Show F 00 A V I 1 14 tell them to coma come up by all means at a once said bald gormly 10 teim RI olvy WOMAN MOMAN cyril i ay jimr A arlevy sy abw i caw mi o 0 SYNOPSIS A foolish young tenderfoot become becomes fascinated with the bold artful wife of a drunken prospector proe in a western waster mining town they pre prepare pl re to elope I 1 in n a blind 11 lix ing billiard blizzard but bue are confronted d b by y the ma fe dain husband lie Is in hot shot by the w if b but u t th the e chivalrous h boy pins a note ti vi t i the bod taking the crime upon himself in their flight to the elation station the tho woman hone horse alia falls the youth put puts her on his ris own and follow hanging to the tin up trip strip seeing boeing he lj is an immedi ment the woman her escort into a enow snow drift anil and rides on itala frozen be he tumbles into the railroad italoa just as the train bear bears the woman away twenty five year years later thia thin man georgre donnly lj ts a mulu millionaire in new w york CHAPTER II 11 continued the thing was an instant sens dion tho the newspapers took it up other merchants and shippers were Inter interviewed and a caso case was in brantly mado made out against the gotham traction company which would have shaken a lesa 1 ponderous less thick skinned ed less indifferent or aniz atlon to pieces even the author atles were interviewed and they shed abed hypocritical tears over the unfortunate trickery by which the public had been bunched out of its legitimate rights bat but they took occasion at the same timo time to point out that thera was nothing what er to be done about it 11 the party in power waa was one that had bad long dominated the metro metropolis rolls to bo be nuro auto it gave tho the metropolis a airey fairly airly good government but the people paid over and over again they were robbed shamel ciely right and left on every band hand and while some 1 thine thing was w tendered them what they kot got was van no quid pro quo for or the fright ful extravagance of the adminis tra tion crati crift abounded ery iery where the party out of power which had been out of power so 0 o long the that it had bad per force become virtuous did not heal hesitate to point out the dreadful state of affairs to all who would 11 at n b but ut taj ta efforts hid bd so far been and aill the party in power remained there ba vause of its 0 to o doing now the freight traction company had IU weak point things that depend upon the collum collusion lon of so many men not to say sar villains usually have a weak voir it Is a it wise men man indeed a genlue who ho finds out these things and the organization tiou thereat the fint trot principle of good Is to oppose to your weak point your own strongest the weak point in tho the of trie gotham freight traction company lay in a certain link vital to the continuance of the carefully devised system the franchise hise of which was stout to run out fw people knew that the franchiso idas as to expire and in the ordinary course nothing would have happened an ali ordinance rener cg tt it been slipped through the board of al aldermen demen signed aligned by the mayor and that would hare have been all so sure auto did the company feel of its ground so to confident were Us its members that gormly and his fellow follow victims would see the necessity of paying without dhuy that thy they had cover W contemplated this publicity and nd never imagined they would have to face this bitter and determined attack upon their franek francasca ines and upon their oda ads thoy they knew ol 01 course that they held the aldermen in their hand hands that in their 1 alliance with tho 06 sachem society the organization that ran thing things they could pass anything they wanted tn in de defiance flance of any public sentiment w ita denever te never rever gormly had made one bl bi ulder ider but like a brilliant soldier he had succeeded in turning it to his advant advantage ago ono one advertisement was succeeded by another the gotham freight traction company was made the subject of a scathing criticism and bitter attack of which the sachem society and the party in power came in lor for a large share and men everywhere began asking what was to be eone one about it in previous campaigns the arty out of power bad had been led by a gerlei of forlorn hopes men enthusiastic in their devotion to the caubu of reform and not for much of anything else the leaders of the outa outs took notice of 1 inquiries began a ta bo be made about him hia his busi nemi methods were investigated his resources were discussed his character was analyzed his career made the subject ef c tudy from prom being merely a name attached to a familiar In institution be he became within one month one ot of the great 1111 of new york the situation was intoxicating Ino dentally be he did not lose in the estimation of miss II Il aldane by this exploitation of himself which he had so cleverly managed that no one dreamed it was due to his own motion even tn in those exclusive circles la which bliss liles II aldane moved which alq r ordinarily indifferent to any tiny happen on this side ot of the terrestrial sphere some account nf nt gormly and big 1 doings enet penetrated rated that he was rich and a bachelor me were the most in tere etIng facts which appealed to this set men alen and women there beggin to inquire as to who he be wan was it was ulis bliss Ilal II aldane danes vivi vivilene lege and pleasure to enlighten them BO go far as via the she could without betray betraying log the nature of 0 their confidential Pel relation atlon there were several papers on an the side of the administration which were owned and by he the purly party in power that would have hava been glad indeed to have discredited gormly but the closest scrutiny revealed noth ing in his life that could bo be rbell for that purpose where be ad come from was not known but for the lait last quarter of at a century at least his hi course bad been traced with consid enible erable accuracy and indeed there was little of it that was not discovered and disclosed to the calter public lie was quite willing to talk about the gotham freight traction company or any matter of public but for the rest he was unshakably silent allent ills early past therefore we a mystery but the interest in a mystery luat wat has no spec special lill bearing upon the soon dips out then donnly did an unusual thing for him ile II 11 purchased a country place on loog long island this received no mention in the press because abo th whole matter hid bea ben bandied handled by the invaluable Ma baloner loner and name frd not RaP ropati ROpa earod Td at all 1 11 1 place wie was desirable deal rable in that it was not far five or six alx lx miles from the country place of at the It aldane tarn tam lly fly it was bought completely furnished and the staff ot of servants employed as retained gormly knew from the clipping bu apau that it as the custom of at the Ilai danes to pass the christmas holl boll days at their country place lie ile had bad seen misa aldane fla II idane rather less frequently of late because the work ork at the settlement house vaas as now to far advanced that it was merely a matter of at carrying tarrying out the plan plans decided upon and spending the money no onerously g placed in her hands by him which did not need much consultation so oa on the tain ain hope that chance might throw him in touch with her gormly decided aleo also to occupy for the christ ross mas beason heason bis his lonely cottage it was called a cottage although it was more like ille a baronial mansion than anything else eise on the long island shore li it wan was snowing avowing hard tho the evening of his arrival the day before christmas and gormly did not like enow snow lie ile had bitter memories intermingled with a storm and the eight night of the white ice covered enow snow clad fields fillet him with unpleasant bences bince ho he had bought the estate through the faithful chaloner he had not seen it himself therefore after the excellent dinner which had been pro provided tIded by hia his new chef chet and served by his new butler be he determined upon a careful inspection of at hie his residence re a idenie they had advanced as aar as the 11 hrnry hen the familiar tinkle of the telephone made them pause see who it la Is beale aid said the mas ter of the bouse house it a from the keeper of the lodge gate g ate a sir I 1 r he said turning and looking toward his master lie ile says that there I 1 8 a party down there stalled in an automobile they cant can t get on in the enow snow they d like to come up to tha the house there uro are ladles ladies in the party and tell them to come up by all means at once eald said gormly beg pardon sir air returned the but ler I 1 but you know it its a half halt a mile by the road and it it 11 be terrible walking for the ladles ladies in such weather eather as this quito quite eo so returned gormly hat docs does the stable afford fordT nf there theres a the station wagon agon and the pa pair lr that brought you over sir air those are all that are there yea yes I 1 remember all I 1 told chaloner Cb aloner to send down not expecting to bell e have that hitched up and telephone them ahat hat a conveyance will be at the lodge in a few moments that I 1 should be glad to have them corce come to the house itt once by the way he asked I 1 did you fina out the names of the people yes air answered the butler it was sir Il haldane aldane and hie his party CHAPTER III society bunts bursts upon mr gormly filter at last miss allen haldane aldane II panted by her father her mother her brother miss loulee louise van week stew art one of her intimate friends and a possible bleter sister inlaw in law dr barren arren deveaux a retired physician an old bachelor bac belor and an old and intimate friend of the family the newcomers were all dressed in winter automobile garments II 11 was aan young haldane aldane II who broke broue tho the somewhat awkward pause consequent upon their entrance mr goodrich he began unbutton log ing his coat and slipping it off as he fie advanced your pardon sir air eald said but mr goodrich in ro longer the tb a owner of this place hy mr gormly burst out alto JT haldane aldane impetuously as eho she turned ai fit bis his voice and recognized him this Is I 1 a great surp risO we didn dian t know thal aou ou were to be one of our neigh bors bar sh hid bed been la in the background and hid had not observed their host until she he heird herd him speak As she spoke she step aed forward impulsively with outstretched hand band eleanor exclaimed her father in great surprise surveying gormly as he spoke with a stare ae as cold rs to the winter weather wp ather do you ah sh know linw i this certainly I 1 do returned the girl it Is mr gaorge of the th borm ly store you know ah ali Ind etil began her father 1 I 1 have hare known him for she the paused uncertainly uncertainty erven seven yesterday mlis hal flat danle answer answered rii gormly who WM was nothing if it not riot accurate we ha havi er bought things at your hop shop for a longer time than that thal I 1 fancy faricy here interposed mrs atra haldane aldane II vaguely with an air of great condescension you have been on my books madam ae an one of my most valued customers estr ince since I 1 moved to broadway twenty one years ago returned gamily Oo raily who was by no means ashamed of his hi business else he would not bare continued in it yes fadd haldane at this juncture I 1 have been making out checks with monotonous regularity to your firm eer since my ay iy god goed man began lira airs hal flat dane stilt still somei somewhat that vaguely and find evi dently rather at a loss how bow to place this irreproachably clad and fine appearing gentleman who had bad soiled his life lands hands with trade and yet did not seem to be at all embarrassed or d of it 13 mother exclaimed the daught dau ghr r blushing with vexation mr gormly forgive me I 1 forgot forget that you did not know my family 1 I have en them often in the store miss tiles Ital italians dans and have even waited upon some of them to in other days myself rny ef replied gormly quite as cold and forma in bis his manner as any one in abot tc room I 1 armit eat ile ta aumon of t I 1 you to my pay uv ii mr george gormly mother my very goot friend at ra haldane aldane II drew draw he herttell ritell up gormly bowed himself down in a bow most carefully calculated to express a frorer degree of appreciation of the honor and nothing more my aly friend miss stewart St ewort my fa ther and my nil brother mr nir livingstone haldane aldane II dr deveaux the persona persons mentioned bowed cool ly y except that livingstone lial II aldane dans infused a little more cordiality la in his recognition than the otha others re did while dr deveaux actually flopped stepped forcad and extended his hand MY ty dear sir ho he call said genially ht his old face beit beaming ming with good nature and genuine admiration 1 I am de lighted to havo have the privilege ol 01 shaking you by the hand anybody vrho ho has the courage to attack the gotham freight traction company aa as you have done in the papera may be regarded as a public benefactor whom it Is 1 an honor to know thank you said ald gormly grateful for this recognition sir began II Il aldane an anfor dunato accident to our machine baa has thrown ua us upon your hospitality I 1 did not know that my friend goodrich bad had told sold this place or le let that give you no cobe concern ern sir air on answered sered gormly 1 I pray that you will consider the place once and all lo 10 it as your own I 1 beg you will tako take od off your wraps and make yourselves en nt at home I 1 very handsome ban doome of you I 1 am sure continued the elder Ila II alJane IdAne slowly removing his coat but my own place lies iles but six miles beyond here and if it you will permit ua us to telephone my stables I 1 think we abail hare have to 10 trouble you but little the telephone Is in the library yonder mr mir haldane aldane II and Is at your service RB as la Is everything in tho the house I 1 regret that my own stabled Ware aro not yet furnished the email small station wagon and pair which brought you up a are re the only horses I 1 have on the place jut just now and jolly well crowded we said young haldane dane I 1 meanwhile continued gormly may I 1 aek risk havo have you hail had dinner can I 1 offer you anything to cat tat or we thank you answered mr afro hal hat dane but we dined at the Drad dons a place fire or six miles back before w we started A cup of at tea or a glass of wine after your cold ride then ald said gormly I 1 that would be very nico nice indeed said id miss atlas haldane louise area aren t you simply dying tor for a cup of at tea perishing Per lehing for lack of it answered louise promptly gormly summoned the butler gave the necessary necee eary direction directions showed hal flat dano dine where the telephone was invited the other men into the library also where there vaa was a well blocked stocked buffet and excellent cigars after which he shoed tho the women into a sm small il reception room on the other aid side of at the hall and left them to divest hem them selves of their wraps the men refreshed themselves ac cording to their fancy at tho thil buffet lighted their cigars which as dial chat oner had been careful to send a supply of Gorn ilys a favorite and private brand they found excellent while hal flat dane valula endeavored to gel get in corn com mu ni cation with his hi own house such was the severity of at the storm for a country III prepared for it coveter ho veTer that the wim free were broken in eiery direction even that to the lodge was found to be he out of order at last gormly find not waited in the it 11 arary to hear the result at 0 the telephoning an oon own as be had the men |