Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 280, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 November 1911 — CHAPTER V. [ARTICLE]

CHAPTER V.

Mr. Haldane Is Greatly Surprised. Mr. Haldane was to something of a quandary. For certain reasons and for some time he had been contemplating an interview with Gormly.' Not only did he greatly desire the interview which was indeed necessary, almost vital to fact to the furtherance of certain matters to which he was deeply concerned, but he did not desire that his interest personal interest that Is-. In the affair should anoear * TM opposition nao gre&uj II ■■ , ~—w 111*1 * 'I

rated the character and ability of Gormly. The Gotham Freight Traction company, for Instance, had poohpoohed him at first and even now, though the public press was filled with accounts of him and his doings, they still greatly underestimated his qualities. Haldane himself had joined in this depreciation until he had met Gormly. He had as yet enjoyed no opportunity of conversation with him, save in a general way, as has been seen; but he was accustomed to deal with men, and he saw instantly that he was face to face with a personality at once able, courageous, deter-; mined, and strong. - Behold the two men seated on either side of the bright fire In the library, Haldane smoking one of Gormlyfs excellent Havanas; glasses, bottles, and ice on a little table at hand. He had disapproved of Mrs. Haldane’s manner, not because he thought it unsulted to the occasion, but on account of the peculiar qualities and characteristics of Gormly and the relationship in which he stood to certain matters of importance. He had been Inclined on the first entrance to follow his wife’s patronizing, arrogant assumption of superiority; but now he strove to Infuse all the geniality and cordiality possible Into his voice and manner.

On the other hand, Gormly naturally had a deep interest in Haldane. As the father of the woman he loved, he would necessarily be a great factor In the battle he meant to wage for her hand. His consent and influence, while not absolutely essential, would naturally be of great vajue. If he could by any means win the support and countenance of the great financier, his dream would be by that much the more easy of realization. He had an idea, however, that this would be im possible. That did not daunt him or render him the less alert To wih Haldane’s, consent possibly might be no more practicable than to win Miss Haldane’s consent Yet Gopnly was accustomed to attempt the impossible, and nine times out of ten to achieve it. That Haldane had any relationship, or could have any relationship, to him other than that of a prospective father-in-law never entered his head. That was sufficient to render the Interview memorable to him. - The conversation began with a remark from the older man about the weather. I have long wondered why the weather is the staple Inaugural topic. - ■' "I have rarely experienced so severe a snowstorm,” said Haldane blandly. “I have been coming down to Long Island In winter off and on ever since I was a boy, and this surpasses anything within my knowledge." “It is bad enough for New York,” responded Gormly. “Here when the temperature gets down to the zero mark and the wind blows thirty or forty miles an hour, and it snows hard all day, we call it a blizzard At that last remark, though Haldane had no ostensible connection with the street department, or any other department of the municipal administration In fact, the man slightly lifted his head and glanced for a moment with deeper Interest at his companion. “I take it from your allusion that you have experienced worse storms than this?’ “I have been in real blizzards, Mr. Haldane,” answered Gormly quietly; “more than once where the wind’s velocity was scarcely to be measured, where the temperature was from twenty to thirty below, where the sleet needles cut like whips, and the storm had full sweep unchecked and unbroken by any thing. However, lam glad of the storm in this instance, since it has enabled me to extend to you and your party the shelter of my roof. I have been acquainted—l have had the privilege of knowing, that Is —your daughter for some time, and I am honored in the acquaintance of her father and mother and your friends." “You say you have known my daughter for some time?** * *7 have had that pleasure." “If I mistake not, she said that you had been interested in her settlement work. Quixotic Imaginations of an enthusiastic girl, my dear sir; but I humor her." “You do well,” returned the other. “And if you will give me leave to differ with you, I hardly call it Quixotic. I have examined into the plan thoroughly, and I must say it strikes me as being altogether admirable as well as entirely feasible. I hope and believe it will succeed.” “Quite so,” returned Haldane. He wag not in the least interested in the matter. "I have assisted Miss Haldane in every way possible,” returned Gormly, who did not propose to be questioned as to the details of . his relation to the scheme. “Of course," he went on, “your own reputation as a financier is known to me as it is to all of New York, and if I may be permitted to say so I am of the opinion that a large part of your executive ability, not to say genius, has descended to your daughter.” “Thank you,” was the answer. "Eleanor Is certainly a most capable young woman.” ‘"And it must be a source of gratification to you that she chooses to exercise her capability in this direction rather than in the vain and aimless social avocations of a large and influential section of our so called best people to the city?" “Certainly, very true. ' But frankly, I could wish that there was a more equable division of time between the —er—high and the low, eo to speak; that Eleanor could give more of her attention to those—duties, which after all, my dear Mr. Gormly, however we men es the world npy deprecate them, go to make up so large a part of lite, and leave more of the detail work of this institution to others.” J CTO M CONTDTOBR) . >