Middletown transcript., 1906-03-24
WHAT WOULD YOU DO
BY TOM MASON

good poet, good musician II,
good scholar and he would enjoy
your society, but he would not
like me to marry you.
You respect his opinion?
Absolutely. To me my father
is the finest and highest type of
, man that exists in the world to-
day. ] Icannot tell you what he
has been to us all in our home
life. He is able beyond words.
As you know, he is a leader ]
believe in him beyond any one
else. ] would not.knowingly sac
rifce one atom of his respect for
me.
And I suppose if you married
me you would be doing this-not
necessarily because at present !
am comparatively poor your
father was once-but because my
ambition does notlie in the direc-
ton of leadership; because, in
pursuance of certain ideals of my
own, I should be entirely salts
fed with a mediocre income
through life rather than strive
with all my might for the false
and misleading power that a
great fortune brings with it.
You have put it in your own
way-you are triie unjust
still, that is what I mean.
Conway picked up the copy of
the book lying by her side and
gazed absently at the title.
| You are a thoughtful girl, he
said. I know that you believe in
your father utterly, that he must
unconsciously have Influenced
you, that you will be true to him
always, for that is your nature
land I would not have it other
wise. would not say anything
to you that would tend in any
way to make you disrespect his
opinions-eyen if such thing
were possible. That's for others,
but you know, Beatrice, men hold
different views. Your father is
st the head of a large corporation.
He represents the money power.
He believes in himself, in his
methods and purposes. He has
vast responsibilities. He fulfills
them from a certain standpoint
which is not the standpoint of
others who differ from him. But,
you know, it is entirely possible
for a man of character and ex-
ample, to WELD a far greater in
fuence than money can bring.
You have lived in the money at
mosphere. Look for a moment
at the atmosphere to others-at
Lincoln, Tolstoy, at the real lead
ers of men.
That is quite true. l under
stand it perfectly. But papa is
both of these. Look what he
does for others, at his philan-
thropy. And has he not earned
his money honestly?
He did not reply. She looked |
at him earnestly. Her face flush
ed in sudden anger. Come! Do |
you deny it? Why was it that yes.
terday y0n determined never to
come near me, and today you
have changed your mind? Has
anything happened ? Something /
has gone wrong. Do you dare to
insinuate anything-to say that
my father is not an honest man,
the very soul of honor? Who are
you that you dare to make such a
charge?
They rose together, fronting
each other grimly in the dim
light. His face was quiet and de-
termined. Your father, he said,
was a witness today before the
committee appointed by the state.
He testified for several hours. !.
The papers are full of it.
What of it? He acquitted him
self honorably. He could not do
otherwise.
He testified that he had used
funds, givento him by the people,
for the purpose of bribery, that
he himself had profted by mum.
berless transactions that he had
been engaged in by virtue of the i
great position he held. He justi.
fed his methods by the the state
nent that he was strictly within
his rights, and he left the stand
protesting that he had been brow
beaten and placed in a false posi-
ion.
But you do not believe that.
You think him guilty And you
nave come here to tell me so. You {
rave come, a tale bearer, to peach
lpon his integrity, to forestall