The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-11-22


Northwck's room. Northwlck was awake: he
had heard tho whistle. too.
Now. Mr.. Warwick. or what you name"
said Bird. with trembling cagerness. that Is
tho boat. want you take you money and go
hout my 'ouse. Yes. sir. Now! Pack you
things. Don't wait for breakfast You get
breakfast on board. Col"
CHAPTER Will
The lotter which Pare Etienne posted for
Northwick at Rimouski was addressed to the
editor OF the Boston Epents and was published
with every advantage which scare heading
could invent A young journalist newly pro-
noted to the management was trying to give
tho counting room proofs Of his efficiency in
tho line of tho Erpnts' greatest successes. and
he wasted no thrill that the sensation in his
hands was capable of imparting to his readers.
Yet tho effect was disappointing. not only in
tho figure Of the immediate sales. but in the
cumulative value Of the recognition OF
the fact that tho Erents had been
selected by Northwick rs the best avenue for
approaching tho public. The .Abstdct, in
copying and commenting upon the letter.
skilfully stabbed its esteemed contemporary
with an acknowledgment Of its prime impor-
tance as the organ Of tho American defaulters
tho document rs u fake made common cause
in treating 1t as a matter Of little or no mo-
ment, in fact. there had been many defalca-
tions since Northwick's: the average Of ono u
day in the dispatches of the Associated Press
had been kept up. and several Of these
had easily surpassed his IN the losses involved
and In tho picturesqucness OF tho circum-
stances People generally recalled with an
effort the supremacy tragic claim OF his case
through the rumor of his death in the railroad
accident: those who distinctly remembered it
experienced certain disgust ut tho mans
willingness to shelter himself so long in the
doubt to which it had left not only the public.
but his own family. concerning his fate
The evening utter tho letter appeared. Hill
airy was dining one of those belated English
men who sometimes arrive in Boston after
most houses are closed for the summer on the
were already with Matt at his farm for IL brief
season before opening their own house ut the
shore. and Hilary was living en- 0arcOH. There
were only men at the dinner. and the talk ut
first ran chiefly to the question Of u sufficient
incentive for Northw:ck's POPULATIONS: it's alb
sence was the fact which all concurred in
owning. In difference to his guests ignorance
OF the matter. Hilary went rapidly over it from
the beginning. and as lie did SO the perfectly
typical character of the man and Of tho situa-
ton appeared in clear relief. He ended by
saying: 1T isn't at all a remarkable instance.
There is nothing peculiar about it North
wick was we'll of. and he wished to be better
OIL. He had plenty OF other peoples money
in his hands. which no controlled SO entirely
that he felt IA il it were his own. He used it.
and he lost it. Then ho was found out and
ran away. That's ALL
'Then. as understand" said the English
man. with strong impression that ho was
making joke. this Mr.. Northwck was not
one Of your most remarkable men,
Everybody laughed obligingly. and Hilary
said. HE was ono OF our least remarkable
men," Then. spurred OH by that perverse i'm
pulse which we Americans often have to make
the worst OF ourselves to an Englishman. he
added: Tho defaulter seems to be taking
the place OF the self-made man AMONG us.
Northwick's type. little differentiated from
thousands Of others by the rumor OF his death
in the first place. and now by this unconsciously
hyrocritcal and nauseous letter. He's what
the commonplace American egotist must come
to more and more in finance. now that he Is
abandoning the career OF politics. and wants
to DO rich instead Of great"
"Really?" said the Englishman.
Among Hilary's guests was Charles Belling-
ham, a bachelor>of pronounced badness. who
said he would come to meet Hilary's belated
in quality of bear leader to his
cousin in law. old Bromtleld Corey q society
veteran OF that period when even the swell in
Boston had to be an intellectual man. He was
not only old. but an invalid. and he seldom left
town In summer. and liked to go out to dinner
whenever he was asked. Bellingham came to
the rescue OF the national repute In his own
fashion. Il can't account for your not locking
up your spoons. Hilary. when YOU invited me.
unless you knew where you could steal some
moro"
"Ah. 1t isn't quite like gentleman's stealing
q few spoons" old Corey began. In the gentle
way he had. and with certain involuntary
sibillation through the gaps between his front
teeth. Its much moro heroic thing than
an ordinary theft. and can't let you belittle 1t
rs something commonplace because It hap
pens every day. 30 does death; 30 does birth;
but they're not commonplace"
They're not so frequent as defalcation
with us. quite-especially BIRTH" suggested
NO" Corey went on. "every fact OF this sort
Is preceded by the slow and long decay OF a
moral nature, and that is OF the most eternal
and traGicpl interest; and "-here Corey broke
down In an old mani queer. whImpering laugh.
rs the notion struck him" it's very common
with us. don't know but We ought to be proud
Of 1t. as showing that we excel all the rest OF
tho civilized world In tho proportion OF decayed
moral natures to the whole population. But
WONDER" he went on. that 1t doesn't produce
more moralists OF a sanative type than 1t has.
Our bad teeth have given us tho best dentists
In the world; our habit OF defalcation hasn't
resulted yet in any ethical compensation. Sew
ell. here. used to preach about such things.
30 hail Inv nj "
on Northwick from him next Sunday"
The Rev. Mr.. Sewell suffered the thrust In
patience. Whats the use 2" he asked. with
q certain sadness. "The preachers voice Is
lost In his sounding board nowadays. when all
the Sunday newspapers are crying aloud from
twenty weight pages illustrated"
Perhaps they are our moralists." Corey
suggested.
Perhaps" Sewell assented.
by the way. Hilary" said Bellingham. did
you ever know who wrote that article In the
A.. A..aA