Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-25
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CHAPTER XXI.
Dick Leaves the Track.

as soon as Dick was fairly inside. why
ii is that artists. actors and especially So
cial reformers are always so loose with
| women?'
Dick looked at his uncle In surprise.
! He was bursting with a confession, and
! at time would he have expected such
| a question to come from his uncle.
Actors and artists, being OF the artistic
| temperament, he replied. after collect
Ing himself. may properly be grouped in
the same class. but social reformers are.
| as a rule, narrow minded men with good
| intentions. who get stung with one par
| ticular social wrong, and swell up until
they think that this one wrong, which Is
always merely symptom. is the root OF
| all evil
| Aren't you social reformero" asked
| Bennington, in surprise.
! II am revoiutionist," replied DICK,
| with dignity.
| II beg your pardon" responded MS
uncle, with satirical ohseauiousness, but
| as I understand 1t. they are troubled
| good deal the same way.
The way of it Is this said Dick. set
/ Ting to the subject. I'VE were all PRINT
lively free in everything so far as we pos
| sessed the physical capacity. As we
| evolved further from the purely natural
artificial conventions Sprang UP. 1hese
4
another class am spea king now of tenn
| neramental, rather than economic
| classes .
| Pray continue they are all one to me.
| interposed his uncle. his face grave, MS
| eyes beginning to twinkle.
| "The emotional characters who imagine
an ideal attempt to reach this ideal with
| out taking into account their ilNed POSI-
ton in society. They ignore criticism
| they attempt to breast the waters of pub
| lie opinion. they do the things openly
| which those who manufacture public
| opinion do secretly. and when the rabbte
turns and harks at hem they at first re-
| fuse to notice it, but gradually their sen
sitiye natures become bitter and they rush
into defiant excess. In the end they tram
pic on their ideals and attempt to harden
| themselves with unrestrained beStiallty.
| In a word, they do not sin against the
| highest good in frank rebellion: they be-
| gin by opposing hypocrisy. but in the end
| they sink back to the lowest, going to
| the very slime of an age which had no
| convention of culture. and this is their
| undong Their appctites are no longer
| strong and discriminating. but erratic and
| degenerate. The beauty which they once
| sought with true devotion remains like
/ CHASTITY srecter to haunt them. and while
| it is impossible for human features to eN-
| press the hell i'm which they live. their
tortured eyes and sagginG lips blaze forth
| like the red lamps of danger. They have
taken up their own misery. but at the
! same time. society. ITSELF
| Il guess that's enough, said the old
| man. soberlv. You're nearly bad as
| tho German. man can't ask you civil
| question without having the human race
or suffering humanity or society dragged
| into the answer. 7 suppose if farmer
were to stop YOU in a bridge crush and
| ask YOU why apples were Wormy you'd
| talk to him about society until You were
| both trampled to death.
IF trees are properly sprayed fruit will
become ant O
| too careless. Apples are a eocial product
| therefore society should guard her own
| by seeing that the trees are properly
sprayed.
| said Bennington. shaking his head. IF
/ was sure that ] knew everything 1t
seems to me that I'd be sort of weary of
sticking around here any longer I'd
want to go to some new planet and see
| if couldn't hunt up something to wonder
about.
| But. Dick. you've been ont pretty late
| tonight and I've something / want to say
| to YOU The old man paused. His voice
had become gentle and sincere. and is
| face showed signs of embarrassment. 1T
! isn't so easy to say. but ] was wrong in
what ] tried to make You do
NO YOU weren't, uncle / was wrong
| in refusing to obey your slightest WISH
! Richard Bennington stared at him.
] Well. it don't make any difference. now,
you don't have to marry Miss Burton
But intend to marry her." broke in
Dick. impetuously Il want to marry
her. l will marry her
What? You intend to marry that
fright? The daughter of my bitterest
| enemy, i forbid it.
| You can forbid all YOU want to-" re-
| torted Dick. forgetting his contrite state
| ment of moment before. Il intend to
marry her. and l shall thank you if you
| refrain from speaking disrespectfully of
| the girl / intend to make my wife and
4 whom
Il have seen her., said Bennington.
| She is in no way suitab BILE She is one
| of these strong minded creatures who will
| fuss week to have their own way"
That will do" said Dick. IF you are
| merely seeking to stimulate me by oppo-
sition it is useless, for my mind is al
ready made up shall marry Miss Bur
| ton if it lies within my power to do SO.
and il YOU say another word against her
| shall simply walk away and leave YOU
You obstinate beggar, you You take
advantage of my weakness ] suppose
YOU lured her into the park this even
ing?'-recalling the capture of Miss Bur
ton and her subsequent release at his
hands. Il know more Of your pranks
than you think | do"-Dick Immediately
thought that his friends had betrayed
him-"but let that go for the present.
Dick. YOU mustn't do anything hasty. I
have told YOU exactly the shape we're in. |
and hate to tackle the next few months
alone. You're young you have magma
smash it won't be so bad il YOU are in
with me- Thirty wears ago. twenty years
ago even ten years ago, ] should have
welcomed a scrap like this. but il they
get me down now there is no come
back for me. and ! hate to own up that
I'm whipped. IL we land this Panama
contract II means a hundred millions |
worth of other business
You can't stand on the outside and |
realize how il all hangs together. It's |
like teHpins, YOU hit the head pin just |
right and YOU get them all hut if Your |
ball starts a quarter of an inch out of |
Inc you roll into the alley and don't get |
anything. They're watching us like crows
watching a dying horse If we bid too |
low ii will show our hand if we bid one
dollar too high We don't get a look in |
have figured this bid at exactly two
million, three hundred and sixty-fite
thousand dollars. and that's 10 the hair
line. Are YOU going To come I'm and
make a last fight for it, or are YOU going
to read of our failure in the newspapers?
| This is mans game Dick; will YOU |
come in and take a hand. or will YOU
stand outside and chatter
There was magnetism in the old mans |
voice. Dick saw the situation in new
light. 1t was a mans game. he was tired |
| OF dealing with theories and onged to be |
In the midst of a fierce struggle The |
quick movements of the evening the
matching of his wits and his strength |
against those of other men and agains, !!
veins like rare wine. ard he felt in every
<.fh III hot tlx1 % L.