Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-09-12
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A dHDnAw clerk buNfled FD tn him
EBnmonds. was set aside.
\ Wen take that" the young man de-
cided
For Molly Mehafey and Patrick-he
seemed entirely familiar with Bob's
home relationship chose respectively
a very pretty pearl pendant and a sill
yer cigar case, This done, be laid the
three purchases In a row before him
and surveyed them critically.
There" he said finally; 81 think
those will help make a very satis-
factory Christmas for the lucky ones.
But aren't you forgetting s~omethlngT'
For Miss Flinnf Not here. I'm
much obliged to you, though" Bob
said as he filed out a check that ran
into four figures.
"Oh, it's been a pleasure, you may
be sure" the young man replied pleas
antly. 81 like to spend money, even
If It is some one else's."
When they left the store the young
man turned up the street with Bob In
the matter of fact way Of n whose
company is justified by lifelong ac-
quaintance, Bob, grimly amused, per-
mitted 1t.
at takes Christmas time to make a
fellow expand. There's a lot in this
good viii to men, after all. That's
what like about Christmas"
ITS nonsense said Bob. 81 don't
believe In giving Christmas presents.
Hundreds Of thousands of dollars are
spent this week in this city by people
who have trouble scraping enough to-
gether to make ends meet"
III admit it IS the dramatic view of
it that appeals to me. l always go
broke myself Christmas time, and l
positively gIoat in my bankruptcy,
not because others see it as a fine
~thing-few people have the superfne
theatrical l have-but because
1 see it so myself and like to look on
at myself in a gorgeous role. You
don't understand that, do your"
81 do not"
mo, of course not. You have been
too busy driving ahead, trampling the
world under your feet, to cultivate
lueSe uueI pledSuTeS.
There are some people who would
he afraid TO say these things to me-"
Bob interrupted, half angrily.
"Oh, I'm not afraid of you, you
know" was the cheerful answer. And
he continued: yours is what I coll
grand opera egotsm. Now, mine Is
vaudeville. 1 don't ask the world to
PROSTATE itself before me. All I want
is that it shall place me in the fore
ground, so that l may enjoy myself
playing a striking role. OF course the
same principle underlies both our ma
tures-concentrated selfshness, self
love. Were you eve In love?"
well, hardlyP
Neither was L. It's q shame, too;
I'd make such a splendid lover. I'm
not q sentimentalist, t~hough-rather a
sensationalist I love a strong sensa-
ton. 1 like the feel Of doing the big,
the unusual, the beautiful things. /
like the sensation of talking about
myself frankly to a man who never
saw me before and doesn't give a
hang whether he yer sees me again"
Bob laughed l~oudly-he could not
help it 'IYell, you've got nerve,
there's no doubt of that. l stop at this
| bookstore"
"Tu go along. I want to deliver q
homily with that laugh of yours as a
text"
But this time Bob needed no aid
from tne laxative ~scranSv4, me-
ent was for Kathleen. As with the
discriminating eye of the book lover
Bob chose a superbly bound set of
| Shakespeare the young nan ex-
claimed:
by Jove, I envy the n who gets
this PRESENT. You love booksP'
4They are my chief extravaganza"
The young man surveyed him
thoughtfully. At length he said:
"You have accomplished more than
any young man l know of. You are
the third strongest man politically in
the city. You are apparently rich. You
have accomplished this by dint OF
sheer strength, leaving out entirely the
question of personal popularity. That's
the weak spot in your armor. Now
you have chosen politics as your par
ticular iield. So have l."
"Then I guessed right" Bob said TO
himself, and the amused CLEAN died
out Of his eyes.
Downright brute strength and the
fear inspired by it have carried you
through so far, but If you are going
further you must consider the ques-
ton of personal popularity. Get the
public into the habit Of loving a man
and they will keep on loving him
just because they love him."
That's not true" Bob INTERCEPTED
sharply. do you know more about
any other subject than you do about
politics."
"Oh, I know politics." the young
man said calmly. 81 know the power
of money and of the big corporations
and inanciers whom you and / know
to be the kings in politics. 1 am speak
ing of the politicians, who stand to
capital in the relation Of attorney to
client. l have studied the big polit-
ical men of our country closely, and
every man jack of them has been per
sonally popular or at least able to
make himself an attractive public fig
ure. 1t Is the lack of 1t that will keep
you out, If anything can, Of control OF
the citv. at which | shreWdlV guess