Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1912-12-19
CHAPTER XIV CoNr1NuEp)

AS Stuart dressed for Mans party he
brooded over his new relation to his
old sweetheart with increasing pleas
ure. Never had Bivens' offer seemed
more generous and wonderful. His
pulse beat with qu1ckened stroke as
he felt the new ense of power with
which he would look out on the world
as a possible millionaire.
He gazed over the old square with
4 feeling of regret at the thought OF
leaving it. He had grown to love the
place in the past years of loneliness,
but was deciding too soon. perhaps.
There were some features of Bivens'
business he must understand more
clearly before he could give up his
freedom and devote himself body and
soul to the task Of money making as
his associate.
. He went across the square to take
a cab at the Brevoort His mood was
buoyant. He was looking out on life
once more through rose tinted glasses.
At Eighth street he met at right angles
the swarming thousands hurrying
acros town from their work-heavy
looking men who tramped with tired
step. striking the pavements DULY with
their nailed shoes, tired, anxious won.
en-, frowzy headed little girls, sad eyed
boys, half awake-all hurrying. the
fear Of want and the horror Of charity
in their silent faces. And yet the sight
touched no responsive chord of sym.
pathy in Stuarts heart as it often had.
As he drove uptown the avenue fash.
ed with swift, silent automobiles and
blooded horses. These uptown crowds
through whose rushing streams be
passed were all we'll dressed and car
ried bundles of candy. flowers and
toys.
Stuart felt the contagious enthusi.
asm Of thousands Of prosperous men
and women whose lives at the moment
flowed about and enveloped his own.
What was it that made the difference
between the squalid atmosphere below
Fourth street and the glowing. flash.
ing, radiant. jeweled world uptown!
Money! 1t meant purple and fine
linen, delicacies of food and drink,
pulsing machines that could make
a mile a minute. the mountain and
the sea. freedom from care, fear,
drudgery and slavery!
After all in this modern passion for
money might there not be something
deeper than mere greed, perhaps the
regenerating power of the spirit press.
ing man upward? Certainly he could
see only the bright side of it tonight.
AS his cab swung into Riverside
drive from Seventy-second street the
sight which greeted him was one OF
startling splendor. Bivens' yacht lay
at anchor in the river just in front OF
his house. She was festooned with
electric lights from the water line to
the top of her towering steel masts.
The illumination of the exterior OF
the Bivens house was remarkable.
The stone and iron fence surround.
ing the block. which had been built at
a cost of a hundred thousand dollars,
was literally ablaze with lights. The
house was illumined from it's founda.
tons to the top of each towering
minaret with ruby colored lights.
Stuart passed up the grand stairs
through a row of gorgeous funkies
and greeted his hostess.
Nan grasped his hand with a smile
of Joy.
"You are to lead me in to dinner,
Jim, at the stroke Of g."
It'll not forget" Stuart answered,
his face flushing with surprise at the
unexpected honor.
"Cal wishes to see you at once. You
will find him In the library"
Bivens met him at the door.
"Ah, there you arel" he cried cor.
daily. "Come back downstairs with
me. l want you to see some people
az they come in tonight I've a lot
of funny things to tell you about
than"