The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1899-04-28
You can gamble on

that"
Poindexter liked the sound of his own
voice and | encouraged him to talk. 1t
appeared that Mark Gerard was most
singular person. He had accumu-
lated large fortune by sucking-I
quote Poindexter-other mems brains;
and this vampire-like quality endeared
him to few. lie was generous as ca
liph if he liked u man; but he had no
friends. He was secretiye in his busi-
ness methods and sensual in his pleas
ures. Certain stories, George added, in
whisper, were afioat in clubland;
stories that limited at double life
Hyde and Jekyll existence. Gerard had
been known to disappear for months at
time leaving no clew to his where
abouts. Such persons. according to
George, should be handled with tongs.
The nature of these communications
was not reassuring; but | had no wish
to cancel my dinner engagement. On
the contrary, cursed the laggard
hours which yawned between appre-
hension and comprehension.
Il wonder" said George, as we part
ed, ''if that old fox chose you because
you're stranger" This hypothesis l
had overlooked.
Upon the morrow l duly presented
myself at the Gerard mansion. pos
sessed IL suit of Gress-clothes, in which
arrayed myself with lively satisfac-
ton. hadn't tied white cravat for
over year, and my hand had lost
something of it's cunning; but l felt
at home in my sables and-I will not
sag gentleman, for every son of the
Golden West is a gentleman, but--a
gentilhomme.
My patron greeted me with keen
glance. He wore, what he had worn
the day before, plain business suit;
and he received me in the library.
"Cocktail?" he asked, abruptly.
l bowed; and the butler brought the
drinks.
ITO your very good health" said
Gerard, with his queer stare.
'At your service, sir"
81 hope So" he replied, with an odd
chuckle. "You've a fine appetite, eh?
That's right. And I'm going to give
you a dinner worthy of it. Yes. yes;
dinner fit for prince"
He led the way to his dining room,
and we sat down tete-a-tete. Mr..
Gerard piled me with questions. and his
servants with meat and drink.
"Know many people on this coast?"
he asked, as he gulped down his soup,
q wonderful puree of chicken, with as
paragus points in it.
Not a soul, except George Poindex-
ter"
"Ahem!" He frowned. "The less
you see of him the better. presume
he was at Yale with you. just so. A
fool! Leave fools alone. I'm afraid of
fools. Knaves can handle"
He gobbled up his fish. and he tried
new tack.
You amt engaged to be married?"
he blurted out. mo? Glad to hear
it. And you said you were an orphan
eh?"
81 don't think so, but / am an Or
phan."
Good! l mean"-he blinked and
grinned at his slip-"I mean, my boy,
that for the game ahead it's better for
you to be-er-free."
You spoke yesterday of slavery"
"Ha, ha! so did, so did. Well, we'll,
we're all slaves, ain't we? I'm slave
to my millions; you ought to be Il slave
to your appetite and-er-the exi-
gencies of youth. You were brought
up in luxury? Your father was q rich
MANI"
"Yes.''
II know all about that. How does
this Chateau Yquem suit your palate?"
l. became enthusiastic Immediately.
My fathers cellars in Philadelphia were
famous, but he had never owned such
wine as this, and l said so. He seemed
pleased.
"Fll give you a bottle of Lafitte after
dinner" he said, solemnly, (which you
will appreciate. I'm glad you know the
difference between good wine and bad
between dining, Gs we are dining, and
mere eating. You like pictures, eh?"
THAT one belonged to u.s." l said,
glancing gloomily at a fine Constable.
"I'll let you have it-when you want
it-at the price gave for It," He named
considerable sum- "You would like"
he peered at me from behind his glass
Ito buy back the old acres?"
"Yes," I replied, with energy. II
would"
Things are coming your way, my
boy. Lucky, now, wasn't it, that you
read that little 'ad'? How long, at, say,
thirty dollars month. would it take
to buy that picture, or dozen cases
of wine even? Eth? eh?"
Fifty minutes later the dinner (as he
said, dinner fit for prinee) came to
an end, and we returned to the library,
where coffee was served in some won
derful Belleek china cups. Then my host
unlocked a grotesquely carved Chinese
cabinet and produced some curious ci-
gars, cigars never seen in the market,
long and thin, with outside leaves of
velvety fineness, and fragrance which
fingers still In my memory. These
we lighted, and Gerard, sitting near me
with his back to the lamp, sighed softly.
COuleSS Chdb was IlCINOus. ! nc
elaborate dinner, the rare wines, the
talk, turning as it had upon the glory
and desirability of things material, had
stirred my senses, but aroused my sus-
picions. Why, asked myself, why
this parade of wealth, this worship of
the Golden Calf? Gerard, watching me
with his shrewd blinking eyes, inter
preted my thoughts.
Contrast" he said, abruptly, "colors