The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-03-27
By CHARLES M. SHELDON.
Asaw q - @ Stp4- -eebsrt Hardy Ssso Days a.
opr<oAt ssa b. oArss. N. sA1,do.

opportunity to help suffering humanity
that the whole company was affected
by it, and for the first time since COM
ing to Hope House John Gordon was
asking himself whether Miss Andrews
had ever had a romance in her life.
The question went without an an
swer; indeed. it was not much more
than a vague suggestion prompted by
Miss Andrews appearance during the
evening of that eventful day, and the
next moment Gordon was busy talk
ing over the innumerable plans and
projects eagerly discussed at the table
for using to best advantage the Won
derful gift from the old sea captains
widow.
at all comes back to parks and play
grounds" Was Miss Andrews sum-
ming up when they had all had their
say about the disposal of the money.
"My heart has, ached long enough at
the sight of childhood's misery. We
can lessen it's duration even if we can
not remove its cause. l know some Of
you people have got model tenements
on the brain. That's all right and good
enough. but it's not the end and aim Of
our work entirely. Let us give starved
nature a chance at nature itself. The
first hundred thousand for breathing
spaces, flowers, water grass trees; the
next for buildings. additions to Hope
House-what you will"
So the next. day Gordon and Ford,
with Miss Andrews and Miss Ham
mond, who. next to Miss Andrews, had
been the longest at Hope House, sat
down to make definite and positive
plan for the transformation Of the
burned out district into an oasis for
the desert of Bowen street that still
swarmed with .wretched and desperate
humanity
The evening that was marked by
Hope House as turning in its. affairs
large enough TO be called crisis Mrs
Constance Penrose was having sharp
interview with her nephew, Archie
Penrose.
You are your own master of course"
Mrs. Penrose was saying to her
nephew, who lounged carelessly in one
of the bow windows of the drawing
room. but at the rate you are going
you will soon exhaust your resources
You are spendthrift not only of your
money. but of your health. which is
worth more than money"
"Oh, that's all right, Aunt Con-
stance" Archie answered, yawning. 81
know when to STOP
Every gambler has said the same
thing
I'm no gambler, aunt"
"YOu are. You stake your reputation
and the good name of the family every
time you put your health and money
up against the world, fhe flesh and the
devil. If you have no respect for your
own name. you ought to have some for
mine"
''What have l done to catch all this y
Archie looked annoyed and also lit
tie afraid. There was one person in
the world who had the power to stir
fear in him, and that person was his
Aunt Constance.
you have never done anything,
What have you ever done, Archie Pen
rose, to dignity or ennoble the name
you bear. 70 your fathers credit, if
he was a money grubbCr he at least
had business. He actually did some
thing besides hunt for pleasure all the
time. Youyou have 70 business.
You waste every cl.,igy God gave yea
in senseless expenditure OF time ard
means. And. in addition to all the
rest, you are fool enough to think Lucl
la Marsh VIII be the wife of the most
useless man in the city"
IF l am Il fool to think it, am |
fool to wish for it,?
Mrs. Penrose stared.
you don't mean to say you actually
love Luella Z"
81 do. love her with all my soul"
That's not saying much. Your soul
has been reduced to the smallest COM
mon dcnom.natOr.'
aunt Constance" The young man
came out from the bow window and
stood in front of her, his hands
clinchcd and his eyes angrily blazing.
What right have Won to talk so to
mc?, How big is your own soul! What
do you ever do for anybody but your
self? When it comes to wasting ener-
gy. who wastes more than you in what
you call senseless ways? may be
useless and all that. but don't toady
to a lot of good for nothings like the
Journeys and the Carlisles and the
Cranstons just to get into Washington
circles next season. He was treading
on dangerous ground now for he had
touched his aunt's real weakness as Il
society woman. and she was in the
mood to be deeply angered nj what he
said. But lie went Oh recklessly and
before he finished Mrs. l'enrose had
settled back again into the easy, care
less attitude habitual with her.
II know what you invited the Four
neys here for the other night when
that ass Emory and Gordon got off
their stuff about the slums. But all
that is of 10 account to me. You have
no business to interfere with my af
fairs with Luella. That's my own
business. If | can get her consent,
am going to marry her,
sit is kind of you to get her consent.
Archie" his aunt said. with quiet
irony.
''You have no right to Interfere" he
said sullenly. 81 don't mind saying !
love her, and l am going to have her
for my wife if it is possible"
'She will never have you. She loves
far better man than you ever can be,
Archie Penrose."