The Dickson County herald. (Dickson, Tenn.) 1907-1979, 1915-10-08
CHAPTER 1.
No Place for Sentiment.

Of the Market Square church; the win
ter sun, streaming through the clere
story windows. cast. on the foor aud
on the vacant benches, patches OF
ruby and sapphire, OF emerald and OF
topaz. these seeming only to aecentu-
ats the dimness and the silence.
In that silence the yestry door
crsaked. Il opened wide and II was
as II vision had suddenly been act
thefe' Bathed In the golden light
from the transept window. brown
haired. browneyed. rosy-cheeked.
stood a girl who might have been one
OF the slender stained glass virgins
come 10 life. the golden light flaming
the edges OF her hair into an aureole.
She stood ,Inidly. peering into the
dimness. and on her beautifully
curved lips wn 9 half questioning
smile.
Uncle Iim." she called, and there
was some quality In her low voice
which was strangely attractive. and
disturbing.
by George Gail. forgot that you
were 70 Come for met" said Jim Sar.
gent, rising from amid the group OF
nen 10 the dim transept Wen be
through In a tsw minutes. Allison
you acre about to prove something TO
US. | think"
Prove Ia tho right word" agreed
the stockily built man who had svi.
IDENTITY been addressing the vestry. He
was aCutely conscious OF the presence
OF Gail, as they all were Your rec
tor suggests that this is matter OF
sentiment You are anxious to have
nifty million dollars to begin the erec-
ton OF a cathedral but | came here
10 talk business. and that only. Grant.
ing you tho 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
mllllons | rm prepared to offer YOU
in cash, . SIN which viii. 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 2"
asked Nicholas Van rloon, whose only
knowledge for several generations had
: been conferred on this one question
The original Van Ploon had bought a
vast tract OF Manhattan for dollar
an acre, and. by that stroke OF tower.
Ing genius. had placed tho family OF
Van Ploon, for all eternity. beyond the
necessity OF thought.
For answer, Allison passed him the
envelope upon which no had been fix.
urtng. checking of an item as he did
40. lia noticed that Gails lips
twitehed with suppressed mlrth She
turned abruptly to look back al the
striking transept window, aud the
three scstrymen in the rear pew I'm.
medlately sat atraighter Willis Gun.
ningham. who Was bachelor. hastily
smoothed his vandyke. He was 80
rich, BY Inheritance. that ~. money
meant nothing TO him.
Not enough gruuted Van Ploon.
handing back the envelope and twist
ing again III the general direction OF
Gail
Ample" retorted Allison. You
can't count anything for the buildings
While | don't den, that they yield the
richest income Of any property IN
the city, they are the most decrepit
teucmtnts IN New York They'll fall
down IN less than ten years You
have them propped up now
J,m Sargent glanced solicItously at
Gail buI she did not seen 10 be bored
not 4 particle
They are passed BY the building
Inspector annually" pompopsly stated
W. T Chisholm, his mutton chops
turning pink from the reddening OF
the skin beneath He had spent 4
lifetime In resenting iudisnities be-
fore they reached him
building inspectors change" tnsir
usted Allison Politics Is very uncsr,
tain"
Four indignant vestrymen jerked
forward to answer that insult
Gentlemen. this is a ves,ry meet,
ms sterrly reprov-d the Rev, Smith
Royd. advancing u step. aud seeming
10 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 mem bers OF the
richest vestry In the world, she est.
mated that eight Of the gentlemen
then present were almost close enough
to the anger line to swear They num.
berod just eight. and they wers most
interesting And this vas n vsstry
meeting
The topic OF debate was money. |
believe" suggested Rutus Manning.
rescuing hts sense OF humor from
somewhere in his beard lie was the
indde, member suppose We return
to II. Is Alsons offer worth ccusid
eius."
WAY" inquired the nasal voice a,
cieaa shaver old Joseph G Geek, who
whs sarcastic In money matters TIA