The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1911-11-21
The
American
He Entered London Society,
as He Had Made a
Fortune
BY BEATRICE GARDINEE
Copyright by American Press Assoc
citation. 1911

III citation. 1911. +
Mother" said Gladys Poindexter.
daughter of Sir John and Lady Poin-
dexter. this effort to keep up is
wearing me out. The estate has so
dwindled that we should be living on
$500 year and we are spending
$1,000"
But. my dear. If we retrench we
shall lose social position that has
been the family right for 800 years"
At that moment Lord Toppington's
card came up.
Lord Toppington was typical Lon
don swell As he entered. seeing
Gladys. he frowned. Her mother saw
his displeasure at her daughters pres
ence and made an excuse to send her
from the room. Lord ToppingtoD seat
ed himself and said:
Lady Poindexter. ! come in the in
terest of young American who has
recently arrived in London with de-
sire to enter the social circle. He has
applied to me to secure an entrance
for him. and | have consented to do
what can In the matter. He gives a
dinner on Wednesday evening next
under my management. ! have put
the names of yourself. Sir John and
your daughter on the list Of guests
I trust you will accept"
.sThe Poindexters have never known
any Americans" said my lady, with
reserve.
And l would not suggest your doing
30 now" replied his lordship, except"
he lowered his voice-"this fellow
Springer is enormously rich.
"You mean that he will buy shares
In Sir John's''-
II have tried him on that. and he
would not bite. He says he prefers to
put out the cash. Sinking to whis-
per: HE has deposited a sum to my
credit with my bankers, which ! am
to place where / like. ! have f2OO put
down against your name on the list"
Lady Poindexter's expression chang
ed. She looked down upon the carpet
meditatively.
! Can you assure me that this will
not be knownT
Il can"
mot for fifty times the amount
would consent to Gladys hearing of
it. She has great family pride and
would scorn such transaction"
I Lord Toppington took bit Of paper
from his pocketbook and, rising. Of
fered his hand to Lady Poindexter.
The paper was in his palm. and when
he left it was in hers. 1t was check
for 600.
George Springer was very singular
young man. He had a genius for
finance that few men even understand
When he began his career ten years
before his appearance In London he
startled old financial heads by the ap-
parent recklessness of his plunges. and
they predicted a brief career for him.
the end being his burial under an enor-
nous debt Instead he emerged with
millions to his credit Being still a
bachelor. he concluded to see the
world. not on the outside. but on the
inside. With keen insight into hu-
man nature he knew that there are
but few things in the world money will
not buy. He had gone practically to
work to gain an admission to British
society. selecting Toppington. an impe-
icunious nobeman of excellent lineage.
whatever that means, and one of the
best social engineers in London.
He advised with Toppington as to
what lady he should reserve for him
self to take into dinner, and Topping
ton told him that Gladys Poindexter
would be as well worth cultivating as
any one. Toppington also explained
that Gladys was ignorant Of the fact
that her presence had been purchased
and II she got an inkling of It the
Poindexters from that moment must
be counted out from their calculations.
Springer was especially attentive to
this information. He had q keen ap-
probation of values and values of diff
ferent kinds. Moreover, be appreciat-
ed the difference between moral and
money values. He had no permanent
use for these people whom he had
bought and was interested in meeting
one whom he could not buy. He was a
bright fellow and a good conversa-
itionalist He devoted his exclusive
attention to Gladys Poindexter. re-
Training from being diverted from her
at any time by others. There are three
stages of refinement-viz. not enough.
sufficiency and too much. Springer
belonged to the middle of these three
classes. He had not become effemi-
nate. Indeed. he was fine specimen
Of physical and intellectual vigor not
yet undermined by possession of alb
normal wealth Such man was like
ly to be agreeable to such a girl as
Gladys Poindexter
The American succeeded In making
as quick an Introduction into London
society as he had into the coterie OF
multimillionaires He was more often
met in the Poindexters' company than
others, and his attentions to Miss
Gladys were noticed But one day
there came a terrible break In this in
timacy. Gladys was relied upon by
her father and mother to guide the
family down the dangerous current
of family finance. and many a rock
she avoided by her management. One
day when she was trying to make the
balance In her check book and pass
book agree she came upon an item Of
f200 to the family credit that she
could not account for. Her mother
should have provided some means Of
concealing Toppington's check. but
had failed to do SO. Gladys demand
ed to know what the check was for
There was family Jar, at the end of
which Lady Poindexter confessed
that the money had come indirectly
from the American
Had Gladys been Indifferent to
Springer the discovery would have
been extremely painful. but since she
had been. to say the least, much
pleased with him the incident plunged
her into the depths of modification.
Filial consideration prevented her
venting her feelings upon her poor old
parents. Toppington was beneath her
contempt. Springer was the only one
fit to be made to feel her Indignation.
The next time she met him socially
at ball given by the Marchioness Of
Bladesby--she turned her back upon
him He at once OWNED the cause.
For the first time since his arrival
in London Springer felt that he had
encountered something that his mil
lions were powerless to smooth away.