Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1911-02-23

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sheaf of letters wanting replies, es-
pecially a lengthy communication
from Carboy, Passavant & Cozine be-
seeching his personal. attention to
sundry matters connected with his
vast properties. Despite his lavish ex-
penditure, he had not disbursed half
his income; consequently there was
always a surplus of cash on hand de-
manding investment. Mr. Passavant
had evidently seen his name among
the arrivals and lost no time in try
ing to get at him.
Tell old Passavant to go to the
devil!" exclaimed Stennis irritably.
"Or-no-Ill go there myself mean.
I'll run downtown in the morning.
Write and tell him so, please. want
to be alone this evening"
Thus left to himself, he extln-
guished the lights and went to the
balconied open window commanding
view of the Riverside drive and
king and taking STOCK" of himself un-
I'll the night was far spent.
The inventory was not very salts
factory one from any point of view.
Where were his former roseate
dreams of serene and supreme hap
piness which were to become con-
crete realities with the possession of
boundless wealth? True, he had
achieved many things which none but
a spoiled darling of fortune could
have accomplished He had quaffed
the cup of pleasure to the dregs; he
had seen and tasted-merely tasted
gilded vice; there his innate clean
ness of nature and clarity of mind
had kept him from any great damage
to health or reputation. But that
sort of thing was only negative virtue,
and he knew it,
If he had wrought no serious harm
to others or to himself, he had, of an
equal surety, accomplished no good.
There must be something in life for
him beyond mere spending, eating,
drinking, and wearing fine clothes.
But where and how to find it? Not
among the fashionable and frivolous
folk with whom he had cast his lot
hitherto, nor among women of the
type of Clara assavant-though she
was rot by any means the worst
product of her guild. Indeed, come
to think of it, she was 'the best of
the bunch" Her influence, on the
whole, had made for good; looking
backward, he could see how much he
and made man of him in those early
days of his new-found riches, when,
without her aid, or in the hands of
woman of commoner clay, he might
have gone to perdition.
Yes, he had every reason to think
have married her-he could now II
he chose to say the word. Perhaps
that would be the best thing that
could happen to him!i Eunice had
cast him off-unjustly. of course
weakly ready, in his chagrin, to blame
edness.
He had said that he did not love
Clara, which was perfectly true Was
there in the world any such thing as
love-real, pure, disinterested love?
Once upon time he had thought So
but now?
Too late he discerned that in let
ting Eunice Trevecca slip through his
fingers he had lost what might have
proved a sheet-anchor for happiness.
With her by his side as guide. coun-
selor friend, and wife, what might
he not have accomplished Was it
too late? 1t looked that way.
Nevertheless, the next night found |
him in Greenwich village again. This
time old John Trevecca was at home,
and the evening passed in recounting |
his adventures and in going over
some choice photographs he had
gathered together for Eunice. But
not for an instant did she permit her
self to be alone with him; and al
though he called again and again, on
many successive days and nights. he
never succeeded in seeing her tete-a-
tete.
How was he to establish himself
anew in her good graces. how win
back the footing he had spurned. II
she never gave him the chance? And
so, for want of anything better. and
to stifle regret, he took up the gay
round and routine of social diversion
and fashionable fribble where he had
left them off two years before
One other thing he did, however
On a beautiful site, near what is now
called Cathedral Heights. he began
the erection of a dwelling which
would embody all his old ideals of
what such place should be, enriched
with the newer ideas picked up dur
Ing his travels.
And to Clara Passavant and her
friends it began to seem as If, after
all, she might, at some day not far
distant, become the mistress of this
worthy addition to the millionaire
houses of New York
ITO RE CONTTNTTED