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fM inr. uUOhN 5TANDARD-EXAMINER 7 II
Synopsis of Preceding Chapters.
a N'T HO NY WEST and his friend. Joe Sholburn. both Harvard
sonlors come to New York to spend the holidays. Eluding jf iWji&S J'-
Top ami his sporty companions, Anthony takes Grace Thomas, -ilM,Vy ' 'p v t&
a proltv telephone girl, w hom he has met at the hotel, out to dinner. jP . ,
later he escorts hor to ber home, where he passes a delirious hoiw f hi 1 ';fJ
with her arms about his neck and her kisses on his lips The next . "VX j W
morning Anthony is awakened by a telegram calling htm home he- a V j L ,
cause of his mother's serious illness . VxA 1
Anthony's father had hepn the founder and editor of a llnlo s S; ' oV ? I v
newspaper which became famous throughout the country, but neither ' SjSSM f I
Ml . the call of wealth or fame could persuadi him to leave tlx 1 1 1 euro 23ik ,Vo 1 i-
jHg ", lHr Nebraska villasre where lie lived happily with Ms v. i re and son VttlfiHgi
Years befoi Mr West had befriended Mm Howard who then after wSm'' '. . ' X (Hftyi w
After his mother? death Anthony returns to Harvard to finish MWtS j j ' j$f ,
his course Then, acting upon Jim Howard's advice, he becomes a CBgflBjfcT;' . ?'RKq I! jh ' 'V ' , .Hp!'.l . '; '
' --paper reporter In Ne? York Hi? father? reputation pro. r W' ' ( VN k' W'jEfc
tre.ii .-distance t,- him. and he soon finds nimself gaining . wide "5SBk
knowledge of New York life Hut he la fearfully lonelv, ana one jf irp -$?
I-HAPTER IX.
Brilliant Prospect.
yOUR young men were sitting
r" in Jack's restaurant on a
sultry evening In September,
consuming Wel?h rabbits before
dispersing to their homes and to
their beds. To be exart. it was
nearer morning than evening It
was 2 o'clock Tbey were all voung
reporters on meaner salaries, and
' all not only hoped but expected to
do great things nnd to bp hugely
successful. Not one "of them ex
pected to remain a reporter al
ways Owing to the tension and
the excitement of their calling thev
felt it to be a necessity to fore
father, even at th? hour in the
jay est place thpy could find, regard
less of the expense, seeming as it
were to draw on their future for
tho bills
"The bully thins: about this new-
paper game" said Douglas Nash
sipping at his amber-colored beer.
"Is that it Is a training for any
thing. No mnttrr what you're Roini;
to do, newspaper work is the 4 g C
IS of U "
"Yes, If I had a kid," remarked
Sam Hughes, a heavy-sot younc
man with an early-indulced mous
tache, "I'd certainly pee to it,
whether be went to college or not.
that he got a year or two of neus
Hpi .- paper work "before he started in on
his business or profession."
"Aren't any of you golnjr to bo
newspaper men for keeps''" de
manded Anthony West, his cigar
ette poised In midair before his
lips.
"I know I'm not," said Frank
Mason, a youth whom Anthony had
known but slightly in college, but
whom he knew better now. "I am
going into magazine work Brat
chance I get and try writing plays "
"And I'm fussing with law a little
bit right now," Douglas Naeh put
In mildly.
"I see you are." murmured
Hughe? under his moustache, inter
cepting a glance of Nash's toward a
pretty young thing In pink who
was drinking cremc de menthe in
the company of an elderly man.
"He's doing a little sociology
now," put In Frank Masou "Yery
rj- good thing for a lawyer"
"The law and the prophetesses,
remarked Anthony
"Ease off on that." retorted Nash,
aiming a finger at Anthony. "You're
not the one to throw stones Your
glass house may be in Central Park
:Jc on dark uights But there are elec-
; Ml trie lights there. And these orbs
'1 of mine have lamped you there so
recently as last night and not
' alone "
fjjjl Anthony still had his habit of
flushing.
' What were you doing there? he
jSll parried.
"Never mind what 1 was doing
You can't deny It."
' I can," said Anthony, "but I
won't. Not being a budding lawyer
I stick to the truth "
"Who Is ?he. West?" blandly In
quired Mason
"She's a dream of Nash's," was
all he replied.
u l" "That's the trouble with this
lire" Hughes took up the throad
serenely. "This night-hawk llfo
when every respectable person's In
bed. living in an atmosphere of
policemen and," with a wave of the
hand, "this; It gets you sooner or
later It gets you."
"Well, what are you going to do,
Sam''" demanded Naeh.
"Oh, I'm going into Wall Street "
(he young men roared with
laughter
"Might a? well Join a monastory,"
declared Frank Mason.
"Or a nunnery," added Nash.
"Hut vou haven't told us what
you're going to do, West," he went
on. "You going to Btick to thla
game?"
--v
"Yes," smiled Anthony, " ni go
ing to be a country editor."
Without knowing exactly wny
the young men laughed as loudly
as before. Somehow the thought
of Anthony West as a country edi
tor seemed grossly Incongruous to
them. Through every pore he ex
holed the vivacity and the tone of
the great city.
" 'The pickle crop has not turned
out a? expected this year." " Doug
Ins Nash began, quoting items of an
Imaginary country paper.
" 'Joe Rrown is building a new
silo in place of the one burned
down last month He was Insured
I.one may he wave" caught up
Mason.
" 'Miss Miry Ann Brown had a
Shower given her by a number of
surprising friends A good time
was had by all,' "concluded Hughes.
"Say, West." continued DoughiK
Nash, "you d better come up to our
fiat and let my mother talk to you.
She don't believe In tht3 country
business. There are hicks enough
In this world. It's" New York for
mine every time."
"Mine, too." chimed Mason and
Hughes In chorus, like actors on
the stage
They paid their checks and the
party broke up toward three in the
morning Hughes and Mason wont
uptown, while Anthony and Doug
las Naflh decided to walk down
toward Twenty-third street
"Night In New York," murmured
Nash, squaring his shoulders and
sniffing the fresh air as an elevated
train hurtled by overhead and yome
newspaper vans came rumbling
toward them from Herald square.
"The plare Ir alive oven q t3
sleep."
"Yes," eaid Anthony soberly, "it's
meat and drink to me. But it can
be terribly lonely, all the same."
"It sure can," asoented Nash.
"Don't I know It9 Thai's why my
mother came on from Cincinnati
to live here, so I won't go to the
bowwows."
f ' ' -
"You're lucky I'm pretty much
alone here."
"That's the devil that is."
"That's what drives a fellow to
fool with girls in the park, you
know," and Anthony gave a short
laugh.
Who was she'"
"Nobody In particular nico
enough girl in her way, but"
"I see. You come aud tnlk to
mother Toll you what. When'?
your day off1 Saturday? Well,
you come and have dinner with us
Saturday. Mothor'a lots of fun
good sport. So long, then; Satur
day, seven o'clock."
They parted at Twenty-third
alreet, Douglas Nash turning west
ward toward tho Episcopal Theo
logical Seminary, near which ho
had an infinitesimal flat with his
mother. and Anthony walking
toward Fourth avenue
The night was cooling toward
(O) 1040 IntomMnnnl
" - .
dawn, but the stars still burned.
He approached Madison Square,
with Its blinking lights and the
deeply massed shadows about tho
building of the Garden. Tho open
space of the square, its wisps or
mystery in the shape of trees were
dellclously Intimate and refreshing
after tho endless cold brick and
mortar of the streets. Ho delighted
in every aspect of the city, but the
loneliness that bo so often suffered
was an intolerable fact. He had no
roots here Everything, all his re
lationships, wore touch und go. He
knew as yet not one nice woman
or girl. No one passed him on. the
way young men are passed on by
their women folk to friends In
strange cities. His affair with the
telophone girl. Grace Thomas
whero was it all leading to? Ho
remembered a moment of ardor
whon he had been sitting with her
in the nark, clinging to her from
roM,,-. Srrlce. Inc. GrrM Pntnl
?rom a door marked 'Private' Liggett himself was issuing
with a lady a lady so beautiful and alluring that
when her glance rested frankly and caress
ingly on Anthony he was dazzled."
the sheer spontaneous craving for
affection, thinking that one might
lo worse than marry a girl like her.
Men of experience and standing
sometimes married their stenogra
phers on telephone girls. At this
moment, however, with tho cold
light of the stars before dawn bo
recoiled from the, thought. Never
theless. he had an appointment
with her a few days hence.
A twittering, twinkling little wo
man was Mrs. Nash, and she held
her big son Douglas in thrall as
some gny Rennlssanco lady in Italy
might have held her young cavallero
servente. She smiled upon him as
upon a lover, and. In fact, whon
Nash wa.s performing tho ceremony
of introducing Anthony, ho said:
"Meet my best girl the only
mother I ever had."
"You're In luck," answered An
thony. "Delighted to meet you,
Mrs Nash."
"So you'ro Anthony West," she
said, gazing Into his eyes like a
girl of the "soulful" variety who
has just acquired the art of soul
fulness. "Why haven't you come
to see me before?"
"Because I haven't been asked,
Mrs. Nash."
"DougBlo!" sho called sharply to
her son. "What do you mean by
keeping away tho nicest of my boys
from me? Is that tho way I brought
you up?" And she shook tho gray
curls on her brow at the culprit in
affectlonato Ire. "Como here, An
thony," she wout on. "Sk down
beside mo and tell mo all about
yourself And mind you can tell
mo anything "
Tills acquulntanco by assault was
a little startling to Anthony, but ho
warmed quickly under tho old
lady's geniality.
"An interesting and important
n Kishm Bfaarved
-
life like mine.' he laughed, "it
would take too long. Mrs. Nash.
Hut I can tell you I'm mighty glad
to bo here. This is the first homo
I've been asked to in New York."
"Isn't It a heartless place?" she
twittered "Isn't it" Isn't it? No
wonder the boys run after chorus
girls and things liko that any
thing with arms and lips."
"You take my breath away.''
murmured Anthony, anil her son In
his deep bass put in
"Remember, mother, there aro
gentlemen present."
"Here! You know your Job!"
She threw a terrible look at her
eon. "You get the cocktails ready!"
It was n, delightful party. They
were In the combination living and
dining room and could move about
In slnglo file only. The furniture
was In excellent taste and a dainty
touch pervaded the apartment.
Everything was in Its place, and
even the disorder among tho books
on the Hbelf seemed premeditated
an antidote against too great reg
ularity. There was a divan with
pillows, a couple of easy chairs, a
gato-legged table it was a pocket
edition of a home.
"Do you know what this lad
wants to do in llfo, mother?" said
Douglas, arriving with a tray of
cocktails. "A country editor! "
Mrs Nash leveled a soulful and
reproachful glance at the offender.
"Why, Anthony West! Don't you
go and do anything foolish! Didn t
DoUgsie say you were a Harvard
man? Is that what you got your
Harvard education for?"
"What I say, mother." promptod
Douglas, "Is this: No country edi
tor allvo can v r tiutko more than
live thousand dollars a year. Any
body at all successful in New York
can mako at least twenty five thou-
sand" li was notable that Doug
las was the one who used concrete
figures Mrs. Nash stooped to noth
ing so crude "I was lunching at I
the Ransomes yesterday," sho
rattled cheerily aa they sat down M
at the little gate-logged table.
"You know who they are he's a
director of Oxidized Steel and
they were talking of a yachting l
trip to the Mediterranean just as
one might talk of a visit to Staten
Island." And she laughed chirp
ingly at the gayety and brightness
"Mother enjoys vicariously the
w-ealth of others. 1 commented her
"A positive Inspiration." mur
mured Anthony, hardly knowing
w-hat to say.
"They're people worth knowings
that's what I mean," insisted the If.
spirited little woman, "oung man I
should know the right kind of peo
ple." And in the cramped and I
serried conditions of the diminu
tive flat she spoke in general terms
of wealth and luxury, of motor
cars, country and town houses, of 1
a place in "eociety." A veritable I
Major Pendennis was the little
lady. With a knowing man-of the
world look she remarked:
"If there's anything I hate it's
dlnglncss. I hate a cheap man, a fl
cheap marriage, a cheap life. 1 1
Luxury, wealth and success were
the gods sho worshipped, and An
ihony, under the genial spell, was
rapidly becoming convinced that, I
when all was said and done, she I
was right that wealth and suc
cess and luxury were those lnallen- I
able right3 guaranteed to the
proper poople by the Constitution. '
"I certainly need you, Mrs.
Nash," Anthony said at parting
from her that evening. "I hope fl
you will let me come again?" V
"Come again! My dear, you'ro
adopted!" she cried, taking both
his hands "You may kiss me right
here," she turned a puffy little j
cheek toward him
He kissed her w ith'a laugh, and !
as he walked home that n ght he I
felt himself more disturbed about
his future than ever before. Two
things ho told himself he dreaded I
more than all the others poverty
and dullness. In Little Rapids both
were waiting for bim like a pair
of familiars. If he remained a ve
porter at least one of tho twain
was a certainty. The world lay
Illimitable before him Yet where
was he going' Douglas Nash, with H
bis brave little mother to guide and '
inspire him. was heading toward
twenty-five thousand a year at .he
law. Whereas he, Anthony, was
gliding infallibly toward the dlngi- I
ness of which Mrs. Nash had
spoken with so much abhorrence.
He had no one to Inspire him.
Adda used to be pretty good at
that, he reflected. He wished she
wore In New York. In his room.
before going to bed, ho was moved
to write to Adela.
"Dear Adela:
"I have beon thinking and won
dering about you. In spito of my
busyness I have a good deal of
time on my hands in which to
think. For though this is tbe
greatest, it is certainly also the
loneliest city in America. You
walk along blocks and blocks,
miles in fact, of houses, palaces,
apartment houses an immense
world of homes, w ith women, moth
ers. sisters, sweethearts In them,
and they are all somebody else's
They all exclude you like so many
fortresses. H
"I remember how I used to ta'k
things over with mother, how I
used to brag to you. and you.
with eyes sparkling, encou.aglng
mo as though you were deeply
Interested and the beauty of It
was that you were Interested.
though I hardly know why For
I certainly don't treat my friends
very white. I haven't treated
you particularly well, when I re
call that this is the first letter I
am writing you from New York
"The truth of the matter is I
was pretty badly hit by all that
happened at home last Winter,
and since my beginning bore in
New York 1 havo been working j
liko a machine, long and impossi
bly queer hours, getting what
sleep I can during the noisy New
York day.
"I certainly wish you wero here,
Adela, with your sweetness and
your genius for friendship. It
would mako a big difference to
mo. It's a great training I think
I'm getting here, but believe mo, j
Addle, I'm paying a big price for
it. The first and only lady I havo jj
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