The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-05-23
The Cost.

The Cost.
This story is the most ambitious piece
OF fiction yet attempted by David Graham
Phillips and has an especial interest for
Indiana readers from the fact that its
scenes are laid for the most part in this
State. The three chief characters are in
PRODUCED as children-two boys and girl:
they go TO the same school until one of the
boys, Jack Dumont, big. registering. mas
terful ill-trained and unscrupulous fellow,
goes away TO Ann Arbor TO college. The
other two attend a co-education college, i'm
ferentially, De Paw. Both boys are in love
with the girl. Pauline. but before college
days arrive she becomes secretly engaged
to Dumont in opposition TO her parents
wishes, for though he is the son Of the
richest man of the town and therefore re-
sarded by managing mammas as an eligible
person, he is known TO be addicted TO
gambling and other disreputable conduct
While al college, Pauline is thrown much
in the company of Scarborough. the other
one Of the trio, and is unconsciously led to
accept his ideals. Scarborough is also a
man of force and brains, but he has also
moral sense and his strength lies in quite
another direction from that of Dumont.
The latter marries Pauline in spite of op-
position, her husband develops a talent for
business and for what is called high
finance" He lives in New York, but re-
tains property interests in Indiana, becomes
leader in Wall street, a successful specu-
lator and millionaire. Scarborough, after
period OF dissipation, due TO disappoint-
ment. reforms. becomes a lawyer and fig
ures in politics.
All these events form the preliminaries
to the main part of the story-the life of
borough To indicate the course these lives
take would be TO 6etract from the interest
of the tale The story as a whole is very
well put together and shows the results
IA N nth iC
realistic above all else. He sees the actual
only and lacks insight into the spiritual
and the psychological. which gives a GER
tain hardness to his style. Also he takes
the stereotyped yellow" newspaper and
view of the very rich
man. namely, that he is necessarily ras-
cal in business and an immoral wretch in
private life. 1t would be refreshing 10 have
a high minded modern millionaire presented
In fiction. Accepting Mr.. Phillipss idea of
such men, however, it must be acknowl-
edged that he has drawn vivid and i'm
pressive picture. Some of his scenes are
ZolaesQue in the badness and holiness of
their portrayal. The picture Of Dumont, as
his wife sees him for the first time in
drunken slumber, is a temperance lecture
in itself, while the chapter in which, after |
his seeming financial failure and his physi- |
cal collapse, he rouses himself, gathers his |
AFFAIRS into his hands. schemes to circum-
vent the plans of the stock gamblers who |
had thought to ruin him and fights the |
street successfully while he less sue |
ceSsfully fights death-this chapter is a ire |
mendous one remarkable piece of writing. |
The Cost can hardly be called an agree |
able story, but it is worth while to read 1t |
IN order to get the full force of this DOW |
erful dramatic climax. The book gives Mr.. |
Phillips rank as a literary artist which |
ne had not before reached and will lead |
he public to expect exceptional work from |
his pen in future He is an Indiana man,
md it is an interesting fact that though |
he has published a number of creditable |
novels, this first one to be given Indiana |
hn 20 hn hfr bot II
S published by the Bobbs-Merrill Com
3any, Indianapolis.