Newport weekly independent., 1901-09-27
A Chase for : Millions <& : By GISELLE D'UNGER s
 
By GISELLE D'UNGER
THE editorial rooms of the Daily

| HE edltOrlal rooms ot the Daily
 Pencilings presented a scene of activity Men of brains and energy contributed their best efforts to gain the favor of the public, and were amp ly rewarded by the encomiums passed upon the broad platform est blished- some 20 years. Vigorous and concise were the summaries of volumes of sta tistics, reducing them to condensa- tion that practically benefited the the reader.
 Two young men were holding con- versdtiOn in a remote corner where the desks were not so thiclly placed. One was tall and of serious manner, while the other was typical Bohe- milan, careless, happy -go-lucky, art istic, clever and dare devil as to ad- venture in assignments. He was dis cussing the latest sensation, the re- ported engagement of prominent sD- cial woman to titled @randee.
 "Blake, all women are conquered by the glitter of gold. It's a case of if yo' ain't got no money, you needn't come round.' Grace Ward knows which side her breads buttered on,"
 
 ''You are all wrong, Johnson,' re- turned Blake, wincing under the oth- CTS careless words. "Miss Ward was not dazzled by the glitter of gold. Op- portunity is like diamond in the rough; it is spurned by man in it's crude state, but covered when it illum- mates the jeweled gates of Happiness and Content in the land of Successful Attainment. Miss Ward appreciates opportunity, and furthermore, the mo- bleman has intellectually and man. hood to recommend him."
 "Where did Miss Ward live before the Fairbanks took her up?" queried Johnson.
 'She came from Kings Kettle, near 1adybank, Fifcshire, Scotland, when quite youno-but the time flies, John son, and l must finish this," was the reply of Blake.
 "All right, Ned, I must be going, too. That last edition of yesterday lacked romance; I am going out to find one-in the slums."
 Frank Johnson nodded to the older man, buttoned his ulster against the winter blasts and stepped off, whist ling softly the latest popular air.
 "One man hit iii that quarter once, I believe-accounts for the precise knowledge of her former home. We'll! she's a beauty and Lord Alfred will have no cause to sigh over a good figure-head for his household. That's hardly fair to the lady-but the way the dear Four Hundred tighten their grasp upon a poverty-Stricken noble man with a bedimmed title reminds me of nothing more than the LaocOOn. I declare, young, innocent girls are trained, taught to this exchange of their charming youth for the palsied hand of age, and it's attendant serpen- tine coils of a title, decayed ruin of a chateau or castle, and they submit so tenderly. It is beyond me, for these proud, fearless American girls endure tortures known only to themselves. '' Thus ran the thoughts of Johnson as he marched along the thoroughfare, but he was no nearer to solving the mystery than before. Meanwhile Ned Blake was not so mindful of "copy'' as he had intimated to Johnson. Mem ory had reminded him of the days when the letters of Grace Ward had flown to him like a flock of tiny blue birds breathing love and affection and happy future. Now all was changed A misunderstanding, coldness, silence the advent of Lord Alfred Bruce, i'm portunities of friends and-the en- gagement.
 "Johnson is bright, breezy fellow,' reflected Blake, as he leaned his weary head against the chair, land as sharI as a steel trap. He would make ar excellent correspondent of an explor. ing expedition, as he enjoys adventure I'll speak to Henderson about him He is too contemptuous of the follies and foibles of humanity to sue ceed here. He spells a good story by having a sympathetic or antagon istic chord relative to it. By Jove! must get out of here and have somC air and quiet."