The Delta independent., 1910-06-10
CHAPTER v.

Horatio Passavant occupied a resi-
dence on Park avenue. that dullest of
New York's many dull uptown streets.
The place and its furnishings. like
their owner. were heavy. eminently
respectable, pompous. and quite pre-
tentious.
The household consisted of himself.
his daughter, and his spinster sister
the latter tolerated chiefly because
she made an admirable sheep-dog for
the second. being conveniently deaf.
quite colorless as to opinions. and
capable OF complete self-enacement
upon occasion.
Clara Passayant. the daughter was
commonly accounted handsome
woman. of a pale. blonde. stately type
OF beauty: she WAS thoroughly mer-
cenary. brilliant as an ic.rle and near
ly as cold heArtless , iu. and ambi-
tious. Her ail-consum aim IN life
was to contract a sp.enuId marriage;
in her eyes mcley was the indis-
pensable requisite for human happi-
ness: and. although she probably
never shaped the thought in SO many
words. she ~ould-undoubtedly sell her
SELF to the highest bidder.
Father and daughter were sitting
over their dessert on the evening of
the day which brought to Wilfrid the
tidings Of his stupendous change IN
fortune. The scene was far as the
antipodes from the humble interior
over in Macdougal street. where an
other and 4 more momentous inter.
view was At that very moment also
taking place.
Now tell me about this Mr.. Stennis
81 yoars. papa said Clara after the
servants had retired. "Is he At all
presentable.''
Not half bad. my dear" returned
the lawyer: "A trine raw and un.
formed. perhaps. but under the proper
tuteinse I imagine he will become q
very valuable adjunct to society. He
10 one Of the richest young men In the
world. remember"
How rich. for example!" Queried
Clara. absently admiring the flash and
simmer OF her bracelet.
His income from his mining prop
critics alone is 81 100000 a year and
there is n capital nest-egg of at least
twenty-five million back OF that"
"A million dollars . year" mused
Clara aloud: "one could support an
establishment anywhere very com
fortably on that"
Her father gave vent to an excla-
nation that was very like a snort of
disgust. One year OF his income Is
professional life,"
When does he come into his prop
erty7' was the beauty's next ques-
ton
'Oh. practically Immediately. There
are but Few legal formalities to be OBJ
served
Il should think he would feel very
grateful to you" continued Clara. FOR
rescuing him from poverty and OBJ
scurity."
Well you see. my dear said Mr..
Passavant. rubbing his double chin
obviously at this characteristic fem
inine bit of logic. the facts being AS
they were. we could hardly help find
ing him. there was really no trouble at
all; any other firm could aud would
have done as well. I do not exactly
perceive why he should be especially
grateful on that score. No doubt the
young man feels kindly towards mel
have every reason to believe that he
does. in point of fact
What has he been doing for a liv.
ing all these years."
His vocation has been that OF a
bookkeeper in a large export house
downtown"
II suppose he knows nothing what
ever of society. papa? He could have
no really nice people among his ac-
quaintances7
Highly improbable. l should say.
was the rsjoinder. II was thinking.
Clara, that we might do the poor fell
low a signal service by taking him
up-introducing him in the right quar-
ters, and all that sort OF thing" with
an airy wave of the hand.
Very likely he gobbles his soup and
cats with his knife! Do you suppose
he ever walked through n cotillion In
his life?" said Clara. with supercilious
disdain. Her father gave ventral
chuckle.
Come. come, my dear, we must not
be too hard on young Stennis. He
has really quite passable manners.
and impresses me rs man who
-ouid quickly fall into civilized ways"