Cleveland County Enterprise. (Norman, Okla.), Vol. 19, No. 52, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 29, 1911 Page: 5 of 12
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L
There Was Frank, Open Admiration In His Glance.
With some incidental
deiation n toe woman
Cyjfvs lownsENDBii\nY
/li(/srf?at/on'5 By Dzfwno&nmelv/li
copr /GNr /90s Br Mornr ripo a
SYNOPSIS.
A foolish younff tenderfoot becomes
fascinated with the bold, artful wife of a
drunken prospector In a western mining
town. They prepare to elope in a blind-
ing blizzard hut are confronted by the
maudlin husband. He Is shot by the
wife, but the chivalrous boy pins a
note to the body taking the crime
upon himself. In their flight to the
railroad station the woman's horse
falls exhausted; the youth puts her
on his own and follows hanging to the
wtlrriip strap Seeing he Is an Impedi-
ment, the woman tnrusts her escort into
a snow drift and rides on. Half-frozen
he stumbles Into the railroad atatlon Just
as the train bears the woman away.
Twenty-five years later, this man. George
Gormly, Is a multi-millionaire ,ln New
York. He meets Eleanor HflMane, a
beautiful and wealthy settlement worker,
and co-operates with her In her work
Oormly becomes owner of a steamship
line and finds himself frustrated in pier
and track extension plans by grafting al-
dertnen, backed by the Gotham Traction
Company Am automobile accident n"ar
his country house, on a stormy Christmas
eve. brings about a meeting with the
members of Miss TTaldan>'s familv Gorm
ly makes (tie m&roned party comfortable
and referring t« a worse storm he once
experienced in the west, offers t<> n •'!('>
the people at the Hal-inn® pla^e of the
aecideni An automobile accident near
his country home, on a stormy Christmas
Eve, brings about a meeting with the
members of the Ilaldane family
CHAPTER III.—Continued.
He had never seen her except In the
quiet conventionality of a street dress.
He had imagined her in all sorts of
guises. When she burst upon him
that way however, the sight dazzled
him. It was so far beyond any dream
be had ever indulged that he could
scarcely comprehend it He stopped
and stared at her. For once hi?, iron
control deserted him. There was that
frank, open admiration in his glance
of which no one could mistake the
meaning
"You must pardon my surprise,"
to the fiouse and be of what service
she can to the ladies, llow are wt
off for bedrooms?"
"Plenty of them, sir, and all ready
for guests.
"Well, see that they are prepared,
and have Mrs. 13ullen here Immediate-
ly."
As the butler went off to attend to
these orders. Gormly re-entered the
room and found the whole party com-
fortably gathered about the fire. He
explained that he had found a wom-
an on the place, the lodgekeeper's
wife; that he had sent the station
wagon for her; and that she would be
present doubtless within a half hour
with such indispensable articles of at-
tire as might serve to make the wom-
en ,jests at least comfortable.
'If you were only in communication
with your shop, Mr. Gormly," said Mrs.
Haldane—and whether she meant to
be offensive or not Gormly could not
tell—"we would lack nothing."
"I am sorry for your sake, madam,
that I am not. As It Is. we shall have
to do our best with the limited re-
sources at hand."
Conversation ran on desultorily this
way for a short time, when the butler
announced the arrival of Mrs Bullen.
As he did so. the tall clock musically
chimed out the hour of nine.
"Now that your woman Is here. Mr.
Gormly," said Mrs. Haldane, rising,
"as I am somewhat fatigued from the
ride and the experience. I shall retire
to my room. 1 suppose you young
people won't think of going to bed
at this unearthly hour?"
"No, indeed," answered Miss Stew-
art. "I think I'll stay awake until
Christmas."
"Will you yo, Beekman?" said Mrs.
Ilaldane. addressing her husband
"Why—er—my dear—"
"I was about to propose a table of
bridge," said Dr. Deveaux?"
"An excellent idea," returned I la 1
dane quickly; "but there are six of
us here and—
"1 don't play," said Gormly quickly.
"I'll stay out also," said Eleanor "}
don't care much for bridge at best.'*
"Good night," said Mrs Haldane.
moving away, escorted by the butler,
and met outside presently by Mrs
Bullen
'Mr Gormly and I will watch your
j f ame," said Eleanor.
"By the way, Eleanor mny 1 ask
where you met Mr. Gormly9" queried
her father.
"He is very much interested in our
social settlement work. Many of his
employees live tn the vicinity of the
new settlement house we are building,
and I have had occasion to consult
him at his office a great many times."
"Ah," said the elder man reflective-
ly, wondering how much might be be
hind that entirely innocent statement.
Meanwhile a footman arranged a
I card table, at which the quartet took
their places and instantly became ab
sorbed in the game Miss Haldane
manifested no special interest in the
play, and at Gormly's suggestion she
because everybody says you are such
a fine business man yourself."
'1 should like to do something real-
ly wort."! while," said the girl after a
little pause. "I like people who do
something worth while."
"So do I," said the man, with obvi-
ous meanlng
"Mr. Gormly," she exclaimed Im-
petuously, "why don't you do some
thing worth while?"
Gormly smiled. "My dear young
lady," he answered—really, he was
old enough to be her father, he
thpught half sadly, as he noted his
form of speech—"I have the largest
store in the world 1 have agents in
every civilized country and many that
are uncivilized. 1 own and control *
fleet of steamers. I have my private
woolen mills, and silk mills and fac-
tories. I suppose there are tea thou-
sand people in my employ. I can give
you a check for another million for
your settlement work as • ten as you
wish It. and—"
"These are all very well, Mr. Gorm-
ly," said the girl gravely "They spell
tremendous material succe.s; they
show your ability and acumen. in the
eyes of the world they count for a
great deal; indeed, I find lately that
they are counting more and more;
but they don't really amount to any-
thing after all What is money, what
are power and Influe nee? My father,
for instance, was born with more than
he could possibly sp> nd, more than he
knew what to do with, inherited from
thrifty ancestors who had the wit to
buy land when it could be bought for
a song. He has influence, power, j
What does it amount to? I want him
to do something, really to do some-
thing in the world for the good of
mankind I am preaching to you just
as I preach to him."
"Do you look upon me ns you would
a father?" asked Gormly quickly.
"Why. no. not exactly. Certainly
not,'* answered the girl
"I am forty-four, you know."
"No, I didn't know; but what if you
are? You are still a young man. My
father is fifty-five, and I don't call him
old "
"Wonderful consideration from trea-
ty-two!" said Gormly smiling ,
"Well," resumed the girl, "I was
eaylig that you ought to do something j
in life. You have made yourself. You j
started with little or nothing, if I may
believe the newspaper accounts of j
UtfflE MJBffi ®T
ior, "I am unable to get anybody oW
the telephone."
"I am sorry to hear that. I support* i the hall and went with him into
that the wires are down on account Ort the inviting little library through the
the storm." | broad open doors that gave access to
"Exactly Meanwhile. I scxrcc^.y it from the hall Another fire was
know what to do. Could you fend a burning there. He drew a low chair
before it in which she sat down. He
man on a horse over to my pla**e?"
"I should be glad to do so. di4 I pc>
Bess the horse."
"The pair that brought us up
the lodge?"
"Neither is broken to saddles I Vv
lleve, and—but I can send a man o\*t
on foot I have no doubt—"
"I hardly think that would to pos-
sible," interposed Dr. DeveauJ*
should not like to be responsive fcP | further notice,
any man on foot in such a storm if* I
this."
"I'll go myself,** said Gormly quick
ly
"You, Mr Gormly!" exclaimed Mrs-
Haldane. "Why, we couldn't think of
such a thing The danger'"
"Madam, I have been afoot in worse
storms than this." he answered, "when
I was a mere hoy in the far wist."
you
"Have you been reading them?"
"Every word," answered the girl. !
"T wa <11it<- proud of being able to
say to my friends that I knew you and j
what they said about you v 's true."
Nt ver in his life had Gormly 1" * n
happier than at this frank, spontan- j
eous expression of approval.
"You ought to put th se great tal-
ents of yours at the service of your
fellow men; not in buying and sel ing,
but in doing something for them," she
ran on.
"Don't you think that in selling
them honest goods at a fair profit, in
telling them the strict and only truth
about what you have to s u. in allow- j
ing them the utmost fr< 'Mom of re- j
turn and exchange, in | ding gen- :
erouslv for employees, is doing serv-
old place, I hang my haf,
Ij° 'Jfarwe.ouoeet Jlomo'fo me.
himself stood with his arm resting on I ice to .your fellow men?
the mantel, looking down on her
The two were in plain sight from
the bridge table; but as they talked In
low tones their conversation was in
audible in the hall. Haldane glanced
curiously and uneasily at them from | ev< ry woman who has the ability to
time to time; but finally becoming
absorbed in his game, paid them no
i rtainly. it is. It is doing servlco
I to the little world which you touch, i
a larger world perhaps than most of |
I us can touch But I want you to do j
j .something, 1 want every man and
great, splendid
It was the first intimation arypodv *
CHAPTER IV
Miss Haldane Is Charmed and Charm-
inq.
"Mr. Gormly," began Miss Ilaldane,
T have not seen you for some time."
"Not for two months and eleven
days, Miss Haldane," answered Gorm-
ly quietly.
"Gracious!" exclaimed the astonish-
York, and one of the company at Wast
pricked up his ears at this rctaark
and listened attentively.
"We couldn't think of allowin/f :*ou ?
to do so," said Miss Haldane
"I suppose that pair you have „*o ild
hardly take us over?" questioned Iflv-
ingstone Haldane.
"I am afraid not," answered Oct mly.
"They have been driven rather Sard
today, and they are a light paT>
best, as you not^cr>."
"Well, we are thrust upon you, tV ra,
marooned as it were."
"I hope you won't find my house
said Gormly; "I have never seen you I typical desert island," answered Gi*rtn
in an evening gown, and I confess my | ly. smiling "Indeed, I scarcely k low
do something, in
way."
"But what would you have me do?'*
"I don't know." answered the girl, j
"1 don't know what 1 would have any- :
body do; but there are so many things
to be done, so many wrongs to be
righted, so many things to be achieved. :
The gn at man goes out and makes
opportunities Part of his greatness, I
I take it. consists In seeing what there |
Is to do. Ruskin says som where that
the greatest thing anyoodv ean do is
to see something If I were a great
woman, I could answer your question
better; but I am only—"
"I tnink you are a great woman,**
"I hepre a marvelous memory for de- j raid Gormly softly, "and I would he
tails which I wish to remember." said perfectly willing to take your answer
} the man. ; and abide by it
"And I am so much interested in—: "1 would not have It that wrv. an-
'the settlement house that—How does ! swered the girl dreamily When my
U progress, by the way?" he contin- j father asks me what 1 would have hi in
tied, gravely as If his recollection of j do 1 say to him. Go and see lie
anything connected with her was r, laughs at m- most people laugh at
nere matter of course. ■ n*e. You don t. Mr
"Oh, beautifully. You see, there it !
nothing to consult, you about now. It 1
is all In the architect's and builders' j
hands. You have been so helpful tc t
rne I really don't know what I should
have done without you "
from New York had had as to ar.y ' ed ""ow pat you have the time!
period of Gormly's life outside o: Sew : n" vrm 1(,op calendar of my visits
to your office?"
imagination unequal to—"
"Do you like it?" said the girl nerv-
ously
"1 am scarcely conscious of it, Miss
Haldane," he returned directly "1 see
only you."
"How singularly unobservant," she
said lightly, recovering her equipoise,
"for a man whose business It is to buy
and sell such things not to notice
them."
"In your presence tonight. Miss Hal
dane, business Is as far from me as
if It was on the other side of the
world It Is on the other side of the
world," he continued swiftly; "for this
is a different world from any In which
1 hare ever moved, and I—"
His speech was broken bv the en-
trance of Mrs. Haldane and Miss Stew-
art. The latter was a fragile, grace-
ful. charming girl, who would have
a'traded instant attention and notice
anywhere, except beside her regal
companion and friend. Mrs. Ilaldane
•was a not unworthy complement to
the Other two. These two also were
what the resources of the establish-
ment are, having entered into posses-
sion only today; but whatever 'hey
are. they are at your service "
"There's no help for It, I suppose/*
answered Haldane somewhat global-
ly "I guess you will have to keey us
until morning"
"Think bow happy you make a lone-
ly old bachelor," returned Gormly, "by
being his Christmas guests An* <f
you will accept this situation, as fn-
deed I fear you must. I shall make Ar-
rangements so that yon can be taken
to your own place on Chrlptma? morn-
ing Let me consult my butler ^ho
was Mr. Goodrich's major domo before
1 bought the place, and see what can
be done"
A brief conversation with that func-
tionary threw some little cheer over
the situation Gormly's own ward
robe, which had been sent down,
would amply supply the men with
whatever they needed, and the butler
Imparted the cheering news that the
lodgekeeper was a married man with
two grown daughters, and he had no
(TO UK (
Gor mly
ON TIN IT i
No Mere Room
The elevator slipped rapid'y by one
floor alter another, while many in-
mates of a large office building rang
And you ha\e, of course, respected ,, ...
• , , .. . j the bell and demand <1 t«
my confidence? No one know anv ... .
. . .. i*t I to the street it was the
thing about my connection with the
enterprise?"
"No one at all."
"Not even your father?"
"Certainly not. I never discuss busi-
ness with my father, nor does he
discuhs business with me "
"And yet," said Gormly quickly, "I
should think he might discuss bus!
nous with you to advantage
wearing elaborate dinner gowns.
At this moment Ilaldane, followed [doubt that such Ihlnss as the women
by the two otfc r men, came In from ! required might be secured from them,
the library i "Send at once," said Gormly quick-
,vr Gormly." began Ilaldane, sen- ly. "and auk Mrs Bullen to corns up
be carried
noon hour
and every one at the ♦ levator shall
was anxious to get luncheon.
The elevator seenad to be only half
filled. Actually there were three girls
rind a man in it who had got on it the
fiftee nth floor
'Tilled up," shouted the operator,
as be sped by the angry crowd at the
•• | door.
"What do you mean?" asked the I Finally he reached a floor where
glrj I one of the officers of the company had
"I am a business man. Miss Haldane. ' his office, and the man was there and
accustomed to deal with men and ] wanted to go down. He shouted to
women in a business way, and much ? jim. "Filled up, and the man *uid
depends upon my ability to estimate something positive
the capacity of those with whom I Then the operator added
work. I have not often seen a woman, "Filled up with hats "
or even a man. with a better head for !
business than you have"
It was the deftest thing the man ' Demand for Granite.
could have said to her Women, she Although Aberdeen ib the home of
knew, were not naturally business Scotch granite, a shipment of 350 tons
like, and to have such qualities at recently was exported to that city
tributed to her was the subtlest kind from South Carolina quarries to meet
of flattery. It came. too. from a man a demand for a variation In color from
who was a power In the busine s the native stone
world, and was therefore the more "Why do s lie let hi* wife venture
valuable. | out alone In his auto
"It is very good of you to say that,' j "He's anxious te ' •■•111 hap-
said the girl, smiling pleasantly In ap ; pen when two ui 'Is things
preclation, "and 1 am more proud of it come together
I AT is a "gay cat?" Per-
haps you have never heard
of him, though you know
tom cats, wild cats and fem-
inine "cats." He is an in-
teresting combination, and his spe-
cies is numbered by thousands. He is
half tramp, availing himself of all the
hobo's expedients for gadding about
the world without paying for his trav-
els, and hall-man with a trade, the
goal of whose rambles is always a job
He has all the "bum's" philosophical
contempt for the man so "easy" as to
"ride the velvet," which means to pay
railroad fare. But he also incurs the
"bum's" astonished disdain because of
his incorrigible habit of looking for
work.
"We travel from wanderlust, from
love of adventure," explained an ex-
"gay cat," who had joined the "home
guard" of those who have ceased from
rambling. "When I was a youth I
wanted to see the country, and see It
right. I wanted excit< ment. I had a
good trade and was living at home,
but the lure of the road called me.
"I could have paid car fare and rid
den in the railway cars, but you can't
see the country that way. What man
looking through the windows of a Pull-
man car. knows anything about the
regions through which he has passed?
You must travel a few hours at a time,
on a slow freight, and be thrown off
at the most unexpected plrves by
brakemen, to see the country. You
want to mooch (beg) a handout at
backdoors to get acquainted with peo-
ple. You even learn something when
some 'fly mug' (detective) gets so cor-
dial that he insists on your staying in
his midst for 30 days—on the rock
pile. What dude in a palace car can
learn as much about his native land
as I did in 14 years as a 'gay cat'?"
The Wanderlust Never Dies.
This man was a miner by trade, and
had followed the profession from
Pennsylvania to California, and from
California to Alaska. He never begged
save in an emergency of hunger, and
usual'tv had SI.000 or so tucked away
tu a baiilc in this city or that. But it
was only after many years of wander-
lug as u knight errant of the pickax
and shovel that the wanderlust of his
youth was quenched and he settled
down to bc; a prssaic hotel clerk.
In the shabby itting room of a 10-
cent lodging house in St. Louis there
lounged recently half a dozen weather-
beaten and hardy men. self confident
of mien and monosyllabic of speech.
In their short words was none of the
w hine of the professional beggar, and
In their straightforward look was noth-
ing of the hangdog They had trav-
eled to most of the countries of the
globe, and. ignorant of alien languages
and customs, had supported them-
selves by the sole resource of their
own hands. They were confident of
taking ware of themselves in any situ
at ion.
Who would have thought that th«
squalid parlor, into which the warn
sun filtered, was a place of dreams'
But so 5t was. The Jaciturn little En
glishman in the corner, who was bore
in South Africa, was gazing into spac«
upon the yellow corn fields of the Ar
gentlne Republic, upon construction
camps in the Andes, and upon broad
roads leading by gentle stages through
the pampas from one hospitable ranch
to the next. Aroused fron his artic
ulafe vision by a question, he stated
in a matter-of-fact way that he would
bo In Argentine next fall.
The booted, gigantic Swede was
thinking of logging camps in Minne-
sota. of perilous drives to the lakes, of
list to-fist battles Yetween champions
among the snows. Another, in his
mind's eye. beheld the sunny orchards
of California; another imagined him
self helping build steel bridges in
Mexico. The ssap of spring was rising
in their veins, and, like birds of pas
sage, they were impatient to be off A
few more weeks would see them scat-
tered to the points of the compass,
ensconced in box cars and on blind
baggages, but all bent on the quest
of their "golden fleece"—the perfect
job.
Some would fall by the wayside—
mangled or slain beneath the wheels
of trains, and would be buried In the
pauper graveyards maintained by the
railroads for their vagabond victims,
But of these the army of wanderers
would take no heed.
The "gay cat" believes that his con-
stitutional right to tl e pursuit of hap-
piness includes the privilege of rid-
ing on trains without paying fare.
The most he will do is to pay 50
cents to a "shack" (brakeman) for
permission to ride unmolested over
his division. Frequently a supposed
vagabond crouching painfully in a
brake beam has $100 in his pockets
and a bank book for several hundred
more. But he would have suspicions
I of his own sanity should he spend any
of his money for the comforts and re-
spectability of a aeat in a railroad
coach.
The "gay cat," In an emergency. Is
not abashed at begging a meal at a
backdoor. But as he has more self-
respect, he usually employs greater
art and skill in his "mooching" trhan
dose a "bum." One roving mechanic
accosted an astonished housewife with
the question:
"Madam, have you a hatchet?"
"What do you want with a hatchet?'*
she countered, suspiciously.
"I want to knock my teeth out," an
I swered he with solemnity.
I "Lands alive!" almost screamed the
woman. "Why should you knock your
I teeth out?"
i "What's the use having teeth If you
I have nothing to eat?" was the re*
sponse. The "gay cat" obtained one
; of those rare feasts known In the vei*
■ nacular as a "sit down."
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Fox, J. O. Cleveland County Enterprise. (Norman, Okla.), Vol. 19, No. 52, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 29, 1911, newspaper, June 29, 1911; Norman, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc108301/m1/5/: accessed May 15, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.