Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1910-09-16

little shop had expanded into 10
story building covering a block on the
principal thoroughfare OF New York
city, and its owner had become pow.
er in finance,--a merchant prince.
Such was George Gormly.
He was, too, scrupulously honest
man. He sold good goods, without
deceit Things were as he represent
ed them He established principles OF
accommodation in his dealings that
were unique when they were first in
stituted in New York. He made no
dishonest dollars. His money was
good everywhere because it was un.
tainted He prospered exceedingly,
one expansion following another.
EschewiIg speculation OF any kind
and devoting himself strictly to the
business, he found himself In middle
life the head, the foot, the sole owner,
of the greatest enterprise of the kind
that the world had ever seen.
This had not been achieved lightly.
He had brought it about because, with
absolute singleness of heart, he had
put every ounce of strength and time
and talent, which in him amounted to
genius, at the service of his affairs.
Time, talent, and genius do not always
produce such results; fortune still
must be considered In the game. Op-
portunity had favored Gormly. He
had succeeded in everything beyond
his own or anyones widest dreams.
He might have gone on indefinitely
in his mercantile operations without
attracting special attention to himself
personally had 1t not been for one
fact That momentous happening was
his meeting with Miss Haldane.
1t had come about in a common
place way enough. Miss Haldane,
deeply interested in social settlement
work and being brought in contact
thereby with some of the poorer EN-.
ployees of the great Gormly establish.
ment. had concluded to call on tho
proprietor thereof to see if she could
not induce him to make some ade.
quate contribution to the work she
had so much at heart. Like every
other business man in New York,
Gormly was overwhelmed by chart.
table demands. His business was one
thing; his charity another. He en-
ployed special secretary to look aft.
er the eleemosynary end of his at.
fairs.
There were two reasons why the
secretary felt himself unequal to deal
with Miss ERldane and her demands.
The first reason was Miss Haldane
herself. She was a member of the
Oldest and most exclusive circle in
New York society. Her family was
one of the richest and most esteemed
In that hive of multi-millionaries
would-be-sos, also-rans. and other PEG
pie. The second was the magnitude
Of Miss Haldane's demand. She want
ed something like million dollars.
This amount appalled, the secretary.
She realized that a man like Gormly,
indeed most men if they had the pow
er, would much rather give million
than a dime to an undertaking that
appealed to them. Still, Gormly, hay
ing devoted his attention so exclusive
" ms o''A i,i19' i'e' e'0'',s' "'s
,''''e' ''ee . 0leU ~ 'ne 10 ~, VI
'ne amount ne "oU,0 i''s'9 use"
more stassereu py 1t h7u ne oseh Tess
81 ny MISS fialuahe heIseIi'
MISS Haldane had beauty. ihou-
sands OF people-Women' that Is, and
some few men-haVe that. She had
more; she had presence and person
atty. Hundreds of men, and some
few women, have these.
Those who have all three in either
sex are rare and come to view infre-
Guently. Whether it was Miss Hal
danes undoubted beauty, or Miss Hal
danes exquisite breeding and MAN
ner, or Miss Haldane's force OF char
acter and determination, that most i'm
pressed him, or whether his instant
subjugation was due to the influence