The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-12-27
Ill Blows the Wind that
Profits. Nobody"


Street. Streatham. which seemed to
Indicate in any way that one OF the
most interesting careers connected
with the world history of crime was
10 owe its very existence to the dis
aster which befell that little gather
ing. The villa was the residence and
Rlso-to his credit-the unmortgaged
property Of Mr.. David Barnes,
struggling but fairly prosperous coal
merchant of excellent character, some
means, and Methodist procliyities.
His habit OF sitting without his coat
when carving, although deprecated by
his wife and daughter on account of
the genteel aspirations of the latter,
was not unusual one in the neigh
borh0od; and coupled with the prox-
Unity of cold joint of beef, his seat
At the head of the table, and cary
Ing knife and fork grasped in his
hands, established clearly the fact OF
his position in the household. which
somewhat weak physiognomy might
otherwise have led the casual OBJ
server 10 doubt. Opposite to him, at
the other end of the table, sat his
wife, Mrs. Barnes. somewhat yolu-
minous lady with high color. black
satin frock, and many ornaments. On
her left the son of the house, eighteen
years old. CT moderate stature, some
what pimply. with the fashion Of the
moment reflected in his pink tie with
white spots, drawn through gold
ring. and curving outwards 10 seek
obscurity underneath a dazzling waist
coat. A white tuberose in his button
hole might have been intended as a
sort OF compliment TO the occasion, or
an indication of his intention to take
a walk after supper in the fashionable
purlieus of the neigbborhood. Oppo-
site to him sat his sister-a fluffy
| haired. blue-eyed young lady, pretty
in her way, but chiefly noticeable for
peculiar sort Of self-consciousness
blended with self-satisfaction. and
possessed only at a certain period in
/, their lives by young ladies of her age.
II was almost the air of the cat in
1 whose interior reposes the missing
canary. except that in tbis instance
! the canary obviously existed in the
person of the young man who sat at
/ her side, introduced formally to the
household for the first time. That
young mans name was-at the mo-
ment-Mr. Spencer Fitzgerald.
| 1t seems idle to attempt any descrip-
I ton OF person who. in the past. had
secured a certain amount Of fame
under varying personality; and who.
/ in the future, was to become more
4 than ever notorious under far less
4 aristocratic pseudonym than that un-
\ der which he was at present known 10
( the inhabitants OF Daisy Villa. There
/ are photographs Of him in New York
and Paris. st. Petersburg and Chi
! cago, Vienna and Cape Town, but
= there are no two pictures which pre-
] sent to the casual observer the slight
est likeness TO one another. To al
/ Jude 10 him by the name under which
/ he had won some part. at least. OF the
/ affections of Miss, Maud Barnes. MI.
i Spencer Fitzgerald, as he sat there. a
sutton on probation for her hand. was
young man of modest and genteel
! appearance. He wore blue serge snit
"a little underdressed for the occa-
sion. perhaps; but his tie and collar
we're neat; his gold-rimmcd s3ectacles
4 If little disapproyed of by Maud
on account of the air of steadiness
! which they impsrted-suggested ex-
cellent son-in-lawlike qualities to Mr..
and Mrs. Barnes. He had the promise
| of fair mustache. but his complexion
generally was colorless. His features.
except for certain regularity. were
undistinguished. His speech was mod
! est and correct. His manner varied
with his company. Tonight it had
been pronounced, by excellent judges
! genteel.
The conversation consisted-natu-
rally enough under the circumstances
-of a course of subtle and judicious
pumping. tactfully prompted, for the
most part, by Mrs. Barnes. Such, for
instance as the following:
Talking about Marie Corellis new
book reminds me, Mr.. Fitzgerald
your occupation Is connected with
books, Is 1t not?" his prospective
mother-in-law inquired. artlessly.
Mr. Fitzgerald bowed assent.
81 am cashier at Howell & Wilson s
in Cheapside," he said. We sell a
great many books there-as many.
should think. as any retail establish
ment in London"
/" Indeed. Mrs. Barnes purred.
Very interesting work, ! am sure.
SO nice and intellectual, too; for. OF
course, you must be looking inside
! them sometimes"
II know the place we'll Mr..
Adolphus Barnes, Junior. announced
condescendingly. pass it every day
on my way to lunch"
So much nicer" Mrs. Barnes con-
tinued. than any OF the ordinary
businesses grocery or drapery, or
anything of that sort
Miss Maud elevated her eyebrows
slightly. Was it likely that she would
have looked with eyes Of favor upon a
young man engaged in any Of these
inferior occupations?
. There's money in books, too" Mr.
Barnes declared, with sudden inspira-
ton
His prospective son-ln-law turned to
wards him deferentialIy.
. Yon are right. sir" he admitted
There is money in them. There's
money for those who write. and
there's money for those who sell. My
occupation" he continued, with q
modest little cough. brings me often
into touch with publishers, travellers
and clerks, so am, as it were. be
hind the scenes 10 some extent.
can assure you" he continued, looking
from Mr. Barnes 10 his wife, and
finally transixing Mr.. Adolphus-@
can assure you that the money paid