Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-01-28
7 HE REF D R NJ Err
By Rev. Charles Nj. Sheldon.
Author of I'm His Steps, Robert Hardys Seven Days. ETC.
copyright, by M. Sheldon

SYNOPSIS OF PRECEDING CHAPTERS.
John Gordon, heir to riches, refuses
a. position in his fathers bank ano
leaves home, father and sister 10 VOTE X
for the people of the slums. Sordld
money getting and a life Of frivolity
are revolting to him. Gordon's society
sweetheart, Luella Marsh, refuses to
share his life at Hope House, 'an
oasis of refuge and strength" among
tenements, saloons and vaudeville halls.
They part. Gordon goes to Hope
House and meets it's head, Miss Grace
Andrews. He decides to join the slum
settlement. His friend, David Barton,
a successful yellow" journalist with
bad cough, asks him to conduct re-
form page in the Daily News, edited
by one Harris. Gordon considers the
offer. The offer tempts Gordon, but
he scores yellow" journalism. Edf-
tor Harris overhears the conversation,
but gives no sign when he joins Cor
don and Barton. Harris offers Gordon
$500 a month to edit slum reform
page. Barton's cough grows worse.
Gordon refuses Harris offer because
he ainks Harris wants the page Tor
sens -ional, not reform, purposes. Cor
don lnds that his father and Luella'
oWy the worst tenements in the slums.
Gordon asks his father to destroy his
illegal, insanitary tenements, but is
repulsed. Luella's father, who owns
the worst dumb-bell tenement, visits 1t
in company with Gordon. They also
visit a disreputable vaudeville house
near by. The indecency shocks Mr..
Marsh. He promises to do something
about the dumbbell tenement. Bar
toms cough is worse. Mrs. Captain
George Effingham calls and Gordon
learns that Barton has been sending
consumptives to Colorado at his own
expense. Miss Andrews tells Gordon
that Tommy Randall, political boss,
blocks all tenement house reform. Cor
don meets Randall at the bedside or
Louie Caylor, victim of the barpar-
Gus tenement system. Gordon ana
Randall oppose each other concerning
the funeral arrangements, and Gordon
decent funeral. The drmbell tenement,
owned by Luella's father, catches fire.
There is a terrible holocaust. Among
the victims is Mrs. Caylor, Louie's
mother. Hope House is saved by des-
perate efforts. Barton, Gordon and
Miss Andrews do heroic work at the
fire and Barton collapses. Tommy
Randall, responsible for the deathtrap
tenements, poses as the Slum's friend.
Gordon calls to see Marsh, who has
left town, meets Luella and intimates
that her father is responsible for the
death of over sixty children in his lille
gal tenement. Luella's love is still
warm, but Gordon does not note the
fact, and they part coldly. Barton
dies, a victim of yellow" journalism.
Mrs. Effingham offers to give money
toward the slum reform work. Mr..
Marsh, conscience stricken because of
the fire, gives the dumbbell tenement
lot for park purposes. Mrs. Constance
Penrose, a society woman, becomes in
terested through Gordon in slum re-
form work. Her nephew, Archie Pen
rose. who loves Luella, attacks Grace
Andrews at dinner as an encourager
of anarchy. Gordon defends Miss An
drews vigorously and makes deep i'm
preston upon the society people pres
ent. Gordon returns home with his
sister and finds his father dead in the
library.