The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1907-06-26

ed him rather than be forced into
questionable business methods against
which his whole manhood revolted.
jefferson Ryder felt strongly about
these matters and gave them more
thought than would be expected Of
most young men with his Opportuni-
ties. In fact, he was unusually serious
for his age. lie was not yet thirty,
but he had done a great deal of read
| ing, and he took a keen interest In all
the political and sociological questions
of the hour. In personal appearance
he was the type of man that both men
and women like-tall and athletic look
ing, with smooth face aud clean cut
| features. He had the steel blue eyes
and the fighting jaw of his father, and
when he smiled he displayed two even
rows Of very white teeth. He was pop
ular with men, being manly, frank and
cordial in his relations with them, and
women admired him greatly, although
| they were somewhat inundated by
his grave and serious manner. The
truth was that he was rather difident
with women. largely owing to lack of
experience with them.
He had never felt the slightest in
cllnation for business. He had the ar
ttstlc temperament strongly developed.
and his personal tastes had little in
common with Wall street and its
feverish stock manipulating. When he
was younger he had dreamed Of a liter
airy or art career. At one time he had
even thought of going on the stage, but
| 1t was to art that he turned finally.
From an early age he had shown con-
siderable skill as a craftsman, and
later a two years course at the Acade-
my Of Design convinced him that this
was his true vocation. He had begun
| by Illustrating for the book publishers
and for the magazines meeting at first
with the usual rebuffs and disapppoint-
ments; but, refusing to be discouraged,
| he had kept on and soon the tide turn
ed His drawings began to be accept
ed They appeared first in one maya
zine, then In another, until one day, to
| his great joy. he received an order from
/ an important firm of publishers for six
wash drawings to be used in illustrat-
| ing a famous novel This was the be-
ginning Of his real success. His illus
| tratiOns were talked about almost as
much as the book, and from that time
on everything was easy. He was in
! great demand by the publishers, and
very soon the young artist, who had
begun his career of independence on
nothing a year so to speak. found him
self in a handsomely appointed studio
In Bryant park. with more orders com
ing In than he could possibly fill and
enjoying an income Of little less than
$1,000 a year The money was all the
sweeter to Jefferson I'm that he felt he
had himself earned every cent of 1t.
This summer he was giving himself a
well deserved vacation, and he had
come to Europe partly to see Paris and
the other art centers about which his
fellow students at the academy raved.
but principally-although this he did
not acknowledge even to himself-tO
meet in Paris a young woman In
whom he was more than ordinarily in
terested Shirley RossmOre, daughter
Of Judge ROSsmore of the United
States supreme court, who had come
abroad to recuperate after the labors
on her new novel, The American Oc-
tOpus." Il book which was then the
talk of two hemispheres
jefferson had read half a dozen re-
views Of 1t in as many American pa
pers that afternoon at the New York
Herald's reading room in the Avenue
de rOpera. and he chuckled with glee
as he thought how accurately this
young woman had described his ia
Their. The book had been published UNI
der the pseudonym Shirley Green
and he alone had been admitted into
the secret Of authorship. The critics
all conceded that 1t was the book Of
the year, and that it portrayed with
a pitiless pen the personally of the
biggest figure I'm the commercial life
Of America. Although" wrote one
reviewer, 1.-The leading character in the
book is given another name. there can
be no doubt that the author intended
to give to the world a vivid pen portrait
Of John Burkett Ryder. She has sue
ceeueu III presenting TeLndIkdDle
character study Of the most remarka-
be man Of his time"
He was particularly pleased with the
reviews, not only for Miss RossmOre's
take, but also because his own vanity
was gratiied. Had he not collabor-
Rted on the book to the extent of ac-
quainting the author with details of
his fathers life and his character
istics which no outsider could posi-
bly, have learned? There had been no
disloyalty to his father in doing this.
Jefferson admired his fathers smart
ness, If he could not approve his
methods. He did not consider the book
an attack on his father, but rather a
powerfully written pen picture OF an
extraordinary man.
The acquaintance Of his son with the
daughter of Judge Rossmare had not
escaped the eagle eye OF Ryder, Sr.,
and much to the financler's annoyance
and even CONSERVATION he had ascer-