Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-08-30
CHAPTER IN-LOTnON

|
Goldsmith.
When Mr.. Blarnaby called upon Mr..
| Rogg, as arranged in Miss BennisOn S
morning room, he had, as we know, rot the
| least notion that his name had been taken
| in vain by Genie. When he left Mr. Hoge,
| after nearly a n hours earnest conversation,
| he was none the wiser. The two men I'M
derstood each other fairly well. Blarraby's
| eye was not the kind to send shallow-pate
students of character into either raptures
! or shudders. 1t was neither large nor
small, bright nor dull, black nor blue. 1t
| was just plain, practical, wonderfully
| serviceable eye, with a world of keenneSs,
sagacity and resolution in its fathomleSs
| depths. IL took mans measure before he
realized he had been looked at. The Blar-
naby eye could see through us as we see
| through frog when put before an intense
| light. The difference between i wise man
| and fool consists in this-the wise man
sees into what the other only looks
| at: the one only uses his senses,
| the other his sense. Blarnaby was
very wise man, always bearing in mind
| that we are all OF US more or less lunatiC.
| It's only question of how often our lucid
| intervals come. and how long they last.
He thought 10 himself, did Mr. Blarnaby
| on leaving Hogs house, something Of this
sort: "HOgg IS just the man for me,
If ives. hang that Tiff l can get
hold of him. He's young enough TO be
tickled and old enough to be foxy; he's
good fellow, lots of friends, and served me
well in placing me i'll the best circles in
England-he and Miss BeunisOn too good
soul. But he seems shy about things OF
late. 1t looks as if he isn't going to like
my coming TO the front as candidate.
Shoul dn't wonder If he IS getting ready to
work against me- He hasn't forgiven my
speech that made mince-meat of silk-Stock-
ing politicians who grudge honest workers
their paltry gains because the dudish re-
formers can afford TO be patriots for moth
ing. Yet he shows no feeling, and lie
hasn't left the party. His soft place is his
bump of conceit. He wants to be big
badly enough, but he's ten times more hun
CRY for people to think him big If they only
would, his constitutional Incidence would
make him content with the reputation. He
doesn't like having to earn il. That's the
way with your superfine reformers. If ]
can induce him to be the tigurehead OF the
National development scheme, he shall en-
Joy all the glory he wants, and 1.-The work.
Can't get at his influence over the Benson
circle. Has he any2 And the English
crowd-if l could lind out just what they
all think of his fancy reforms and ranch
notions! Wonder if ne has an eye on the
Dabchic girl! Smart child, that; plenty OF
lucre TO come, too | don't believe he even
knows her family history. Hope not, any
way. Well, Hogg is a shy bird, but worth
waiting for Il while longer"
And what was Hogg thinking at the same
time! Just this Blarnabv is all there.
| don't like him, and yet do like him. He
is too clever by half, but that's exactly the
sort of fellow we want. Who can feel
proud of respectable mediocrity in high
places, even when 1t is respectable. Blar-
naby's puisSant brilliance may cast dark
shadow, but 1t Is genius of a sort, and that's
something TO point to, anyway. But he's
so confoundedly tricky. You never know
where you are, and just when you are GER
tain he's clean knocked out, he comes up
smiling and victor. / shouldn't wonder If
the Laramie affair doesn't turn up the best
trump of the suit. II it does, Blarnaby will
be our second Washington, the delverer
Of his country from its most danger
Gus enemies, those within its own house
hold. Here am |, posing as a reformer a
progressionist, friend of the working man,
and all that so t of thing-can l afford to
give the cold shoulder TO one who is actually
doing what only talk abouti And here's
another thing: Blarnaby appeals to my
sense of patriotism to checkmate the odiouS
plottings of the alien rabble who want to
involve our country in rows all around by
joining him in multiplying the bands, COM
merclal, social, and political, which unite
US TO our klnSfolk in Great Britain. How
can with decency refuse my help? Why,
the browning happiness of my public life
will be the satisfaction l shall feel in hav-
ing shared in effecting the closer union of
the old land of our fathers with ours
Well, mustn't be rash. What droll little
puss that Genie is ~
The object of Blarnaby's call upon Hogg
we are only able to guess at from their
thoughts. Nor would we be justified in
wasting time on that interview while other
matters of more importance await US. Up
to now we have been watching what Blar- 1
naby and his friends have been doing since
his return from England. The Scheme has
been fairly tioated, and for the present let
US leave il to the chances of wind and
wave We want to know what. Mr., Blarnaby
went to England for, and what he gained.
So we will go back a few months to that
bright morning of PROMISE III June, when a
room on the Esthetic was stuffed stupidity
full OF flowers, natures perfect handiwork
forced into hiGeouS artificial ''horal piece;
monstrosltieS, IN honor of the Hon. De Witt
NJ. Blarnaby.
This was not his first trip. He had been
to England before. The first time ne went
as one OF party of friends. including one
or two literary persons, simply as holiday
makers, and to realize the fascination of
treadlng on the hallowed ground of history.
Next time he went with business in his
eye, planning investments, studying the
ebo and flow of money markets, and making
friends in the tents of Mammon. He had
crossed the ocean several times since then,
and 1t ministered agreeably to his self-ap-
probation as he found himself received by
an overwhelming circle with the courtesies
due TO distinguished American states
man-for such he was taken to be. He
made his way readily enough, for besides
the iDexhaustible stock of classical quota
tons and illusions which every ex-senator
feels bound to trot out in conversation,
Blarnaby mad a rich store of funny stories,
which even the most Puritanical of our
countrymen take pride in accommodating. On
the strength of these treasures of memory
he had built up even in his own land q
wonderful reputation as dinner-table wit,
so that the prosier English folk naturally
looked on him as prodigy of Yankee
'cuteness.
But Blarnaby was not content with his
triumphs. The trading community were
very well in their way. He felt perfectly
at home among them; had no fault to find |
with their cordially. He would never |
have spoken his thought aloud. but in very
deed did he think that the English middle |
class was not good enough for his present |
purpose. And he was perfectly right.
Year after year Blarnaby had been taking |
note OF the growing number of Americans |
who spend month or two in England |
every year. This, and the ever-increasing |
marriages OF American girls to English |