Gilpin observer., 1915-12-02
CHAPTER |.

No Place for Sentiment.

ter sun, streaming through the clere-
story windows. cast, on the floor and
ON the vacant benches, patches OF
ruby and sapphire, of emerald and Of
topaz. thsse seeming only to accentu-
ate the dimness and the silence.
In that silence the vestry door
creaked, II opened wide, and 1t was
as If vision had suddenly been set
there! Bathed in the golden light
from the transept window. brown
haired. brown-eyed, rosy-cheeked.
stood 4 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. Gail, l forgot that you
were to come for mel" said Jim Sar-
gent, rising from amid the group of
through in a few minutes. Allison,
you were about to prove something to
us. think"
Prove is the right word" agreed
the stockhy built man who had evi-
IDENTIFY been addressing the vestry. He
'sas acutely conscious of the presence
of Gail. as they all were. Your rec
:or suggests that this is a matter of
sentiment. You are anxious to have
nifty million dollars to begin the erec-
uon 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, 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
l add two million"
How much did you allow for in.
crease in the value of the property 2"
asked Nicholas Van Ploon, whose only
knowledge for several generations had
been centered on this one question
The original Van Ploon 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 off 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
ningham, who was a bachelor. hastily
smoothed his Vandyke. He was SO
rich. by inheritance. that money
meant nothing to him.
Not 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 sten 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
ttg II,-
w. T. Chisholm, his mutton chops
turning pink from the reddening of
the skin beneath. He had spent a
lifetime in resenting indignities he.
fore they reached him.
Building inspectors change" insin.
uated Allison. Politics is very uncer.
tain"
Four indignant vestrymen terked
forward to answer that insult
Gentlemen. this is vestry meet
ing sternly reproved the Rev. Smith
Boyd. advancing a step, and seeming
TO feel the need OF gayel His rich.
deep barytone explained why Ire 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 a vestry
meeting!
1.-THE topic OF debate was money, |
believe" suggested Rufus Manning,
rescuing his sense OF humor from
somewhere in his beard He was the
infidel member. Suppose we return
TO II. Is Allison's offer worth consid.
ering?"
"Why?" inquired the nasal voice of
clean-shaven old Joseph G. Cook, who
was sarcastic in money matters. The