The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-21
pens creeping With hh dsadly wiles into
Paradiss.s N.w.H.



A San Frabesses story.
In 'Ths Socialist and the Prince Funk
d Wagnalls Coz Mrs. Fremont Older
has written q powerful romance OF life
In San Francisco In the '7os, when, as the
opening sentence tells us, nothing was
extraordinary because everything was
extraordinary. Those were the stirring
days Of the anti-C Chinese movement and the
'sand-Lot' agitation, when San Francis
cans were divided into two classes-mil-
lionaires and those who hoped to be mill
lonaires. The Socialist OF the story 10
Paul Stryne, leader OF the eand-lot agita-
ton and incorporating slayer OF octopi
and hunter Of money devils generally
vigorous and aggressive young man with
prominent chin and brow and somewhat
theatrical gift Of eloquenoe. The prince
Ia Alessandro Ruspon. a cousin Of the King
Of Italy. who was making tour Of the
world and staying In San Francisco for q
time. He was dark ~ Turk. with glossy
Jet hair and black eyes that made one think
they had burnt until they were dead.
On one occasion Paul Stryne led his
riotous followers to the top Of Mob Hill
which, as all the world knows. Is the chosen
home Of the Ootopi Of the Pacific Coast
Here, from the steps OF Col. Peyton's
brownstone house, he harangued the mob.
while. barricaded behind tho doors and
darkened windows Of the adjoining man
sions, the Walsinehams. the Pickens, the
Hacketts and other capitalists and their
families shivered In terror and awaited
developments. Meanwhile rude men sat
upon the porches Of their houses and
smoked and made themselves at home.
l..
OF music cam from the orchestra within
the Peyton house while stryne was speak
ing-and . bonfire was blazing on the lawn.
Suddenly the Peyton door was swayed
open by the butler and In the entrance
stood q tall, 1.-the and graceful young
woman calmly looking at the fire, the thou
sands Of strange faces and at stryne. This
was Theodosia. daughter Of Col Peyton-
who, by the way, was president Of rail-
| road and had shares In all the big corpora
tons on the Pacific Coast. At Theodosia's
sudden appearance Stryne was abashed.
His vehement eloquence was checked.
His eyes dropped and In doing 20 they
| fell upon a small black patch on Theodosia's
oollarbone. which unnecessarily called at
tsntion to the fairness Of her shoulders
and added to the agitator's embarrass-
ment. But Theodosia was calm and mer-
ciflL She said:
~ am speaking to Mr. stryne. be-
Level
Stryne ealuted again with the Difference
which a European social training gives.
= Mr.. stryne, am Miss Peyton.
We are just finishing dinner. Bring any
Of your friends you choose. I am sorry
our house Ia too small to ask them all, but
| vou he va An MANY friendsp
sStryne bowed again and answered:
You are noet kind, madam. I thank you
but I have q previous engagement with
these friends
Col. Peyton viii be 90 sorry. Another
time. perhaps. Any time, Mr.. Stryne.
Again, madam, you are most gracious,
but I have an engagement for life with my
friends
THE girl smiled automatically. bowed
to stryne and was lost In the shadows OF
the great hall
Thereafter we trace the progress OF Theo-
dosia and the course II her love affairs with
the Socialist, the FRINGE and some others.
She Gang with Q higa. pure soprano voice.
PLAYED the piano brilliantly. read super
aoisily mo~s books worth while, and spoke
several languages. Though young, she
\ wa no novice In matters concerning love.
She had, We are told, run the gamut
Of Irritation and could keep an affair
eoine with half . dozen men at q
time. She had finished her knowledge Of
the French language by . Irritation with q
Lieutenant OF the French navy. whose ship
was in port; and she studied Spanish and
the history Of the Catholic Church. with a
handsome, dark-eyed, pale-faced young
Spanish priest. One night she awoke TO
md a basket Of crimson roses passed
through q window into her room. a
moan came from the ground below. The
Young priest was lying prostrate. for the
ladder on which he mounted had fallen
in his descent II In gratifying TO learn
that the padre was conveyed safely TO his
home and that Col. Peyton called upon the
Archbishop; that the young man was merely
sent into the interior Of Alaska. for discipline
and presumably In search OF cooler climate
and that In his ssgscious middle age he
was made q Bishop. Theodosia was GER
,ainly liberal In her ideas and had thirst
for knowledge. she believed that one
/. not young and Han Francisco reared for
nothing. A she explained TO the Colonel