Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1913-12-19


we're unanimous in the feeling that
Mr.. Rawn's house, it's furnishings. it's
decorations, its pictures, its works of
art, its hospitality also, were beyond
reproach The trace of gaucherie was
gone. The spirit of the place was del
icately reserved. dignified, yet well as
sured. The seal of approval was
placed upon Graystone Hall. Who, in
deed, should smile at the man who
had made SO meteoric rise. who had
by few years of labor become mas
ter of this mansion, its furnishings
and its mistress? Who, upon the other
hand, might smile at that mistress,
whose appearance upon the front page
of the leading journals of the city be-
came now matter Of course-a lady
Of such reserved tastes as led her to
forsake the larger marts, and to set
the seal of fashionable approval upon
little florist, little modiste, little
milliner all her own-even a little sur
geon hitherto unknown, who honored
a little hospital and made it fashion
able. by taking there this distinguished
patient for little operation?
Rawn himself expanded in all this
social success. He saw doors hitherto
closed, opening before him. saw his
future unrolling before him also like
SCROLL A hundred times week he
walked to his young wife. caught her
in his arms. VIGOROUSLY infatuated
with her youth, her beauty, her
aplomb, her fitness for this life which
he had chosen. For once he almost
forgot to regard himself as a collector
of beautiful objects, although the
truth was that his wife, Virginia, be-
came more beautiful each day. more
superb of line, more calmly easy in
air, more nearly faultless of garb and
derneanor. She took her place easily
and surely among the young matrons
of the Weather circles of the western
city. Whereas thousands of auto-cars
had passed by Graystone Hall and
only a dozen stopped, scores now, of
the largest. drove up It's winding walks
and halted at its doors. The dearest
dream of both seemed realized. The
hunt in couple had won. They had
gained what they desired; that is to
say, selfindulgence, ease, idleness, ad-
! ulation. freedom from care. What
more is there to seek? And is not
this America?
Gradually John Rawn had been los
ing the rusticity which had accompa-
MED him well up to middle age The
city now began to leave its imprint.
The waistcoat of Mr.. Rawn gradually
attained a curve unknown to it in ear
lier years, SO that his watch fob now
hung in free air when he stood erect
His face was perhaps more f1orid, his
hair certainly more gray His skin
remained fresh and clean, and always
he was well-groomed, having the able
assistance of his wife now in the Sc
lection Of his tailoring, as well as her
coaching in social usage. They always
looked their part. At morning, at
noon, or at dewy eve, in any assem-
blage or any chance situation, they
both played the role assigned to
them in their own ambitions Born of
an environment wholly unconvention-
al, they now took on that of ccnven-
tionality as though born to that in
stead. You could not have found
more perfect type of responsibility
than John Rawn, a more absolutely
valid exemplar of good social form
than his wife, Virginia All things
prospered under their magic touch,
the genii of the lamp seemed theirs.
No problems remained for them to
solve. They had in their own belief
attained what may be attained in
American life, and they were happy.
Or, that is to say, they should at least
have been happy, if their theory of
life and success, and of those like to
theirs, be correct. At least they were
what they were-products of a won
derful country which makes million
aires overnight and produces out of
bakeries women OF one generation fit
to be the wives Of princes born of
forty kings.
We are, some of us at least, accus-
toned to worship such as these as
they ride by upon the high car of sue
cess. accustomed to envy and to emu
late them. If that vehicle be the car
of Juggernaut, crushing under it's
wheels multitudes of those who wor-
ship, it is no concern of those who sit
aloft. For long time Mr. Rawn and
his wife remained ignorant of the fact
that one victim of the wheels of their
success was none other than Rawn's
daughter. Grace.
Alas. for that young lady. She I'M
fortunately had been now for almost a
year an aspirant in her own right to
seat upon the car. of ease and lux
ury; yet here she saw herself swiftly
supplanted, and worse than that, swift
ly forgotten! Her year of quasi-place
and power had left her unwilling to
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