The Sauk Centre herald., 1909-09-16
ANNEXING AN ECONOMIST.

Are you, ne asked are you al
admirer OF the drama, Miss Lovee?"
And sitting in Mrs. Peamint's parlor,
whence all but they had fled, she snug
gled back in fortunate easy chair
and looked at him from under the eye
lashes in an earnest manner, giving
him the glance of solemnity and ex-
hortation, the look of reproach and the
manner of most resigned superiority.
81 would regard the modern drama"
she replied, 'as an anachronism, did
l not see in it an all too pathetic in
dication of the times"
And as she snuGgled back still fur
ther let us look once more at that
fortunate easy chair to which refer
ence has already been made. Very
well then; 1t was Z high, broad, deep,
sturdy, stout old piece of furniture.
with a back so high that it peeped
way. Substantial legs and feet it had,
too, not spindly little things such as
are far too often seen in stylish and
modern exarrle Of art, and a most
capaciouS lap. And as for its arms,
they were arms, not sticks, but arms,
so that if you came into the room
when 1t was nearly Gark you mistook
the chair, perhaps, fcr q stout old gen.
tleman with loEgiah back, sitting
On a hassock with his hands on his
knees and his elbows turned out. And
speaking in a significant manner l
will conclude by saying that even as
every piece of furniture has its in
dividual character, this easy chair OF
ours wss a wsggish old member and
no mistake.
81 would regard the modern drama"
she retlied to him, "as an anarchron-
ism, did / not see in it an all too pa.
thetic indication of the times"
And as he looked at her, wondering,
marveling, thrown Of his balance for
the moment, that lucky old easy chair
seemed to wink at him over her head.
"And indicating what, Miss Lovee"
he gently asked her.
"And ruling passion of the age!" she
cried. ''Extravasance!"
And as she sat still further back,
that lucky old es.sy chair fairly seemed
to hug her, meanwhile looking at our
hero in a droi! and waggish manner
which seemed to whisper in hoarse
and husky wheeze, "Bless you, she's
young!"
"You are fond of fiction, Miss
Lower" our hero asked her then, sit
ting forward in his chair with the alert
air of a player whose first card has
been dealt to him.
TOO frivoloIs!" she said ."Oh, to
banal."
"You are interested in art?' he ask.
ed, taking up his second card.
I'm interested in nothing" she an.
swered, "that will interfere with my
life's work." ..'.
"And that Isl"
ITO help combat this growing spread
of extravaganza" she gently answer
ed him, and then, almost in whisper,
ITO help regenerate mankind!!"
And as she made a gesture with her
hand, her eyes sparkling, her face
rosy, her expression rapt and yet
satisfied, as though conteated with the
amplitude CT the plan laid out, our
hero looked at the chair as though to
say, "Tll play these" and, arising he
slowly walked away from her and
slowly walked back.
"Ah, Miss Lovee," said he, you
have hit it! Consciously or unconNi-
ously you have gone straight to the
greatest evils of modern times Extrav.
agance. Yes. 1t exists in all classes,
in all ages, in all degrees, from the
millionaire to the millhand, from seven
to seventy, from dukes to domestics.
No one is free from it, except perhaps
an occasional great heart and clear
mind to whom 1t has been given to
see the light No one else can get
away from 1t; they are bound helpless.
chained like slaves! And knowest thou
why? All. knowest thou why? 1t is
because they can find no one to help
them in their fight-none! And hu-
man nature Is weak, Miss Lovee! And
the temptation Of extravaganza Is
strong, Miss Lovee! All, If you but
knew how I have tried to fight this
cruel demon Of extravaganza, Miss
Loyee-how I have tried-how I have
failed-ah. failed. failed. failed! No
one to heln me! No one to give me