Gilpin observer., 1916-03-16
CHAPTER XIII.
Gall First!


jerk as he left Jim Sargent's house,
headed his long. low runabout up the
avenue. He raced into the park. and
glanced up at the lookout house as
he sped on past; but 1t was only a
feeting look. He needed no reminder
OF Gail. AS he passed Roseleaf inn,
he slowed down. The roadhouse may
have given him. and probably did. an
other reminder OF Gail, in such man.
ner as to concrete him into logical
thought; for he slowed down the ter
rife speed which had been the accom-
paniment of his unreasoning emotion.
The driving required too much con-
centration for specific thought.
With this turning OF his mental atti-
tude. even the slow running Of the car
seemed to disturb him, and, about
half mile past Roseleaf inn, he came
slowly to stop. sitting at the wheel,
with his head bent slightly forward.
and staring at the spot where the road
way had ceased to roll beneath his
machine. Presently he became aware
of the cold. and running his car to the
cANS Va Nh0 AOa0s hC ptCPpCu Outt anu
buttoning his coat around him. crossed
q fence and walked through the mar
row strip of trees to the river bank,
where he stood for q moment looking
out upon the misty Hudson. sparkling
under the moonlight He began to
walk up and down the bank presently,
the turf sinking spongily under his
Ii
pace grew more and more rapid. until
he was striding at furious rate of
speed.
The man was in torment of pas
sion. He had spent a lifetime in the
deliberate acquisition OF everything
upon which he had set his will: and 1t
was one of the things upon which he
had built his success. that, once he
had fixed his desire deliberately upon
anything. he had held unwaveringly to
that object. employing all the forces OF
which strong men are capable; patient
waiting. dogged persistence, or vicious
graphing. whichever was best adapted
to gain his ends.
Gail! II there had been tender
thoughts Of her. they were gone now
1t was SO that he had centered his
mind upon her and himself and his
will. until, in all creation, there was
nothing else but that was trivial: am
bition, power. wealth. fame, the com
mand of empires and of men. were
nothing. except as they might lead tc
her!
So 1t was that he had come this far
and the roadway to his present height
was marked by the cripples he had
left behind him. without compunction
without mercy. without compassion
Bankrupts strewed his way, broken
men OF purpose higher than his own
useful factors in the progress of hu
man life. builders and creators who
had advanced the interest Of the com
,monwealth, but who had been more
brilliant in construction than they had
been In reaping the rewards of theiI
building. 1t was for Allison to do this
1t had been his speciality; the reapinf
OF rewards. 1t had been his faculty t.
permit others to build, to encourage
them in 1t. and then. when the build
so was NchSs " WTtbt away IIOu
the builders. That marked him as thu
greatest commercial genius Of hi
time; and he had much applause for Il
| Women. Yes. there had been WON
en-. creatures OF common mold will
whom he had amused himself. ha,
taken them in their freshness, an,
broken them. and thrown them away
this In his earlier years. But In BIZ
maturity. he had bent all his strength
to greater passion; the acouireme en-
OF all those other things which me,
mad wanted and held most dear, anon,
them acquisition. and power. and sue
cess Perhaps It had been bad for him
this concentration. for now II left hin
at the height Of his maturity, with mil
taken fancies. with long pent fires
with disproportionate desires. Brins
ing to these. he had the tremendo ousi,
abnormal moral effect Of never hav
ing been thwarted in q thing upo,
which he had sst bis mind. ma OF =