The Texas Mesquiter. (Mesquite, Tex.), Vol. 26, No. 6, Ed. 1 Friday, August 2, 1907 Page: 3 of 8
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THE DELUGE
Ru MVH> GRAHAM PHIT J ,IP3, Author of "THECQSZefc
(0&9JSfQS" SQSBS-rfrozxr^ OQtOjrffW^
-Do
CHAPTER XXI—Continued.
not put me to the test," I
Then I added what 1 ,knew
Jo be true: "But you will not. You
. noW jt would take some one Btronger
<han your uncle, stronger than your
oarenta, to swerve me from what 1
believe right for you and for me." I
bad no fear for "to-morrow." The
tour when she could defy me had
passed.
A long, long silence, the electric
speeding southward under the arch-
(ngtret'B of the West Drive. I re-
member It was as we skirted the low-
gr end of the Mall that she said even-
ly: "You have made me hate you
*o that it terrifies me. I am afraid
of the consequences that must come
to you and to me."
"And well you may be," 1 answered
gently. "For you've seen enough of
oie to get at least a hint of what 1
would do, If goaded to It Hate Is
terrible. Anita, but love can be more
terrible."
At the Willoughby she let me help
fcer descend from the olectric, waited
until I sent It away, walked beside me
Into the building. My man, Sanders,
tad evidently been listening for the
■elevator; the door opened without my
ringing, and there he was, bowing
low. She acknowledged his welcome
with that regard for "appearances"
that training had made instinctive.
In the center of my—our—drawing-
room table was a mass of fresh white
roses. '"Where did you get •em?"
I asked him, in an aside.
"The elevator boy's brother, sir,"
tie replied, "works in the florist's shop
Just across the street, next to the
church. He happened to be down
stairs when 1 got your message, sir.
So I was able to get a few flowers.
I'm sorry, sir, I hadn't a little more
time."
"You've done noble," said I, and
( shook hands with him warmly.
Anita was greeting those flowers
as If they were a friend suddenly ap-
pearing in a time of need. She turned
cow and beamed on Sanders.
"'Thank you, she said; "thank you."
And Sanders was hers.
"Anything I can do—ma'am—sir?"
tsftefl Sanders.
"Nothing—except send my maid as
«oon as sho comes," she replied.
"I shan't need you," said I.
"Mr. Monson Is still here," he said,
lingering. "Shall I send him away,
•ir, or do you wish to see him?"
"I'll speak to him myself In a mo-
ment," I answered.
When Sanders was gone, stye seated
terself and absently played with the
buttons of her glove.
"Shall I bring Monson?" I asked.
"You know, he's my—factotum."
"I do not wish to see him," she
answered.
"You do not like him?"
After a brief hesitation she an-
swered, "No." Not for worlds would
she just then have admitted, even to
herself, that the cause of her dislike
was her knowledge of his habit of
tattling, with suitable embroideries,
his lessons to me.
I restrained a strong Impulse to ask
her why, for instinct told me she had
some especial reason that somehow
concerned me. I said merely:
"Then I shall get rid of him."
"Not on my account," she replied
Indifferently. "I care nothing about
aim one way or the other."
"He goes at the end of his month."
•aid I.
8he was now taking off her gloves.
^Before your maid comes," I went on,
let me explain about the apartment.
This room and the two leading out
w It are yours. My own suite Is on
Jhe other side of our private hall
there."
She colored high, paled. I saw that
•he did not intend to speak.
I stood awkwardly, waiting for
something further to come into my
own head. "Good night," said I ii-
a»y, as if I were taking leave of a
formal call.
She did not answer. I left the
°m, closlng the door behind me. I
J! U8®^ an instant, heard the key click
the lock. And I burned In a hot
thiM°* Bhame that she should be
pn^i thu8 ba8e'y of roe—and with
h cause. How could she know,
aPPreclate even If she had
°Wn? "You've had to cut deep,"
fe.t <0 myself- "But the woun.ls ll
lon»„ 11 "»®y take long—very
And 1 went on my way, not
**«% downcast
in J°,ned Monson to my little smok-
bPM°°m' "Congratulate you," he
w,th his nasty, supercilious
Iflti . UODI./• Duporuuuua
on m ch ot lat® had been getting
, ®y nerves severely.
®o at!!!»"•" 1 reP1,ed curtly, paying
"I » ('n,i°n to his outstretched hand.
r, ®nt y°» to put a notice of the
I'<Be ,n to-morrow morning's Her-
,me the facts—clergyman's
™e-|>!ace. ard so on." said he.
*u'»neCeMary," 1 answered. "Just
Yoiim l!e* and tb« date—that's all.
ud ini ltt#r 8t®p liv^y- u'8 lale-
With 100 ,ate ,f y,u dolay."
*n irritating show of delib-
eration he lit a fresh cigarette before
setting out. I heard her maid come.
After about an hour I went into the
hall—no light through the transoms
or her suite. 1 returned to my own
part of the flat and went to bed in the
Hpare room to which Sanders had
moved my personal belongings,
rhat day which began In disaster—
in what a blaze of triumph It had
ended! I slept with good conscience.
I hud earned sleep.
XXII.
"SHE HAS CHOSEN!"
■foe got to the office rather later
than usual the next morning. They
told him I was already there, but he
wouldn't believe It until he had come
Into my private den and with his own
eyes had seen me. "Well I'm jig-
gered! ' said he. "It Beems to have
made less Impression on you than It
did ou us. My missus and the little
un wouldn't let me go to bed till after
two. They sat on and on, question-
ing and discussing."
I laughed—partly because I knew
that Joe, like most men, was as full
of gossip and as eager for It as a
convalescent old maid, and that, who-
ever might have been the first, at his
house io make the break for bed,
he was the last to leave off talking.
But the chief reason for my laugh was
that, Just before he came in on me,
I was almost pinching myself to see
On, I'll tell you sometime," replied
I t work now."
And work a-plenty there was. Be-
fore me rose a sheaf of clamorous tel-
egrams from our out-of-town custom-
ers and our agents; and soon my an-
teroom waB crowded with my local
tollowing, sore and shorn. I suppose
a score or more of the habitual heavy
plungers on my tips were ruined and
hundreds of others were thousands
and tens of thousands out of pocket.
"IJo you want me to talk to these peo-
ple?" Inquired Joe, with the kindly
intention of giving me a chance to
shift the unpleasant duty to him.
"Certainly not," said I. "When the
place is jammed, let me know. I'll
jack 'em up."
It made Joe uneasy for me even
to talk of using my "language"—he
would have crawled from the battery
to Harlem to keep mo from using it
on him. So he silently left me alone.
Toward ten o'clock, my boy came
In and said: "Mr. Hall thinks it's
about time for you to see some of
these people."
I went into the main room, where
the tickers and blacl: boards were.
As I approached through my outer
office I could hear the noise the crowd
was making—as they cursed me. If
you want to rile the true Inmost soul
of the average human being, don't
take his reputation or his wife; Just
cause him to lose money. There
were among my speculating custom-
ers many with the even-tenored sport-
ing instinct. These were bearing
their losses with philosophy—none of
them had swooped on me. Of the
perhaps three hundred who had come
to ease their anguish by tongue-lash-
ing me, every one was a bad loser
and was mad through and through—
those who had lost a few hundred dol-
lars were as infuriated as those
whom my misleading tip had cost
thousands and tens of thousands;
those whom I had helped to win all
they had in the world were more
savage than those new to my follow
ing.
I took my stand in the doorway, a
step up from the floor of the main
room. I looked all round until I had
met each pair of angry eyes. They
'I TOOK MY STAND IN TIIK DOOR- WAT.'
whether I was dreaming It all, and
he had made me feel how vividly
true It was.
"Why don't J'ou ease down. Black
lock?" he went on. "Everything's
smooth. The business—at least, my
end of It, and I suppose your end,
too—was never better, never growing
so fast. You could go off for a week
or two, just as well as not. I don't
know or a thing that can prevent
you."
And he honestly thought it, so little
did I let him know about the larger
enterprises of Blacklock and Com-
pany. I could have spoken a dozen
words, and he would have been
floundering like a caught fish in a
basket. There are men—a very few
—who work more swiftly and more
surely when they know they're on the
brink of ruin; but not Joe. One
glimpse of our real National Coal ac-
count. and all my power over him
couldn't have kept him from showing
the whole Street that Blacklock and
Company was shaky. And whenever
the Street begins to think a man is
shaky, he must be strong Meedto
escape the fate of the wo* that
stumbles as it runs with the pack.
"No holiday at present. Joe. was
my reply to his BUggesUon. Per-
haps the" second week In July; but
our marriage was so auddsn that we
haven't had the time to get ready for
a "Yes—It was stiddea. wasn't it?'
said Joe. C JriousVy twitching &»■»">■«
like a dog s at scent ( of a Tabblt
"How did it happen?"
if
say I can give my face an expression
that is anything but agreeable; such
talent as I have in that direction 1
exerted then. The instant I appeared
a silence fell; but I waited until the
last pair of claws drew In. Then I
said, in the quiet tone the army officer
useB when he tells the mob that the
machine guns will open up in two min-
utes by the watch: "Gentlemen, in
the effort to counteract my warning
to the public, the Textile crowd rock-
eted the stock yesterday. Time who
heeded my warning and sold got ex-
cellent prices. Those who did not
should sell to-day. Not- even the
powerful interests behind Textile
can long maintain yesterday's prices."
A wave of restlessness passed over
the crowd. Many shifted their eyes
from me and began to murmur.
I raised my voice slightly as 1 went
on: "The speculators, the gamblers,
are the only people w*o were hurt.
Those who sold what they didn't have
are paying for their folly. I have no
sympathy for them. Blacklock and
Company wishes none such in its
following, and seises every oppor-
tunity to weed them out. We are
In business only for the bona fide in-
vesting public, and we are stronger
with that public to-day than we have
ever been."
Again I looked from coward to cow-
ard of that mob, changed from three
hundred Btrong to three hundred
weak. Then I bowed and ^vithdrew,
leaving them to mutter end disperse.
I felt well content with ihe trend of
events—I who wlslied to Impi ess the
public bud the financiers '.hat* 1 had
broken with speculation aud specula-
tors, could I have hid a better than
this unexpected opportunity sharply
to define my new course? And as
Textiles, unsupported, fell toward the
close of the day, my content rose to-
ward my normal high spirits. There
waB no whlBper la the Street that 1
wus in trouble; c:> the contrary, the
idea was gaiu'ng ground that I had
really long ceased to be a stock
gambler and deserved a much better
reputation than I had.
I searched with a good deal of anx-
iety, as you may imagine, the early
editions of the afternoon papers. The
first article my eye chanced upon
was a mere wordy elaboration of the
brief and vague announcement Mon-
son had put in the Herald. Later
came an Interview with old Ellersly.
"Not at all mysterious," he had said
to the reporters. "Mr. Illacklock
found he would have to go abroad
on business soon—he didn't know
juBt when. On the Bpur of tho mo-
ment they decided to marry." A
good enough story, and I confirmed
It when I admitted the reporters. 1
read their estimates of my "fortune
and of Anita's with rather bitter
amusement—she whoBe father was
living from hand to mouth; I who
could not have emerged from a forced
settlement with enough to enable me
to keep a trap. Still, when one is
rich, the reputation of being rich Is
heavily expensive; but when one ia
poor the reputation of being rich can
be made a wealth-giving asset.
Even as I was reading these fables
of my millions, there lay on the desk
before me a statement of the exact
posture of my affairs—a memoran-
dum made by myself for my own eyes,
and to be burned as soon as I mas-
tered It. On the face of the figures
the balance against me was appalling.
My chief asset, indeed my only asset
that measured up toward my debts,
was my Coal stocks, those brought
and those contracted for; and, while
their par value far exceeded my lia-
bilities, they had to appear in my
memorandum at their actual market
value on that day. I looked at the
calendar—seventeen days until the
reorganization scheme would be an-
nounced, only seventeen days!
Less than three business weeks,
and I should be out of the storm and
sailing safer and smoother seas than
I hail ever known. "To indulge in
vague hopes is bad," thought I, "but
not to indulge in a hope, especially
when one has only It between him
and the pit." And I proceeded to
plan on the not unwarranted assump-
tion that my Coal hope was a present
reality. Indeed, what alternative had
I? To put it among the future's un-
certainties was to put myself among
the utterly ruined. Using as collat-
eral the Coal stocks 1 had bought
outright, I borrowed more money,
and with it went still deeper into the
Coal venture. Everything or nothing!
—since the chances in my favor were
a thousand, to practically none against
me. Everything or nothing!—since
only by taking everything could I
possibly save anything at all.
Home! For the flrist time since I
was a squat little slip of a shaver the
world had a personal meaning for
me. Perhaps, If the only other home
of mine had been less uninviting, I
should not have looked forward with
such high beating of the heart to that
cold home Anita was making for me.
No, 1 withdraw that. It Is fellows
like me, to whom kindly looks and un-
bought attentions are as upramiliar
as flowers to the Arctic—it is men
like me that appreciate and treas-
ure and warm up under the faintest
show or shadowy suggestion of the
sunshine of sentiment I'd be a lit-
tle ashamed to say how much money
I handed out to beggars aud street
gamins that day. I had a home to
go to!
As my electric drew up at the Wil-
loughby's, a carriage backed to make
room for It. I recognized the horses
and the coachman and the crest.
'"How long has Mrs. Ellersly been
with my wife?" I asked the elevator
boy, as he was taking me up.
"About half an hour, sir," he an-
swered. "But Mr. Ellersley—I took
up his card before lunch, and he's
still there."
Instead of using my key, I rang
the bell, and when Sanders opened, I
said: "Is Mrs. Blacklock In?" In a
voice loud enough to penetrate to the
drawing-room.
As I had hoped, Anita appeared.
Her dress told me that her trunks
had come—she had sent for her
trunks! "Mother and father are
here." said she. without looking at me.
I followed her Into the drawing-
room and, for the benefit of the ser-
vants, Mr. and Mrs. Ellersly and I
greeted each other courteously,
though Mrs. Ellersly's eyes and mine
met in a glance like the flash of steel
on Bteel. "We were just going." bald
she, and then 1 felt that 1 had ar-
rived In the midst of a tempest of un-
common fury.
"You must stop and make me a
visit," protested I, with elaborate po-
liteness. To myself I was assuming
that they had come to "make up and
be friends"—and resume their places
at tho trough.
She was moving toward the door,
the old man in her wake. Neither of
them offered to shake hands with me;
neither made pretense of saying good-
by to Anita, standing by the window
like a pillar of Ice. I had closed the
drawing-room door behind me, as 1
entered. I was about to open it for
them when I wan restrained by what
I saw working in the old woman's
face. She had s«t her will on es-
caping from my loathed presence with-
out a "scene;" but her rage at bar-
ing been outgeneraled was too frao
tloua for her will.
'/JitTo be contlauo&l
Mwefl EimfterilaifliniifinieiM
f*\adnnf>* Describes Party Give#
Last Y«ar Which Was a Distinct Tri-
un>pb~~~Ncv Way io Gboo'se
Partners.
Asters will Boon be in their prime
and are a most decorative flower for
table use. An aster luncheon given
last year was so pretty that I am sure
a description will be very welcome to
our readers.
As aster means a "star" the center-
piece was a star-shaped form made of
tin; It was filled with delicate pink
and lavender asters. Ribbons of pink-
ish lavender radiated to each place,
where they were attached to Btar-
shaped cards cut from lavender card-
hoard and the names were written In
waite Ink, There was a corsage bou-
quet at each plate with a long violet
beaded pin. Pinkish lavender is a
charming day-time color, but it does
not. light up well, so as the day was
hot no artificial light was used, not
even candles. There was no attempt
made to carry out the color scheme in
the food, except candied violets were
sprinkled over the top of the pine-
apple ice, which was served in tall
glasses with pink lace paper dollies
underneath; the plates were decorated
in violets and the effect was lovely.
For diversion the hostess provided
easy chairs, hammocks and cushions,
a box of delicious candy, a bowl of
iced tea made strong with lemon and
pineapple juice, and then she proceed-
ed to read aloud the most fascinating
story, entitled, "Her Ladyship's Ele-
phant." It was time to depart all too
Boon, and one of the guests facetiously
remarked that "she was so glad the
hostess 'aster,'" and every one was
kind enough to forgive. the horrible
pun, as it voiced the sentiments of all
present
Novel Way to Chose Partners.
At an evening party which was
given to announce the engagement of
a young woman, the partners for re-
freshments were chosen in this way:
The hostess gave to each girl a pic-
ture representing Love in some form.
The selections had been made from ft
collection of penny pictures and son*
were postcards. To the men the same
pictures were given; but cut into so*
eral pieces and pasted on a card. Of
course they had to hunt for the girl
who had the duplicate of their puzzle
picture. This caused much merriment
and consumed considerable time, and
was a most effectual method of mix*
ing the company and broke up all Inti-
mate gatherings of those who were
the best acquainted.
A Farewell Party.
A young woman who is going to
Europe for an extended trip was tho
guest of honor at this really unique
party. It was a luncheon and the
centerpiece was a toy dray piled hlgk
with miniature trunks (purchased lifc
the toy department), and the placo
cards were suitcases, with the guest's
name written on real labels and past*
ed on the side. A silver traveling cup
tn a russet leather case was the trav-
eler's place.
After the luncheon had been servefi
the maid brought in a pile of steamer
letters, one from each guest present-
to be read "en voyage." After tho
desert was on the table, a telegram
from each one present was delivered
these were opened and read.
Before leaving the table the little
dray which had horses attached waft
helped around the board and unloaded,
the trunks were filled with "mints*
and the suitcases with Baited nut*,
The dray was borrowed from a smal
boy's nursery for the occasion.
After going into the drawing-room
the hostess passed envelopes, each
one contained a souvenir postal card,
cut Into odd bits puzzle-fashion. The
guest who succeeded in putting the
pieces together was awarded a prize
of a fline foreign postal plainly
mounted.
MADAME MERRI.
tna&nrs
Perhaps the most interesting and informative part of an old chair to col-
lectors of antique furniture is the leg. Almost every period or great maker
of chairs was distinguished by some peculiarity of leg or foot, and by these the
probable age and maker of a chair may be discovered.
A chair of about the period of 1660 is shown in the first drawing. It Is
a Chippendale, showing Dutch influence. One of the particular features of
the Dutch chair, apart from the solidity of frame and ball feet, is the sinking
curve in the top line of the back. The curve always means Dutch character
or influence. Chippendale filled in this curve with decorations.
Hepplewhite and his wife worked out a graceful and pleasing style,
though their chairs were not so substantial and solid as those of Chippendale.
Peculiar to him and his period are the spade foot and the shield back, of
which an example is depicted in the third sketch. While this chair has a
pleasing aspect and contour, yet It exhibits the structural weakness which ia
present in nearly all of his chairs, and which causes so many ot them to bo
found broken and mended.
Hepplewhite, Shearer and Sheraton used inlaid work of brass or woods
quite as much as carving, while Chippendale relied almost solely on carving
for decoration. A sheraton chair is pictured in the second drawing.
The fourth drawing is of a Chippendale chair of Dutch influence, showing
the curved back. Chippendale did not begin to curve his chair legs until after
the French style came to be copied in England.
Painty Prills
Pretty Costume Accessories That Can
Be Made at Home by Clever Girl.
The possibilities of the dainty
lingerie and lace frills—generally
Classified as Marie Antoinette frills—
In smartening a simple bodice or
blouse are hardly appreciated even in
this day of their popularity.
Any woman can make these pretty
accessories for herself, and by using
the finest of lingerie stuff and narrow
edgings of real valenciennes and put-
ting the frills together by hand, she
can obtain effects quite out of propor-
tion to the cost.
A dainty frill of this sort on the
simplest of sheer chemisettes fills in
one of the popular V-cut bodices very
attractively, and one of the pretty
frills showing between open coat
fronts will lend an air of feminine
piquancy to even the plainest of tail-
ored coat and skirt suits.
One or two linen coat and skirt
suits, plainly tailored or more elabor-
ate, as the buyer prefers, a jumper
frock of embroidered linen or of silk
suitable for a shirt-waist frock,
blouses as fine and dainty as can be
obtained, a few plain tailored shirt-
waists, some separate pique or linen
sklrtB and several pretty negligees—
and the trousseau Is fairly complete,
though It is easy to make additions ad
libitum to this sketchy outline.
Novel Buttons for Linen.
Instead of having made to order the
largo passementerie and button orna-
ments which are in such favor as a
trimming for linen suits, the home
dsesBmaker can first cover a mold
with the material and then apply on
top ot It some of the little embroid-
ered medallions in heavy ecru lacfe,
w&ich cau be bought very cheaply.
Bati*t<* Waist
Blouse of white batiste, elaborately
trimmed with plaited bands of the
same and fagoting and with feather-
stitch embroidery. It 1b slightly low
in the neck or can be worn with a
guipure of lace.
To Unwind Silk.
Wind over back of chair as much
silk off the spool as you think neces-
sary for the work. Slip off chair, hold
silk firmly, and cut at one end. Yoa
n»w have all your thread the same
length. Next take a piece of beeswax
and wax well. Press with a warm
Iron and tie with string in center of
threads to keep all together. Yo*
thus will be able to use every inch
of silk without tbe usual knots sot
snwls.
M
99
*1
I,
1
, i
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Davis, John E. The Texas Mesquiter. (Mesquite, Tex.), Vol. 26, No. 6, Ed. 1 Friday, August 2, 1907, newspaper, August 2, 1907; Mesquite, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth407045/m1/3/?q=%22Places+-+United+States+-+Texas+-+Dallas+County%22: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Mesquite Public Library.