The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1895-09-05

their jewels to offer in exchange for it..
Their jewels may or may not be their
personal property; at all events, paste
reproductions are cheap and easily come
by. Who knows, or can expect to know,
whether the Regent de france. the Pasha
of Egypt, the Sancy, or even the Great
Mogul, are genuine or bogus? IF bogus,
where are the originals? Whispers have
moor; but it is to be hoped that, in this
case at least, there is no basis for them.
Meanwhile Harry Trent continued dill
gently at work on his new house. We
have seen many fine houses erected since
then; but it is safe to say that Trent's
house is still as good as anything in the
way of a dwelling in New York city.
Its excellence, howevsr, lay not so much
in external adornment as in the fittings
and furniture inside.
It stood on corner lot-or rather on
a corner lot and two adjoining ones
and there was space on both sides of it,
while at the back was roomy inclosure
and stables. It was built Of reddish
graystone, with broad projecting win
dows admitting plenty of light. The plan
of the rooms and staircases was most
agreeable; at whatever point you stood
you saw around you only charming WIS.,
tas, harmonious lines, soothing colors and
spacious perspectives. Every room was
a picture in itself, combining with the
others to form more elaborate picture.
Yet the eye was never wearied by petty
details; the minor features constituted
and contributed to the whole effect in
stead of detracting from it. There was
to Harry Trent-not only in the ordinary
sense of proprietorship, but as being the
material incarnation of his thoughts,
tastes and accomplishments. His house
was he-and it is paying him no small
compliment to say SO. A mans interior
is not always so comely an object of con-
temptation. You might discover, indeed,
here and there, picture, a statue, a
sweep of drapery or passage of color
that indicated regions in the designers
nature of somewhat sumptuous, sensu-
GUS or voluptuous tendency; but they
were never obtrusive, never out of due
all only what would be expected from a
man of his artistic and generous tempera-
ment.
But what was Harry Trent going to
do with his new home? He was going
to live in it, doubtless; but did he mean
to live alone? This question had latterly
thrown good many charming women
into meditative frame of mind. It was
known, of course, that Harry Trent had
been married; but that was in his youth;
his wife had died within a year and had
left him childiess. There was nothing,
then, in the way of his marrying again,
and upon other grounds such an event
was probable. For, as has already been
intimated, he was still to all intents and
purposes a young man. That quality in
him that led to his being called Harry
Trent, instead of Mr.. Trent, or Henry,
may serve to convey one meaning. Hewas
still in the swim; he was not on the re-
tired or retiring list; he was modern and
active, not fossiized and antiquated. Men
younger in years than he had not half
his elasticity and vitality. He kept pace
with the times and looked ahead rather
than backward. Moreover, he was fond
of society and constantly in it, and
man more liked by women could not be
found. 1t was not that he dazzled them
with his own brilliancy, but he made
them brilliant; he drew from them the
best that was in them and enchanted
them with themselves.
Mirabeau had the '.don terrible de la
familiarite;" Harry Trent had the no
less terrible gift of sympathy-magneti
sympathy Ito employ once again that
abused adjective). There was vigorous,
masculine fiber in him that never fails
to attract the other sex. They felt that
he understood them and could manage
them-could do the thing they wished
to have done. whatever it might be-
This, of course, is not quite the same as
saying that "the American Castellani"
Gas he was sometimes styled was a man
whom women could afford to trust.
There were stories about him-never
fairly authenticated, however = that
pointed to different conclusion. If we
give ear to the gossip of the world, who
would escape? Harry Trent was a man
of the world, and he was highly cui-
tured. fastidious man. Low intrigues
would not come in his way; on the other
uduu, uc ulouO LIZ plOlCoS1On VI coAAeSA1Ps
he went to church, and was privately
charitable; for the rest, you must take
him for what he appeared, and he was
taken for an uncommonly fine fellow.
But to return to the marriage ques-
tion. The opinion gained ground that
Harry Trent contemplated matrimony,
though no seer was found bold enough
to point out the particular woman who
was to enjoy the good fortune of being
made his wife. Some fancied it might
be the handsome New Orleans widow,
Sally Matchin, who was known to have
been on terms of cordial friendship with
him for many years, and at whose house
in West Eighteenth street he was often
seen. But experienced critics objected
that, had she been the destined bride,
she would have become Mrs. Trent long
ago-the acquaintance was now too old
to issue in that manner. A few enter
prising spirits threw out suggestions
looking toward Olympia Raven, beau
tiful girl of eighteen, and cousin OF
Harry's by marriage. But Olympia was
really too young, even for Harry, and
besides, he had quietly made known his
intention of inviting her and her mother
to come and live with him-which, it
was agreed, he would scarcely have done
had he meant to wed her; nor would he