The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-01-02
CHAPTER T.

@MephfssopheIes-
Wherefore torsaks.t thou the lovely
= maiden
rhat in the dance 20 sweesiy sansf
All. IN the midst Of IL there srrang
y rcd mouse from her uaoath-sudcient
reason.
OR years the best years of her
life. for THAT matter. as she Of
ten reflected In lonely moments
= Miriam ChaEloner had been
6Eying to prove to her own satisfac
80 that her husband was no worse
EN- the majority OF young men mar
III to rich women. but she could
1sver Gnd the arguments whereby she
1dGhf arrive at the desired conclusion.
& u not to be wondered ut, then, that
eventually there came day when the
Information was brought to her that
eyer In the gny and ultra fashionable
world IN which they moved people
spoke OF him as ''that mad ChaIloner.r
and were sayfng that he Was going a
pace that was rapidly carrying hini
Car beyond the horizon Of anything
Ike responsibility going TO the dogs.
Is truth. as fast as her money could
take him there
sSociefyss estimatfons Illusions In
that direction we're hardly possible
There. too. doubtless she would incur
the loss Of certain amount Of con-
efderat ion. And even the nonposses-
sion OF highly imaginative tempera-
uzent did NOT prevent her from fancy
ing the expressive shrugs and "Oh, Of
course, his wife is TO blame which
would be voiced By more than one
impeccable dame of her acquaint-
once. as often as not superbly guIhble
souls whose eloguence increases In d.
rrct proportion to the worlds lack Of
belief In the HdeIity OF their liege
lords.
But. whatever were the opinions OF
the women. there was no disposition
on the part Of the men to hold her In
any way responsible for his behavior.
Ear from it. And In favorite corner
Of an exclusive club, when the names
OF fair ladies' mostly of the stage
we're banded about as figuring IN
young Challoner's escapades. old Gro
ries OF his father, between sips Of
their Scotch and sodas. were wont +
boil over with contemptuous tndigna
tion and explosiyeiy give thanks to th.
gods for willing that their lovabte
ufd time friend should not I've to SCI
the confirmation Of bis fears Ant
how well they recalled those fearsl
For notwithstanding his very moder
ate circumstances the elder Chailone
bad been thar rarest OF mortais. |
man bIissfulIy content with his lot fl
life ard one who seldom missed al
opportunity to depiore the Unsuitable
craze OF the rich for more riches, for
eyer protesting that blatant CONNER
eialism. haste and artificiality wer
the gods Of the present day.
1t soon CAME out that there had beel
scene between father and son. Thes
two for many years had been the onl.
members Of the family. and probabl,
better than any Que In the world tn
father had known the sons weak
hesses- hypersensitIve 70 new infu
ences. vanity and inability TO say no.
and he had pointed ont to him tn
many disadvantages. dangers TO on
of his temperament. which be coul
we In such an alliance. To the "a
they's thinking the boy would hav
10 home only establishments. yachts
facing stables and motorcars-and b
had commended that there We're IN
more desirable things in life than th
possession of these. from which It ca
easily be surmised that ]. Lawrenc
GhaIloner, Sr.. wns man little !
sympathy with the IDEAS Of moder
fashionable society.