Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1905-01-14

body felt that II was a much more
respectable story, and quite as probable
as any of the others.
II was reserved for Mrs. Sinclair
mother, old Lady MacTavish--a won.
an of undoubted birth and breeding,
and still quite a power in her own
section of society-to 20 one better.
THE Van Schaaftes? Oh, dear, yes.
They are quite nice people, was her
pronunciamento. They're an offshoot
of an old German faimly-or is II
Dutch? My memory is beginning to
fail me for details. Tant soft pcu
bourgeoise in their manners, did you
say? Oh, no! Not at all. Only for.
eign. Now | come to think Of 1t |
have heard they've right to a title.
but don't use 1t. The money, of course.
came from gold mines on their own
estates in South America. No gold
mines there? Why. there must be.
since that is where the money comes
from. You can take my word for what
| am telling you. The old man was .
German baron, and made his money In
gold. That I'm certain Of. You see.
I'm quite clear about my facts. and I'm
quite sure that we all wish we could do
the same"
And the smart set that Lady Mac
lavish headed had taken her word for
1t. IL suited them, too, for one thing,
and for another, when a statement Is
repeated often enough and glibly
enough, most people end by believing
1t Perhaps In this case the wish may
lave been father to the belief, for, fig.
uratively speaking, society took Van
Schaafte the younger to their bosoms,
shot his pheasants, sailed In his yacht.
drank his champagne, won his money
whenever possible) at bridge and be-
set his path with 'pitfall and with
Gin," in the hopes of catching him for
one or the other Of their fair daugh.
tiers.
Though still on the sunny side of 20,
Van Schaafte from his early training,
or his race or from some other cryptic
reason, was in some ways as shrewd
as many man Of our own nationality
Of twice his years. Though he made
no outward sign he was quite aware Of
the nature of the snares and entangle-
ments by which he was surrounded.
Therefore, like the minister's cat on
the top Of the glass-strewn wall, he
had walked warily and with circum.
spection. From his father he had in.
herited the mental clear sight that
goes tosthe upbuilding of fortunes;
from his mother-an honest, affec.
tionate, frugal.minded creatures
qualities Of heart that seldom long sur.
Nive a sudden accession Of wealth. In
q word, under somewhat unprcpos.
sessing and unpublished exterior Van
Schaafte was a really good fellow that
money and a life of idleness had, as
yet. failed to corrupt.
One need not be clairvoyant to see
Why, under these conditions, it was q
positive relief to him to be taken into
Mrs. Sinclair's confidence. 1t was as
though all sorts Of pleasant things had
been set in motion by the starting Of
that one wheel. Hitherto he had al
ways been assigned the role Of victim:
today he was, II not exactly asked to
Join the hunt, at least Invited to wit.
ness the spectacle.
All his life long-or, to be accurate,
since he had left school and worn tails
and rings-Alfred Van Schaafte had
been fond Of ladies' society. He would
have been home bird had not the
constant driving to which he had been
exposed made him wild. A house full
OF sisters and cousins and their girl
friends would have suited his gre
garious nature, but Fate had willed
1t otherwise. He had no sisters, nor
any cousins that he knew of; and the
sense Of the lurking snares, added to
his natural caution, had hindered him
making friends with any Of the smart.
addressed saleable girls he met In so.
ciety. Every man who Is or ever has
been an eligible will know exactly what
he felt.
But, like some beneficent autocrat,
Mrs. Sinclair had changed all this by
word. 1t was quite surprising to
see the rapidity with which the friend.