The Washington herald., 1914-11-22
CoODgishs ln4,

the Subway from South Ferry Il
Fifty-ninth street, and, entering Cen
tral Park, kept along its southernmos
path till he reached the Plaza, wherl
he paused a moment to admire Saint
Gaudens' statue of Gen. Sherman, ;
gilded warrior on a gilded hors,
squirrel by a gilded girl-Victory o.
Peace or something, he was not sur,
just what
He would have turned back from hi:
engagement, but he had not even the
strength for that much action. Ht
crossed the Avenue to where the Met
Topolitan Club stood four square IN it.
gray and white dignity When Forbes
entered the club and asked for TAFT
the doorman consulted the roster,
board, and, finding a cribbage peg op-
posite the Senator's name, sent a page
for him. He was not far TO. fetch
and he was in a humor of Falstafian
heartiness. He came upon Forbes
foggy mood like a morning sun. He
was just what Forbes needed
He led Forbes into the great central
hall, with its white marble cliffs and its
red-velveted double stairway mounting
like huge St. Andrews cross, placed
q
might have sat a-knee, and gave the
bell royal bang. He recommended a
special cocktail, and joined Forbes in
1t in joyous disobedience of his ply
sician's warning.
= On the top floor their luncheon
awaited them at a table by the window.
As Forbes drew his napkin across his
knee he gazed down at the corner of
u, IL, IL
swans driftcd like the toy sloops' of
children. From this height the hills and
curving walks looked miniature as a
Japanese garden.
Forbes looked down at a shutting
vagrant slouching across the Plaza.
He felt sorry for that man, and yet
was glad that he was here instead of
there He wished that he himself
might belong to this delightful place
they called the "Millionaire's Club" He
longed for riches, especially as they
would mean Persis. He remembered
what she had said: 'The rich can get
anything that the poor have, but the
poor can't get what the rich have" The
:ich Enslee could even get Persis.
TAFT hesitated TO open his real buSi-
ness. He began obliquely.
Well. I've Just fired the first gun
in my war with Mrs. Neff."
''YeS?" said Forbes, drearily.
Yes" said TAFT. positively Just
before you came young Stowe Webb
Nas here-nice young fellow. sent for
liIn. and said to him: Young man,
Miss Alice Neff, whom l believe You
know'-he blushed like a house afre-I
tells me | said. that her mother OBJ
,cct> to you because you have no
money. And then | lowered my voice
,bout an octave and growled, L won
lCr If YOU have the grit to go out in
this hard old world and work for that
girl and-and earn herr He said, You
bet have" So | said: Well. I know
where's there's a job you might get
its small salary and lot of work at
first, and by and by little more sal
dry and much harder work; and you
won't be able to see her often; per-
hapS not at all for a long while; but
eventually, if she'll wait, you'll be able
to support her as well as any girl needs
To be supported who has love in the
bargain Do you want that job, young
man. said. glaring at him. And he
said: Lead me TO itP
Forbes listened with eagerness and
envy. The portrait of Alice, who would
wait till her lover worked his way up
to a competence, contrasted sharply !
with Persis, who would not accept the
competence Forbes already had. He
asked, with an effort at enthusiasm:
And what is the job?"
I'm going to make him my secre-
tary, at twelve hundred a year, at first.
He won't be worth it, and III have to
do all my own work for while; but
I'll give him his chance. l won't
pamper him. I'll test him out-and her,
too. If they can't stand the test, they
won't last long in the battle of matri-
mony"
Your secretary?" said Forbes.
Does he know any law"
I'm not going to be a lawyer I'm
going to be a diplomat-in Paris"
Splendid" cried Forbes, reaching
across to squeeze his hand. 81 congrat-
ulate the country-and France. envy
you Paris. I've never been there" Ii
How would you like to go?"
How should like to be a major
gcneral?"
TAFT opened his lips to say something
important, then stammered, and said I
instead:
Waiter. give Capt. Forbes some
more of that curry. It's good here, {
isn't it,"
Splendid" said Forbes. who had .
hardly touched what was on his plate. :
Senator TAFT shifted uncomfortably, {
made to speak, pursued his lips, eyed
Forbes, and then said, with abrupt ir- r
-elevance: !
Don't be cut up. my boy, just be- :
,ause she's fool enough TO marry big
ger fool than herself" :
"Oh. please" Forbes protested. He :
,ould have struck a younger man in
persis defense, but he could only ap-
zeal to so old a man as TAFT TAFT, I
however, persisted: !
you ought to be glad to be re- 2
'enged so neatly"
Forbes was in desperate case; he
aughed bitterly. Revenge is a little 7
ate My life is ruined. l might as well
,ut an end to it"
The old man stared at the tragic face, !
he brow corded with veins, the eyes q
anatic with despair When Forbes h
ather was a young man courting the Q
lckIe young beauty who was later to n
ecome the so steadfast wife. and the
mother of Forbes, they had quarreled,
nd Forbes father had been frantic o
rith grief. had threatened self-destruc-
ion. TAFT himself had taken the re- n
oliver away from him and helped to !;
If him across the dark waters of Jeal-