Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-07
CHAPTER XII.
Mr. Rossitar Visits the Street.


Mr.. Rossiter Visits the Street.
The Battery. once the Belgravia of the
older city, had long since been shorn of
its glory; the spot where the ceurtly La
fayettes had been received was now land
ing place for immigrants and a rendezvous
for the runners and light-ingered gentry
from the Five Points. the ST. Giles of New
York. Those ladies whose grandmothers
had pronenaded the Battery with the fash
ion and elite of the day now solaced them
selves with a spin in the park or an af'er-
noon saunter on the Mall
The city nesting on the waters edge
could not be confined by old landmarks.
The trend of fashion on Manhattan Island
had been steadily uptown. until 9th ave-
nue., as far as 10Th street, had become an
unbroken line OF brownStone. From this
highly respectable thoroughfare of the
growing metropolis. the monotonous-look.
Ing fronts OVERLOOKED upon Madison ana
Lexington avenues, 14th, sd and
S4th streets and Madison. StuyVesant ana
Gramercy squares.
If person could be Judged by his house,
as mollusk may be classified by Its shell,
the observer of this portion of newer New
York would have affirmed it was populated
by a serious, redate people. every lndl-
vidual just like his neighbor. That this
interference Is unwarranted. the witty and
satirical poets of the day vehemently as
sert. for the press was rife with doggerels
beaboring Vanity Fair and the prevailing
modes. Many quatrain against the pre-
tensions Of wealth brought the bard his
next meal, while bucolic on high life paid
for a merry evening at Pfaff's and a pipe
and beer in kindred Bohemian company.
In this gay Manhattan town, near small
private park of green, surrounded by the
public highway stood a corner house, larg-
er than its neighbors, and not without a
certain air of stateliness and grandeur. This
spacious home Richard Strong had pur-
chased for his bride. and thither they
moved about month after their return
from Saratoga.
Here no sound more confusing than the
gentle tinkling Of the dustmans bells,
vending his way slowly with his cart.
the occasional dash of an intrusive vehicle.
disturbed the tranquil existence OF the
jewellers. And even the dustman. begrlmed
and unshaven like prophet of old. carried
with him his lesson on the vanity OF world
ly things and outward show.
Rags rags!
Bring out your bags!"
sounded the jingling bells. And them
Iron turns to rust
And satin to dustr
admonished the jangling string above the
cart with its load of litter and leavings.
But the month had wrought more changes
for Richard Strong than the mere change
Of abode After the full and unreserved
publication OF all the facts pertaining to D.
b. and C. that property had again begun
70 soar until 1t had passed any previous
Uncle Samuel had stood desperately at
his post In the vain endeavor to hold It,
His aids and assistants, however, had has
i tenea preclpltously to cover, and, by the
irony OF that bitter warfare that arrays
friend against friend. or turns an ally into
foeman, the purchases they made con-
sisted OF the offerings OF their erstwhile
leader himself who alone ignorant of this
wholesale desertion, continued to ohev b,,t
one mad promptfng-to selli-seIl!
Ihls instinct of se1f-preservatfon on the
pare OF MS following and the consequent gem
eral scurrying had but FASTENED the inet,it-
aoIe climax. Uncle Samuers nroats ba-
came losses; his full pockets, empty ones
he looked around for his friends and Ioi
ne found that prosperity is no Just scale.
to weigh friends"
Mofeover-and this was the bitterest
a1ter- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS man he had sought
70 in1ure he had only greatly enriched,
Richard Strong's earnings during tbat
period of recovery were estimated &C not
lnconsiderable even for one of his means
To protect himself he had bought stock
al the way down." and, when values
had struck bottom" he had nersona H.,
absorbed nearly the entire offerings Then
the public, mighty reserve force. had
stepped in; the upward movement had re-
sembled the downward tendency-raptd AL
most unstemmed-and Mr.. Strongs paper
prohts became real ones. His original
holdings of the various stocks and bonds
ne still retained; the extra certifcates-or
their equivalent-he turned over to tho
pubic and the profession. After the furry
was over he again went the even tenor Of
his way. To him Wall street was NOT
merely sensational stock-jobbing thor
oughfare. but a street where new enter
prises. reaching over the land, were born.
fathered and legitimately financed.
Exactly how well he had Jared In the
struggie no one knew from him; but Mrs,
Rossiter plumed her feathers ostentatIous-
~ Mr. Rossiter, however, looked refeo-
jyya 10 MOI
daughters manner to that unalloyed feltc-
ity that Mrs. Rossiter told herself and her
friends was Elinor's riage-portion. At
times he fancied he detected grave shad-
ows in her eyes, and she seemed somehow
different, and colder, more statuesoue than
consistent with Mr.. Rossiter's old-fash-
Toned notions of the conventionally happy
bride. Once he had even ventured to say
when they were alone together:
You are-ahem! - perfectly contented
Elinor dear, In your-ahem!-your new
life?"
At first his abrupt question had startled
her; she had gazed at him suddenly with
wide-open eyes; then, before his look of
perplexity, or vague misgiving, a smile
half affectionate. half reassuring, had
crossed her face.
"Contented7 Why shouldn't be, papa?"
And Mr.. Rossiter's doubts for the time
had vanished.
"Of course he had echoed. patting her
brown head which bent as readily as of
oiu " 1lS SaiSSS' " ny YOU De!
But although his suspicious had been
lulled to rest, Mr.. Rossiter felt that he
could not entirely understand Mr.. Strong
That man of affairs had always treated
him with unvarying courtesy, but a
difference in their tastes and methods
of thinking precluded other than formal
intimacy. Mr.. Rossiters mind ran to Ros-
sini; to anecdotes of painters, ancient and
modern. and to his own early days in Paris
before Napoleon III had mounted the
throne or the Crimean war had shaken
Europe. He understood very well all about
continental politics. but knew little-and
cared less-about what was going on at
home. He had smattering of French,
Italian and Spanish; Mr.. Strong spoke only !
English-aud very little of that.
Tharefora Mr. Rossiter was SURPRISED one