The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-24

ideal. Now you will say, but there can be no
ideal so long as there is no imagination;
and as L have directly-a moment-soon-
said, the race is too young to have achieved
imagination. The highest felicity which we
are yet able TO imagine is a felicity based
upon much money; our highest pleasures the
material pleasures which money buys, yes?
We strive for it, developing the money get
ting FACULTY al the expense of all others;
and when the money is obtained we cannot
enjoy 1t. We can imagine To do with it only
delca te-eating and drinking and dressing
Tor show 10 others and building houses inn
mense and splendidly uncalculated for
homes of rational dwelling. Art science
music literature, sociology, the great study
and play OF our humanity, they are shut
to us.
Our young friend Bines is a specimen. 1t
is as If he were a child, having received
from another a laboratory full of the most
beautiful instruments of science. They are
valuable, but he can do but common things
with them because he knows not their
possibilities. Or, may we call it stored en-
ergy he has; for such is money, the finest,
subtlest. most potent form of stored energy
II may command the highest fruits of
genius, the lowest fruits of animality; il is
also volatile, elusive. Our young friend has
many powerful batteries of it. But he is no
electrician. Some he will happily waste with
out harm 10 himself. Much of it. apparently
he will convert into that champagne he now
drinks. For a week since I had the pleasure
OF becoming known to him he has drunk it
here each day, copiously. He cannot imagine
a more salutary mode of exhausting his
force. L am told he comes of a father who
died at fifty. and who did in many ways
like that. This one, at the rate L have OBJ
served. will not last long. He will not so
long correspond with environment even
so unexacting as this. And his son, perhaps
his grandson, will become what you call
broke; VIII from lack of pressure to learn
some useful art and from spending only,
become useless and helpless. For besides
drink, there is gambling. He plays what
you say, the game of poker, this Bfnes
errQ
in front, who has much the air of seeming
to stand behind himself-he drinks whisky
at my far right, yes? He is of a rich trust
the magnate director as you say and plays
at cards nightly with our young friend. He
TESTED with him in my presence before you
entered, saying, L will make you look like
i forget it now. but his humorous threat
was to reduce our young friend TO the as
pect or some inconsiderable sum In the mon
ey of your country. L cannot recall the pre-
else amount, but it was not so much as what
you call one dollar. Strange, Is 1t not, that
the rich who have too much money gamble
as feverishly as the poor who have none,
and therefore have an excuse? And the love
of display for display. IL one were not sci
enlist one might be tempted to say there is
no progress. The Peruvian grandee shod his
mules with pure gold. albeit that metal
makes but inferior shedding for beasts of
burden. The London factory girl hires the
dyed feathers of the ostrich to make her
bonnet gay; and your money people are as
display-loving. Lucullus and your latest
ure at making a show. Ael1 we are truly in
the races childhood yet. The way of evolu-
ton is SO unfast, yes? All! you will go new,
Mr. Oldaker. L shall hope TO enjoy you more
again. Your observations have interested me
deeply; they shall have my most high at
tention. Another time you shall discuss with
me how it must be that the coSmic process
shall produce a happy mean between stole
and epicure, by learning the valuable arts
of compromise, yes? How Zeno with his
bread and dates shall learn not to despise a
few luxuries, and Vitellius shall learn that
the mind may sometimes feast to advan-
tage while the body fasts.'
Through the marbled corridors and regal
parlors, down long perspectiveS OF Persian
rugs and onyx pillars, the function ragged.
The group at PercivaPs table broke up.
He had an appointment to meet Colonel
Poindexter the next morning to consummate
the purchase of some oil stock certain to
appreciate fabulously in value. He had
promised to listen further to Mr.. Isidore
Lewis regarding a plan for obtaining con-
troll of a certain line of one of the metal
stocks. And he had signifed his desire to
make one of a party the affable younger
man would guide later in the evening to a
sumptuous temple of chance, to which. by
good luck, he had gained the entree. The
three gentlemen parted most cordially from
him after he had paid the check.
To Mr.. Lewis. when Colonel Poindexter
had also left. the young man with taste
for gaming remarked ingenuously:
readiest money that ever registered at this
joint You don't have to be with Mr.. VIII
liam Wisenham to do business with him.
You can have all you want of that at track
Odds"
I'm making book that way myself" re-
sponded the cheerful Mr.. Lewis; 'fifty'll
get you a thousand any time, my lad. It's
a lead-pipe at twenty to one. But say, with
all these Petroleum Pete oil-stock grafters
and Dawson City Dawes with frozen feet
and mining stock in their mitts, a mans
got to play them close in to his bosom to
9
this place my boy"
In the Turkish room Percival found Mrs
Akemt, gowned to perfection, glowing, and
wearing bunch of violets bigger than her
pretty head.
1--WE just sent cards to your mother and
sister,, she explained, she made room
for him upon the divan.
To them came presently Mrs. Drelmer,
we'll groomed and aggressively cheerful.
How de do! just been down to Wall street
seeing how my other half lives, and now
I'm famished for tea and things. All, here
your mother and proud Western
beauty And she went forward to greet
them.
Its more than her other half knows
about her. was Mrs. Akemit's observation
to the violets on her breast.
Come sit with me here in this corner
dear" said Mrs Drelmer to Psyche, while
Mrs. Bines joined her son and Mrs. Akemit
I've so much to tell you. And that poor
little Florence Akemit, isn't 1t too bad about
her. You know one of those bright French
a
widow because it's necessary to resume the
modesty of young girl without being able
to feign her ignorance. No wonder Florence
has hard time of IL; but isn't it wretched
of me to gossip? And 1 wanted to tell you
especially about Mr. Mauburn. You know
of course, he'll be Lord Casselthorpe when
the present Lord Casselthorpe dies; a splen-
did title really quite one of the best in all
England and, my dear, he's out-and-out
smtten with you; there's no use in DENYING
it; you should hear him rave to me about
you: really these young men in love are so
that Mrs Enrol who does those fascinating
miniatures of all the smart people. Excuse
me one moment my dear; / want her to
meet your mother"
The fashionable miniature artist was pres-
emily arranging with the dazed Mrs Bines
for miniatures of herself and Psyche Mrs
Drelmer, beholding the pair with the salts
fed glance of one who has performed a
kindly action, resumed her tete.a-tete with
Psyche.
Percival, across the room listened TO Mrs
Akemit'S artless disclosure that she found
life too complex-far too hazardous, indeed
for a poor little creature in her unfortuna 70
position, so liable TO cruel msjudgment for
thoughtless, harmless acts, the result of a
young zest for life She had often thought
most seriously of a convent indeed she had
land, really, Mr.. Bines, I'm amazed that
/ talk this way-so freely to you-you know.
when I've known you short a time: but
something in you compels my condolences.
poor little me! and my poor little conf
dences, One seldom meets a man nova
days with whom one can venture to talk
about any of the real thingsi''
A little later, Mrs. Drelmer was leav-
ing, the majestic figure of the Baron Ron
ault de Palliac framed itself in the hand
some doorway. He sauntered in as If To give
the picture tone, and then with purposef,l