The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1915-09-03
CHAPTER |.
No Place for Sentiment.

1IoIy WlnuOWs, cast, on the moor ana
on the vacant benches. patches OF
ruby and sapphire, of emerald and OF
topaz. these seeming only to accentu.
ate the dlmness and the silence.
In that silence the vestry door
creaked, 1t opened wide, and 1t was
as II vision had suddenly been set
there! Bathed in the golden light
from the transept window, brown
haired, brown-eyed, rosy.cheeked,
stood girl who might have been one
OF the slender stained-glass virgins
come to life, the golden light flaming
the edges Of her hair into an aureole.
She stood timidly, peering into the
dimness, and on her beautifully
curved lips was half questioning
smile.
Uncle Jim," she called, and there
was some quality in her low voice
which was strangely attractive, and
disturbing.
by George, Gall, forgot that you
= were to come for mel" said Jim Sar.
gent rising from amid the group OF
men In the dim transept "WeIl be
through In a few minutes. Allison,
you we're about to prove something to
us. ! think"
Prove Is the right word" agreed
the stockily built man who had evil
IDENTIFY been addressing the vestry. He
was acutely conscious Of the presence
OF Gail, as they all we're. Your rec
tor suggests that this is a matter OF
sentiment. You are anxious to have
hfty million dollars to begin the cree
ton OF cathedral; but came here
TO talk business, and that only. Grant
Ing you the full normal appreciation
OF your Vedder Court property, and
the normal increase Of your aggregate
rentals, you cannot have, at the end
OF ten years, a penny over forty-two
millions. | am prepared to offer you,
In cash, sum which will, at three
and half per cent and in ten years,
produce that exact amount. To this
add two million"
How much did you allow for IN
crease in the value OF the property ?"
asked Nicholas Van Ploon, whose only
knowledge for several generations had
been centered on this one question
The original Van Pioon had bought a
vast tract OF Manhattan for a dollar
an acre, and, by that stroke of tower.
ing genius, had placed the family of
Van Ploon, for all eternity, beyond the
necessity of thought
For answer, Allison passed him the
envelope upon which he had been fig.
uring, checking of an item as he did
So He noticed that Calls lips
twitched with suppressed mirth. She
turned abruptly to look back at the
striking transept window, and the
three vestrymen In the rear pew i'm.
mediately sat straighter. Willis Gun
bingham, who was bachelor, hastily
smoothed his Vandyke. He was SO
rich, by inheritance, that money
meant nothing to him.
mot enough" grunted Van Ploon.
handing back the envelope and twist.
ing again in the general direction OF
Gail.
Ample" retorted Allison. You
can't count anything for the buildings,
While don't deny that they yield the
richest income OF any property in
the city, they are the most decrepit
tenements In New York. They'll fall
down in less than ten years. You
have them propped up now"
Jim Sargent glanced solicitously at
Gail, but she did not seem to be bored:
not particle!
They are passed by the building
inspector annually" pompously stated
W. T. Chisholm. his mutton chops
turning pink from the reddening OF
the skin beneath. He had spent a
lifetime in resenting indignities be.
fore they reached him
Building inspectors change" insin.
uated Allison. Politics is very uncer-
tain"
Four indignant vestrymen jerked
forward to answer that insult
Gentlemen, this Is a vestry meet.
Ing" sternly reproved the Rev. Smith
Boyd, advancing step. and seeming
to feel the need Of gavel. His rich,
deep BARITONE explained why he was
rector of the richest church In the
world.
Calls eyes were dancing, but other.
wise she was occurrences itself as she
studied, in turns, the members of the
richest vestry in the world. She esti.
mated that eight OF the gentlemen
then present were almost close enough
to the anger line to swear. They mum.
bered just eight. and they were most
interesting! And this was vestry
meeting
THE topic Of debate was money, I
believe" suggested Rufus Manning,
rescuing his sense of humor from
somewhere In his beard. He was the
infidel member. Suppose we return
to it. Is Allison's offer worth consid.
ering"
"WhyH" inquired the nasal voice of
clean-shaven old Joseph G.. Cook, who
waa aarnactin In roonav roottoro nj.