Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1911-06-29

ton company was made the subject
of scathing criticism and bitter attack
Of which the Sachem society and the
party In power came In for a large
share. And men everywhere began
asking what was to be done about 1t.
In previous campaigns the party out
Of power had been led by series of
forlorn hopes, men enthusiastic in
their devotion to the cause of reform
and not noted for much of anything
else. The leaders of the outs took
notice Of Gormly. Inquiries began to
be made about him; his business
methods were investigated; his re-
sources were discussed; his character
was analysed; his career made the
subject of study. From being merely
a name attached to familiar institu.
tion, he became within one month one
Of the great personalities of New
York. The situation was intoxicating.
Incidentally, he did not lose In the
estimation Of Miss Haldane by this
exploitation of himself. which he had
so cleverly managed that no one
dreamed It was due to his own mo-
ton. Even in those exclusive circles
In which Miss Haldane moved, which
are ordinarily Indifferent to any hap
penings on this side of the terrestrial
sphere, some account OF Gormly and
his doings, penetrated. That he was
rich and bachelor were the most In
teresting facts which appealed to this
set. Men and women there began to
inquire as to who he was. 1t was Miss
Haldane's privilege and pleasure to
enlighten them so far as she could,
without betraying the nature of their
confidential relation.
There were several papers on the
side of the administration, which were
owned and controlled by the party in
power. that would have been glad in
deed to have discredited Gormly; but
the closest scrutiny revealed nothing
in his life that could be used for that
purpose. Where he had come from
was not known; but for the last quar-
ter of century at least his course
had been traced with considerable &C
curacy. and indeed there was little of
It that was not discovered and disclos-
ed to the eager public. He was quite
willing to talk about the Gotham
Freight Traction company or any mat
ter OF public moment, but for the rest
he was unshakably silent. His early
past, therefore, was a mystery; but
the interest In mystery that has no
special bearing upon the present soon
dies out.
Then Gormly did an unusual thing
for him. He purchased a country
place on Long Island. This received
no mention I'm the public press, be.
cause the whole matter had been han
died by the invaluable Chaloner, and
Gormly's name had not appeared at
all. The place was desirable, in that
1t was not far-five or six miles-from
the country place OF the Haldane fam
lily. 1t was bought completely fur
nished. and the stan of servants previ-
ously employed was retained.
Gormly knew from the clipping bu-
reau that 1t was the custom of the
Haldanes to pass the Christmas holt
days at their country place. He had
seen Miss Haldane rather less fire. |
quently of late, because the work at
the settlement house was now so far
advanced that II was merely matter
of carrying out the plans decided upon
and spending the money so generously
placed in her hands by him. which did
not need much consultation. So. on
the vain hope that chance might
throw him In touch with her. Gormly
decided also to occupy for the Christ
mas season his lonely cottage-it was
called a cottage, although 1t was more
like baronial mansion than anything
else-on the Long Island shore.
1t was showing hard the evening OF
his arrival the day before Christmas
and Gormly did not like snow. He
had bitter memories intermingled
with storm, and the sight Of the
white, ice covered snow clad fields