most famous writers in the ou get them quick. There between install- inable series of n our next” catch lines. on will fol- stroce at a “You know cold mutton you comp imented my powers on that other wa i )Y there where the ¢ sodden-looking marma- cating of these with his singleness who might observe. mself with one hand S rel atest nove you wonderful, “burprises never come singly,” and Percival tie air of def.auce in her noted a curious lit- nce and man- world, bet 3 of mind to all there was Mrs e was Mn absent and sumewhat em- «d manner. vet and white Now it is possible that Solomon’s im- plicd distinction as to the man's way with not, after all, so ill adv For young Bines, after dinner, s over again. normai kuman mind going to one ex- treme wili inevitably gravitate to its op- posite if given s monstrous i'lu Mauburn and British brea't a maid wa should now her husband, d it in his collar, & and rushed f 1 decanter, a bowl The Master of Appleby,” by n; “Crittenden,” by John The Two Vanrevels,” Tarkington, ‘The Gentleman has just been concluded in ges; “The Turnp by Fergus Hume, etc., etc. ou d regard her, of a'l Francis Ly resently bec was getting bald Having put giction that .cenary—ta: ing fasted in now found him- gulps of coffee Mauburn nervous distrust. heait ¢ss and m uesert of duubt—he self detecting in her an unmistakable ap- peal for sympathy, for human kindness, He forgot the words of Higbee and became again the confident, He noted her rather reserved demeanor and the suggestions of weariness about her eyes. He resolved at once to eek her and glve his love freadom to tell He would no loftlger meanly re- He would even tell her all his Now that they had gone she should know every ignoble suspicion; and, cared for him or not, would comfort him for the hurt they had seen to him. The Hallowe'en frolic was on. Through the long hall, lighted to pleasant dusk by Jack-o'-Janterns, strolled, with subducd murmurs and soft In the big white and gold par- lor, in the dining-room, billiard-room, and in the trepie jungle of the immense palm garden the party had bestowed itself in cungenial groups, cver intersecting and Little flutters of laughter now and then told of tests that were belng made with roasing chestnuts, apple parings, dropped into water, or the lighted candle before an open window. Percival watched for the chance to find His sister had just Feelin’ a bit seedy? I'm not so fit that, with six establishmen to lay his Leac From In- I don’t wonder . vou know. It must Iy anchovy paste we had without a piaé ascetic Winn'e 10, @s a theosophist, 18 un- believe that, i he came near to having an a fair with a danseuse; he was expounding = esoterics of his cult to a high-colored tte with many was rather inelined to the horse- talk of one of the nephews. Or there were Miss Milbrey and Perci- val Bines, of whom the former had noted with some surprise that dying her with the eyes culation, something she had never be- re detected in him. er dinner there were bridge and mu- sic from the big pipe-organ in the mus »om, and billiards and some danc The rival cavaliers of Miss Bines, per- simultaneously d have the delicacy the fleld, cunni other Into the billjard-room, where they ¥ consumed whisky tegether with the design of making each This resulted nephews, who invariably hunted as a pair, turing Miss Bines to see if she could horse as ably when they found that she could, planning a coaching trip for the morrow. It also resuited in Miss Bines seeing no more of either cavalier that night, since abandoned their contest only after every one but a sleepy butler had retired, and at a time when it became necessary Englishman to assist the Amer- fcan up the stairs, though the latter was moved to protest, as a matter of cheerful generality, that he was “aw ri'—entirely At parting he repeatedly urged Mauburn, with tears in his eves, to point out one single Instance in which he had ever proved false to a friend. To herself. when the pink rose came out of her nair that night, Miss Milbrey admitted that it wasnt going to be so bad, after all. She had feared he might rueh his pro- posal through that night: he had been so But he had not done so, and she was glad he could be restrained and deliberate in that promised well, that wait until the morrow. CHAPTER XIX. W e Tterh: o breathed the alr of her perfect ana com- Perhaps for love. €s beheld him reach of the cold, terrible Milbrey's burn another sli ur.questioning lover, p Publishing hunting night he tres for them as fast 'd 1acher marry a sub- 3 a minute— u: but if ycu were brok: * said Milbrey, as he inflated his y drew him turquolses, as they come; sk ladies—this & mere hammer- us epoke a mal adlistened. nice to the abser dream this morning.” “Wake up old chap!” cordially urged, engaging the game ple in *“Give over, t latter was Jike it; better'n peggin’ it so early. Never dinner-time, to eat in the morning lHke— And he proceeded notion of infancy's break- t with a jam tart of majestic propor- ““The end of t whether she tinued the previc “and so they bapplly ever af Her glance was frank, friendly and .en- Her deep eves wers r as a trout brook. vyou'll be able like a biooming baby." to crown thi He thought he saw in them once almost a tenderness for him. She thought, “He Goes love me!™ grounds they Outside the turned down led off through the woods—off through the golden sun-wine 4 The air bore a clean and a faint salt pe blended with it from the d‘smntys.‘i\‘x 1‘l‘ The autumn perfect silence “but here she comes And as blond and flufty little Mrs. Ake- late divorcee, joined the group the back to the flourishing new driving over of Tux- “Where are the people?” inquired Mil- his own moist breakfast brey, eking out with a cigarette. “All down and out except some of the Miss Bines just d in-hand with the two Angsteads-held the reins like an old whip, too, by Jove; but they'l] be back for luncheon—and directly after luncheon she's promised to ride with we'll have a tice over the sticks. “And I fancy I'm going straight back to ‘bed—that is, if it's al] right to fancy @ thing you're certain about.” Outside most of the others had scattered each to his taste. Some had gone of an October day. talk ranged inveigled each edo people for tr ove off a four- n all the world, was rest forming anew. full of significance, suggestio,, From the spongy back of them came the pleading sweet- ness of a meadow lark's cry. could even hear an occasional leaf flutior The quick thud of a other drunk. seicing & double I provocation. ly was she interested nee of Mrs. Drel Nearer they S e and waver down. falling nut was almaost earn its echo, lightning flash of vivid heard a jay's harsh scream. In this stillness their voices instinct've. ly lowered, while their eyes did homaga to the wondrous play of color about them, Over a yielding brown carpet they went among maple and chestnut and oak, with + their bewlildering changes through erim- son, russet and amber to pale yellow; u der the deep-stained leaves of (he sweet- gum they went, and past the dogwod with scarlet berries gemming the clusters orBua dim red leaves. ut through all this wai‘ing, ineciting stiencs Misa Milbrey listened 1 vara fus the words she had felt so certain would i Miss Milbrey alone. ventured alone with a candie library to study the face of her future husband in a mirror. The result had been, in a s:nse, uneatisfactory. held looking ovir her shoulder the faces of Mauburn, Fred Miibrey and the Ang- and had declared herself un- nerved by the welrd prophecy. Before the fire in stood, while Mrs. Akemit reclined pictur- and Dr. von Herzlich explained, with excessive care as to his enunciation, that protop/asm can be ana- lyzed, but cannot be reconstructed, fol- lowing this with his own view as to why the synthesis does not u wonderful man 1 fairly tremble when'| think of all Oh, what a delight science must be to her votaries!™ : The Angstead twins jeined the group, attracied by Mrs. AKemit's inquiry of the savant If he did not consider clvilization The twins did. ered clvilizatiod a failure because it was killing off all the big game. none to speak of left now except in Af- rica, and they were pessimistic about Now and then they saw a among them, tresher gos— life in the open, Some were on the links. with the coach. A few had ridden early to the meet of the Essex hounds near Easthampton, where a stiff run was ex- Others had gone to follow the A lively group came back now to read the morning papers by the log fire in the big, cheery hall. these were Percival and Miss When they had dawdled over the papers for an hour Miss Miilrey grew slightly. and there was more tea an She had be- stead twin going and hunt in traps. s conquered the of Inverness- sort of people house parties during though she would per- cling back and forth to Lon. would be conspicuous- an afternoon gh. in any condition of dress, t quite enough of her jewels strong-box? r of dressing sacque and e maids fluttered through dors on hair-tending and expeditions, hostess with a confidential “Why doesn't he hive it over asked herself, And she delicately gave Percival, not an opportunity, but opportunities to make an opportunity, which s a vastly different form of procedure. But the luncheon hour came and ple straggled back. e began, and the request for Miss Milbrey's heart and hand was still unaccountably deferred. Nor could she feel any of those subtle premonitions that usually warn a woman when the event is preparing in a lover's secret heart. Reminding herself of his letters, she be- with some impatience. Sometimes her companion was voluble; You Know. again he was taciturn—and through it il he was doggedly aloof. Miss Milbrey had put herself bravely in the path of destiny, Destiny had turned She had turned now it frankly fled. construed it, was turned a fugitive. was bruised, puzzled, and piqued. During the walk back, when this much had been made clear, the silence. oppressive, knowing -why, they undirstood perfecily much in eurnest. “breedy” sort of the afternoon They consid- to meet it, Destiny, as she had There was AN AFTERNOON EVENING Miss Milbrey, nd soda and a cigarette suggest- house where Ao ‘as he pleased, would take Miss Bines out to dinner. CATASTROPHE. the next morning, faced with becoming resignation what she felt he could really Percival listened absently to the talk and watched M!ss Milbrey, now one of the intolerably group in the dining-room. P saw her take a lighted candle from one of the laughing girls and go toward the library. His heart-beats quickened. Now she should know his love and it would be well. He walked down the hall leisurely, turned Into the big parlor, momentarily deserted, walked quickly but softly over 1ts polished floor to a door that gave into the library pushed the heavy portiere aside and stepped nolselessly In. The large room was lighted dimly by two immense vellow pumpkins, their sides cut into faces of grinning grotesqueness. At the far side of the room Miss Milbrey had that instant arrived before an antique oval mirror whose gilded carvings reflect- ed the light of the candle. She held It above her head with one rounded arm He stood In deep shadow and the g'rl had been too absorbed in the play to mote his coming. He took one noiseless step to- ward her, but then through the curtained doorway by which she had come he saw a man enter swiftly and furtively. Trembling on the verge aof laughing speech, something held him back, some unexplainable Instinct, making itself known in a thrill that went from his feet to his head: he could feel the roois of went his hair tingle. The newcomer quickly, with catlike tread, toward the girl. Fascinated he stood, wanting to speak, to laugh, yet powerless from the very swiftness of what followed In the mirror under the candle light he saw the man's dark face come beside the other heard a lttle ery from the girl as she Palf turned: then he saw the man take her in his arms, saw her head fall on to his shoulder, and her face turn to his kiss, He tried to stop breathing, fearful discovery, grasping with one hand heavy fold of the curtain back of him to steady himse!f There was the snace of two long. tremb- Iing breaths: then he heard her say, in a low, tense voice, as she drew away: “Oh, you are my bad angel—why ? wh She fled toward the danr to the hall “Don’t come this way." she called back, in quick, low tones of caution. The man turned toward the door where Percival stood. and in the darkness stum- bled over a hassock. Instantly Percival was on the other side of the portiere, and. before the Ather had groped his way to the dark corner where the door was, had recrossed the empty parlor and was safely in the hall. He made his way to the dining-room, - where supper was under way. Bines has seen a ghost,” sald the ot the “Mr. sharp-eyed Mrs. Drelmer S “Poor chap's only starved to death. said Mrs. Gwilt-Ath an. ‘“Eat _some- thing, Mr. Bines; this supper Is o-a8- you-please. Nobody's to wait for any- body. Strung loosely about the big table a dnzen people were eating hot scones and hannocks with clotted cream and marma- lade and drinking mulled cider. nd there's cold fow! and baked beans and doughnuts and all, for th who can’t eat with a Scotch accent.” said the host. cheerfully Percival dropped into one of the chairs. “I'm Scotch enough to want a Scotch highball * “And ycu're getting it so high it's top- heavy,” cautioned Mrs. Drelmer Above the clatter of the table could be heard the voices of men and the musical Jlaughter of women from the other rooms ~1 siniply can't get 'em together,” said the host “It's mice to have all over the sald her hus “fair women and brave men, “The men have to she an- swored, shortly, with a glance at little Mrs. Akemit, who had permitted Percival to seat her at his side, and was now pleading with him to agree that simp ways of life are requisite to the needed measure of spirituality. Then came strains of music from the rich-toned organ. “Oh, that dear Ned Ristine is pla ¥ ing,"” cricd one, and several of the group saun- tered toward the music-room The music flooded the hall and - the room, so that the talk died low. “He's improvising,” exclaimed Mrs Akemit. *“How spiendid! He seems to breathing a paean of triumph, som high, exalted spiritual triumph, as if his soul had risen above us—how pre: ! When the deep swell had subsided to sil- very riples and the last cadence had fainted, she looked at Percival with mois- tened parted lips and eyes half jelded, as if her full gaze would betray too much of her quivering soul. Then Percival heard the turquoised bru- nette say: “What a pity his wife is such an unsympathetic creature!” “But Mr. Ristine is unmarried, is he not?" he asked, quickly. There was a little laugh from Mrs. Drelmer. *Not yet—not that I've heard ¢f.” “I beg pardon!™ “There have been rumors lots of times that he was going to be unmarried, but they s seem to adjust their littlé diffic s. He and his wife are now stay- ing over at the Bloynes.” “Oh! 1 see,” answered Percival; “you're a jester, Mrs. Drelmer.” “Ristine,” observed the theosophic W berforce, in the manner of a hired oracle, *4s, in his present incarnation, imperfect- Iy monogamous.” Some pecple came in from the musi room. “Miss Milbrey has stayed by the organ- ist,” sa.d one; “and she’s promised to make him play one i t he di- vine?" The music came again “Oh!" from Mrs. Akemit, a stasy, “he's playing that heavenly stuff from the second act of 'ristan and 1solde’'—the one triumphant, perfect love- poem of all music.” “That Scotch whisky is good in some of the lesser emergencies,” remarked Fer- cival, turning to her; “but it has its hm- itations. Let's you and me trile with a nice cold quart of champagne!” CHAPTER XX. DR. VON H LICH HIGHTOWER HOT TAIN The Hightower Hotel by many ob- servers held to be an instructive mici cogm of New York, more especially of up- per Broadway, with correct proportions of the native and the visiting provincial. ‘With correct proportions, again, of the money-making native and the mone spending native, male and female. splendid place is this New York; splenc n in an ec- POUNDS THE AND CER- ZL ALLIED PHENOMENA but terrible. London for the stranger Las a steady-going. hearty hosptakty. Paris on short not.ce will be cozily and coax- ingly intimate. New York is never efuaer. It overwheims with its lavish display of wealth, it stuns with its tireless, batter- ing energy. But it stays always aloof, indifferent if it be loved or hated; if it crush or gustain The ground floor of the Hightower Ho- tel reproduces this magnificent, brutal in- difference. One might live years in its mile or so of stately corriders and its acre or so of resplendent cafes, parlors, recep- tlon rooms and restaurants, elbowed. by thousands, suffocated by that dense air of human crowdedness, that miasma of brain emana and still remain in spiendid isol as had he worn the magic ring of Gyges. Here is every species -of visitor—the mofiey-bur- dened who “stop” here and cultivate an air of being blase to the wealth of pol- ished splendors; and the less opulent, who “stop” cheaply elsewhere and vent n to tread the corridors timidly, to st with honest, drooping-jawed wonder jts marvels of architecture and tion, at those persons whom they “conceive to be social celebritie This mixture of many and strange ele- ments is never at rest. Itd units wait ex- pectantly, chat, drink, eat or stroll with varying alrs through reception-room, cor- ridor and office. It is an endless function, attended by all of Broadway, with enter- tainment diversely contrived for every taste by a catholic-minded host with a at decora- and to gaze with becoming reverence shrewdly sincere desire to please the paying publi “Isn’t it a huge bear-garden, though? asks Launton Odaker of the estimable Dr. von Herzlich, after the two had ob- served the scene in silence for a time. The wiee German dropped an oiive into his Rhine wine and gazed reflectively about the room. Men and women sat at tables drinking. Beyond the tables at the farther side of the room other men were playing billlards. It was 4 o'clock and the tide was high. “It !s yet more.” answered “In my prolonged stud the doctor. natura which I have been p He ecalled them 111 “awbsalrf’ with great nicety his discernment was less at f “Having,” continued t ed myself some resy r laboratory at Marburg, I ure voyage, to study y more the social conditions in this lovewor a1 - pected that much tiredness of travel would be involved. Yet here I find all conditions whatsoever—he in that which you denominate ‘bear-garden.’ They have been reduced here for my edificatic But your ferm is a term of ina comprehensiveness. It Js to me more what you call a ‘beast-garden,’ to ude all species of fauna. Are there not here moths and human flames? Are there not cunring serpents crawling with apples of knowledge to unreluctant, idiing Eves, yes? Do we not hear the amazing con- verse of parrots, and note the peafow! negotiating admiration from observers? Mark at that yet farther table also the v ong bird; again, rk our draught horses who have achieved a com- petence, yes? You note also the of wolves and lambs. And, endly our tailed arborean ancestors, trained to the wearing of garments and a singls ark eyeglass. May I ask, have you bestow upon this diversity your completest high attention? Hah!" This explosion of the doctor's meant that he invited and awalted some contrae diction. As none ensued, he went on: For wolf and lamb 1 direct your atten- tion to the group at yonder table. I mo- tice that you greeted the voung man &8 he entered—a common friend to us them— Mr. Bines, w financial resources in- credibly unlimited? Also he Is pos- sessed of an un rienced freedom from suspectedness others—one may terfor-motives-in- t In English as in Ger- man make the wo:d to fit his need of the moment—that unsuspectedness, I repeat. which has ever characterized the lamb about to be converted into nutrition. You note the large, loose gentleman with widebrimmed hat beard after my own, somew of some va discover at have sufficient disposed « wolf he is, The more co tired person at his right, w of a hawk and white teeth gleam they are yet sh htmself a promc efforts to promot ‘promoter’ is one saying. The yet Iitt man at his left of our soft voice and insinuat resembling a stray discloses to those w acquaints himself the th rious gaming house not far off; he will even consent to accompany ome to tables: and still yet he has but yesterd evening Invited me the all-town to see. T remind T permit no prejudices. I gs of unemotional law record them. You ! a sclentist myself here that there are three tw ger en shirt sleeves and shirt slee erve the process of the progress. is benign as are all processes. I ha lately observed it in England. There their law of entail, the same pr unswifter—yet unvar aris! almost back t with axes and ents for the money in shops of and ale, and graciously castles to the but-newly-opulent can oil or the d'amonds of S Here the posterity of Knickerbocker do likewise. The ances th was a tofler, a marke ier, a boatman ayed, unspending. r kitchen-gardene urished the poult pon the savings e forgotten how to They could rot yet produce should they even relinguish the illusion that to produce is of a baseness, that only to consume is noble. I gather reports that 2 few retain enough of the ancient strain 1y tradesmen and garden- ers once more. Others seek out and as- milate this new-richness, which. in its turn, will become impoverished and help- Ah, what beautiful showing of Evo- on! See the penury oes it ats, net your er. a ing man wove and n descendants hor bors ha selves to become € less, lu use- Why pendulum swing from to useless opulence it not halt midway, you inquir e the race is so vy Ach 40 000,000 vears from gran andmother amoeba In the a morass! What can one Certain facultles develop in re- tire pressure of environment re and the faculties no longer en: . Withdraw the sure and the es ightless moles, their environment demands not sight; nor of the fishes that Inhs streams of your Mammoth Cave aristocrats between the sleeve-of-the- periods likewise degenerate. There is no ful does 2 mere father-g cestral pecting? sponse to Omit the decay need to work, thy lose the power. No need to sustain themsel they become helpless. They are animals ¢ an environment that demands no gle of them. Yet their environment artificlal. They live stored energy stored by another. It is exhausted, they perish. All but the few that can modify to correspond with the changed enviro ment, as when your social celebrities ven- ture into trade, and the also few that in their life of idleness have acquired graces of person and manner let them find pleasure in the e of marryers among the but-now-rich. ~ The learned deoctor submitted to have his glass refilled from e cooler at his side, dropped another olive into the wine, and resumeddefore Oldak an escape. “And how long, you ask, shall the co: mic pendulum swing between these ex- tremes of penurio idleness 2" Oldaker had not asked it politely to appear as if he had meant t He had really meant to as< the what time it was and then pretend to re- call an engagement f which would late. be aiready “It will & ntinue.” the doctor placid- ly resumed the race achieves a different ideal. Now you will there can be no ideal so long as there is 1s 1 have dir the race i3 too yo and atd no imagination moment soor to have achieved im. The h est felicity which we yet able to agine a felicity based upon m money; our highest pleasures the material Pleasures which mongy buys, yes? We strive for it. developing the money-get- ting faculty at the eXpense of gil others: and when the money is obtained we can- We can imagtne to do w it_only ate eating and drin dressing for show to others and b houses immense and spiendidly u Jated for homes of rational dwelling science, music, literature, soclolof great study and play of our they are shut to us. “Qur young f d Bines is a specimen It is as If he were a child, hav received trom another a laboratory of the most beautiful instruments of science They are valuable. but he can do but com- mon things with them because he knows not their possibilities. Or, we may call it stored emergy he has: for such is money, the finest, subtlest, most potent form of stored energy. it mv‘~ command the highest fruits of genius, the lowest fruits of ani-