The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-10-06
CHAPTER XVIII. Fate Ironical.

that absorbing topic. Is golf worth play I ing? He himself, good man, deplored the | fact that several worthy persons who,
 otherwise would have been working ten l or twelve hours a day as Cabinet min | isters, deliberately toi1ed in the sloughs
 and pits of the golf course.
 "The whole nation Is chasing a little
 ball." he said; I've deplore the advance
 of Germany, but, I would ask you, how | does the German spend his day, what are | his needs, where do his amusements lie? | There is a country for you-every man | soldier, every worker an intellect. In l England nowadays our young fellows seem to try and find out how little they
 can do. We live for minimums We are l only happy when we have struck a bat 1 with a ball and 1t has gone far. We re-
 serve our greatest honors for those who 1 thus excel"
 | Alban ventured to say that beer seemed I to be the recreation of the average Ger man and insolence his amusement. He | confessed that the Germans beat his own l people by hard work; but he asked, is It
 really a good thing that work should be
 the beginning and the end of all things?
 He had been taught at school that the supreme beauty of life lay in things apart
 and chiefly in a mans own soul. To 1 which Gessner himself retorted that 2 1 woman's soul was what the writer prob l ably meant.
 We have let civilization make us what l we are," the banker said shrewdly, 'and I now we complain of her handiwork. | Write what you like about 1t, money and | love are the only two things left In the world today. The story has always been 1 the same, but people did not read 1t 80 | often formerly. There have always been | ambition strife struggle, suffering-why l should the historians trouble to tell them? | You yourself, Alban, would be a worker | if the opportunity came to you. I have forseen that from the first moment I met you. If you were interested you would outdo the Germans and beat them both with your head and your hands. But 1t will be very difficult to interest you. You would need some great stimulus and In
 your case it would be ambition rather than It's rewards"
 Alban replied that love of power was
 probably the strongest influence in the
 world.
 We all hate work" he said, repeating his favorito dictum, T don't suppose there is one man in thousand who
 would do another days work unless he were compelled. The success of Social
 ism in our time Is the belief that 1t will | Blorify likeness and make 1t real. The I agitators themselves never work. They l have learned the rich mems secret-I have heard them preaching the dignity of la- 1 bor a. hundred times, but never yet saw l one wheeling Q barrow. The poor fellows 1 who listen to them think that you have only got to pass few acts of Parliament to be happy forever after. I pity them, but how are you to teach them that the |, present state of things is just-and if it
 Is not just, why should you wish 1t 10 last ?"
 Gessner could answer that. A rich man ~J oil thot ,o1 4h1 4aa
 trines was of the profoundest interest to him.
 The present state of things Is the only
 state of thngs-in the bulk" he said; 'lt is as old as the world and will go on as long as the world. We grumble at our
 rich men, but those who have amassed
 their own fortunes are properly the na-
 tion's bankers. Consider what a sudden gift of money would mean to the work
 ing men of England day-drunkenness, crime, debauchery. You can legislate to improve the conditions of their lives. put to give them creative brains is beyond all
 legislation. And I will tell you this-that
 once you have passed any considerable socialistic legislation for this kingdom of Great Britain. you have decided her des- 1 tiny. She will in twenty years be In the
 position of Holland--a country that was, but never will be again.
 No one disputed the proposition. for no
 one thoroughly understood 1t. Alban had not the courage to debate his pet theo-
 rems at such a time, and the parson was
 too intent upon denouncing the national
 want of seriousness to enter upon such abstruse questions the banker would willingly have discussed So they fell back upon athletics again. and were busy
 with football and cricket until the time came for Anna to withdraw and leave them to their cigars. Silas Geary, quick ly initiating her, waited but for a glass of port before he made his excuses and departed, as he said, upon ''paroohial necessity We will so to the Winter Garden Gessner said to Alban when they were
 alone--"I will see that Fellows takes our
 coffee there. Bring some cigarettes, AL
 ban-I wish to have a little private talk with you"
 Alban assented willingly, for he was glad of this opportunity to say much that
 he had desired to say for some days past
 The.night had turned very hot and close,
 but the glass roof of the Winter Garoen stood open and they rsat there almost as
 in the open air, the great palms and
 shrubs all about them and many lights
 glowing cunningly amid the giant leaves
 As earlier in the evening, so now Gessner
 was in the best of spirits, laughing at
 cry trivial circumstance and compelling
 his guest to see how kindly was his dis
 position toward him.
 "We shall be comfortable here" he
 said, "and far enough away from the, port
 wine to savesme self-reproach tomorrow.
 I see that you drink little. Alban. It is
 wise-al those who have the gout will
 speak of your wisdom. We drink be-
 cause the wine Is there. not because we
 want 1t. And then, in the morning, we
 say, how foolish. Come now. light an-
 other cigarette and listen to me. have
 great things to talk about great ques-
 tions to ask you You must listen pa-
 tiently. for this concerns your happiness
 as closely perhaps as anything will con
 cern it as long as you live.'
 He did not continue immediately. seeing the footman at his elbow with the coffee
 Alban, upon his part, lighted a cigarette
 as he had been commanded. and waited
 patiently. He thought that he knew
 what was coming and yet. was afraid of the thought. Annals sudden passion for
 him had been too patent to all the world
 that he should lightly escape its conse- quences. Indeed he had never waited for any one to speak with tho anxiety
 which attended this interval of service.
 He thought that the footman would never
 leave them alone.
 Now" said Gessner at last. now that
 those fellows are gone we can make our selves comfortable. I shall be very plain,
 my lad-I shall not deceive you again.
 When you first came to my house I did
 not tell you the truth-I am going to ten
 it to you tonight, for it is only right that