T5he l'ROJSf HOUSE
NOVELIZED BY
EDWIN C. HILL
FROM WILLIAM FOX’S GREAT PICTURE ROMANCE
OF THE EAST AND THE WEST
BY CHARLES KENYON AND JOHN RUSSELL
iiinam, i nave maue enemies.
I know that. They have lied
about me from one end of New
York to tin* other. Don’t be
lieve these stories. 1 suppose
I've gone the pace some—a man
lias to in my set—hut if you will
marry me I'll never touch
another card. I’ll he more
temperate I’ll go back to my
profession- I’ll make you proud
of me.”
He dropped to his knee, be
seeching her with his eyes.
“(live me my chance, Miriam
I’m wild for you. I’ll wait if
you say so, wait for years, but
I want your promise. Tell me
you will marry me!”
Miriam gazed at him steadily
for a long time. Finally she
spoke. ”1 will give you your
chance.” She said. “I will mar
ry you—” He leaped to his feet,
'‘—not now, not soon, even; for
T am too young. I know that
and father would never consent;
but later, in a year or two, per
haps, after you have proved
youredf and I am surer of my
self as well. Will that content
you 1 ”
¥ or a long time lie pleaded,
hut under Miriam’s gentleness
oils th-> steel of an inflexible
resolution, that .lessen could not
bend. At the end he accepted
her term*.
“Do you know where I am
going when I leave you!” I am
going to se-' Durant.”
“Mr. Durant of the new Union
Pacific Railroed c o m p a n y!”
asked Miriam, who had heard
her father mention the New
Ifork capitalist as one of the
prime movers in the railroad
project.
“The very man.” replied .les
son “I know him well, my
father and he were friends. I
will ask him to find me a post,”
When they parted she per
mitted him to kiss her, but the
kiss did not fire her heart. It
did not thrill her as she had
supposed n girl must he thrilled
by the tmvh of her lover’s lips.
‘‘And yet I am fond of him—
like him letter than any man 1
have ever met,” she said to her
self. It was a very thoughtful
Miriam who prepared for bed
that night.
CHAPTER IX
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
DECIDES
Throe days later she received
a letter from her father in Wash
ington.
“The president is to ace me on
the morning of July 1,” Marsh
wrote. “The Pacific railroad
charier as passed by congress
is now on the desk. I have an
idea that’s what he wants to
talk about. The hill aroused
bitter opposition from people
who think the government
should concentrate on winning
the war, but l think I know how
Lincoln feels.
“The tunes are very dark
The president is greatly changed,
aged, haggard, bowed with
care. McClellan lias failed him.
I am afraid. Public credit is at a
low ebb. The country is full of
compromisers and Southern sym
pathizers. Even the government
departments are honeycombed
with disloyalty. But ho is
wonderful, our old friend,
so patient and resolute, so cheer
ful under the terrible burden.
He feel's the pain of every
wound inflicted on the fields of
battle, the anguish of every wife
and mother. Yet there are de
tractors in plenty who sneer at
him as a light-minded trifler
telling rustic stories and crude
jokes while the blood of the
people flows in streams. They
can’t understand him here in
Washington. They don’t know
him as we do. But the day
will come when they will fully
comprehend Abe Lincoln’s
goodness and grandness.
“I didn’t intend to write so
fully, but I know how much you
are interested. 1 suggest that
you join me at the Willard on
the last day of June; then you
can go with me next day to
keep the appointment with the
president- He has often asked
about little Miriam.’ *1 am
eager to see his face when he
sees wnat a young laily you nave
become.”
She read the letter to Jesson,
thrilling at the portrait Marsh
sketched of the lonely man in
the White He use. Jesson’s
light eyes betrayed interest.
“Mr. Marsh seems sure that
the president will sign the bill,”
be said. “In that event the
work should begin soon. They
will need engineers. I would
be delighted and honored, Miri
am, if you would permit me to
eseort you to Washington and
your father. I missed Durant
here, but I could see. him there
and perhaps I could enlist Mr.
Marsh’s interest. Your father
seems to be very close to our re
markable president.”
“I’d love to have you go .with
ma, Peter,” said Miriam. “I
want to tell father how interest
ed you are in the railroad and
how much you’d like to be a
part of it. He'll probably ask
you to go to the White House
with us. It will be wonderful if
we can see the president and
talk to him ”
“To be with you is wonderful
enough, my darling,” said Jes
son, ardently. “I’m not sure,
though, that I am exactly
thrilled over the prospect of
meeting rhe queer person whom
luck has put in the White House.
Many of my friends have talked
to him and they have a very un
favorable impression of the man
—he is far from being a gentle
man. I’m told he is a clod
hopper, with a vulgar strain.
Not at all the person one could
ask to his home.”
hi mam I lushcu. Quick anger
stabbed her. Rising temper
prompted her to rebuke this
supercilious young aristocrat in
a fashion to be remembered, but
she knew the opinion held of the
president by the cultured of the
East, by people “who can't
understand him,” as her father
put it. She bridled her anger
and spoke quietly.
“You and your friends will
change your opinion same day,”
she said, “just a.! the great
statesman in the cabinet have
had to eha.ige theirs. Air. Stan
ton told his father that he de
tested the president at first,
couldn’t bear to speak to him.
Now he is the president’s most
devoted supporter. The seerc
tary of the state, Mr. Seward
thought he could put Afr. Lin
coln in his place, but Mr. Sew
ard quickly found out who was'
master. Every man in the cab
inet knows that the president is
his superior in intellect, Peter
He may begin cabinot meetings
with a reading from Artemus
Ward or with some country
joke, but just the same he al
ways finds the solution of prob
lems that baffle the others, great
statesmen though they are ”
“You may be right, dear,”
said .lesson lightly. “I suppose
it s the prerogative of genius to
dress like a scarecrow and talk
like a farm laborer. If he puts
the railroad through and gives
us a chance to get rich, why I.
too, will sing the praises of our
peasnnt king!”
Miriam bit her lip over the
persistent sneer, but turned the
conversation to their forthcom
ing journey.
A day or two later they ar
rived in Washington. Marsh
had met Jesson frequently, and
neither liked or disliked him
Miriam told her father as they
drove to the Willard thlt she
had accepted Jesson'a proposal
of marriage and that they had
agreed upon a long engagement.
Marsh looked serious.
“We will talk about it at sup
per, he said. “I shall bo busy
all day with the railroad pro
moters. We are all pretty much
on edge. Amuse yourselves as
best you can.'
“I must see Mr. Durant,’'
said Jesson, and explained his
ambition. Marsh nodded, not
unpleased
“We shall meet then, at sup
per,” he said, as he shook hands
with the young man and showed
Miriam to their rooms.
That evening as they dined
leisurely, waited upon by au
old darkey whose manner was
the perfection of solicitous serv
ice, Marsh spoke his mind.
“Mr. Jesson,” he said, “my
great object in life is to insure
the happiness of this child, for
she is only a child to me. It is
for her that I work and plan,
for her that I am trying to build
a fortune. If Miriam loves you
and wants you for a husband,
I shall r.ot stand in the way.
But if you want her you must
wait for her. She is too young
to marry. Jt will take two or
three years to finish her educ.«
tion. Moreover, the times arc
dark. None of us knows what
the outcome of our hopes and
ambitions may be. Half of my
little fortune is locked up in
government bonds. It may be
years before they rise to full
value The rest of my capital I
intend-to put into stock of the
railroad. If the road fails I
shall be not much better than a
pauper and will have to start all
over again, if the road suc
eeds 1 hope to be a very rich
man.**
Wesson s mind worked in light
ning flashes as Marsh talked
lie had supposed that Miriam's
father was already rich. Such
lmd been I he impression in New
York. Now it developed that
Marsh was not Urn possessor of
a stable, independent fortune
such as would make Miriam an
heiress worth while. The girl
was lovely, adorable, delicious;
hut could he afford to commit
himself irrevocably to a doubtful
hazard? lie wanted her. She
fired his blood. Blit could Pet
er Wesson treat himself to the
luxury of a penniless wife, how
ever beautiful?
“Mr. Marsh,” yfiid Peter Jes
son, his mind .Kfade up,” in my
love for Miriam there is no
thought of money. I intend to
make my own way. I under
stand and sympathize with your
feelings. If you think best, we
will wait, as long as may be
Accessary, always deferring to
your judgment.”
The little speech pleased
Marsh. Shrewd us he was in
business matters, he was not
versed in the subtleties of such
minds as Wesson’s. It appeared
to him that Wesson had accepted
the situation in manly style, llis
estimate of the young man went
up. Miriam was conscious of a
vague disappointment in her
lover. The surface of his words
was sensible, prudent, matching
her own belief as to the wisdom
of a long engagement, hut some
how she would have preferred a 1
more impetuous suitor, one
whose ardor was loss tolerant of
delay- She was quite sure she
did not want to marry in haste,
but she was equally sure—and
the contradiction vexed her
—that she wanted Wesson to
urge it. She sat silent, thought
ful while her father and lover
talked about the railroad. Wesson
had met Mr. Durant in th-^ after
noon had obtained the par
tial promise of an engineering
post with the Union Pacific.
“I am glad that you enlisted
his interest,” said Marsh, “but
as a matter of fact, you may not
require it. I am to he general
superintendent. I shall need
my own staff of engineers.
There is no reason why you
shouldn’t have your chance with
me.”
Jesson thanked him warmly
ami the conversation shifted to
other topics, particulary the
news from the front, or lack of
news for there was great disquiet
in the capital, with few bulletins
to cheer apprehensive people.
At 10 the next morning they
appeared at the White House
and were ushered by the major
domo into the reception room
for those who had appointments
with the president or with Mr.
Hay, his secretary, or whose
importance was such that they
were admitted without questiou
to await their turn,* To Miriam
the scene in the anteroom was
animated and exciting. The
long, low chanber was thronged
with men who were making
history. Her father identified
many of these—famous senators,
state governors, distingguished
soldiers.
“There is General MeCellan,
up for a hurried visit from the
front,” he said, indicating a
stiffly erect figure of middle
height. Miriam noted the much
talked-of general carefully. She
thought he seemed very intelli
gent but self-willed. His face
showed signs of irritation as he
responded occasionally to mem
bers of a group of officers
around him.
“The general feels as if he
ought to be flowed to walk
right in,” said Marsh. “He
doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”
Oflicers and civilians were
, arriving constantly. There -jvas
an incessant stir and murmur of
conversation. Several gentlemen
detached themselves from e
group and bowed to her father,
lie presented them: “Mr- (Jollis
P. Huntington, of San Francis
co, vice president of the new
Central Pacific company” “Mr.
«Juda P. Benjamin, engineer of
the Central Pacific”; “Mr.
Thomas C. Durant, vice presi
dent of the Union Pacific.”
Miriam saw that Huntington
and Benjamin were obviously
men of the west, plainly dressed,
very direct in speech, and that
Durant was of quite another
type, very fashionably garbed,
courtier-like in manner cultiva
ted in speech. These gentlemen
withdrew t* one side to dismiss
the railroad with her father. It
was plain from their manner and
faces that they were at high
tension, worried, nerve-stratitied.
Miriam’s attention amj/quick
sympathies were caught by a
woman old and ben'ej pathetic
ally shaby. She h ul heard the
usiier s low-pitched voice:
I 11 do the best I can, madam.
I'll send in your name to the
president. I cannot say whether
he will sye you or not. There are
so mivsiy with appointments.”
Miriam’s warm heart tightoned
ns/she saw tears well in the
jlim eyes of the old Avoraaan, and
saAv her thin, toil-worn handso
tremble as she dabbed a handker
chief at Avet eyes. Impulsively,
the girl Avent over to the chair
and put her hand lightly upon
the arm of the sadly troubled
figure in dingy black."
"If there is anything I can
do, she began, gently. My
lather and the presided are
good friends. Perhaps Ave can
say a word for you ”
A thin and shaking hand
clutched at her own. “Just a
word Avith the president,” she
said. “Only a Avord. That is all
I Avant. It’s for my boy- They
re going to shoot him. He Avas
found, asleep on duty. He’s
only a boy, Miss, no older than
you are—my only boy, all I
have in the Avorld!”
(TO BJ^CONTINUED) —
Started Early.
Pittsburg Chronicle-Telegram.
They were on their honeymoon. He
had bought a boaat and had taken
her out to show her how well he could
handle It. putting her to tend the
sheet. A puff of wind and he shouted
ir. no uncertain tone, “Let go the
sheet! ”
No response.
Then again: “Let go that sheet,
quick!”
Still n<v movement. A few minutes
after, when both were clinging to the
bottom of the overturned boat, he
said: "AVhy didn't you let go that
sheet when I told you to, dear?"
“I would have," said the bride. "If
yon hail not boen so rough about It.
A’o( ought to speak more kindly to
yo I wife.”
Lloyd George on Experts.
From the New York Herald.
Le Temps, . fiddling on the favor
ite “expert", theme, gets a lift from
the letters of Ambassador Page. Af
ter praising the letters as full of
flavor and substance, the paper
quotes the ambassador’s favorable
comments on the practicability of
Lloyd George, Including a passage of
which it says the reader will easily
see the application:
“He told me the other day that
the thing that made him most
weary was experts." ‘The gov
ernment has experts, experts,
experts everywhere. In every bu
reau, where things are not going
well, I have found bureaus and
committees of experts. But in
one of these departments, at least,
I have found a means of replac
ing them. I have dismissed 20 ex
perts and I have put in their
place a man, and at once things
have commenced to move. When
you hear about a man. will you
let me know?'"
Libeling American Life.
From the New York Times.
No Englishman knows America
better, or is a firmer friend of this
country, than I.erd I.ee of Fareham.
Both knowledge and loyalty lie be
hind the plain words he has been
speaking about the general run of
American films shown in Engfand, on
the Continent and in the Orient. The
objection to them Is not merely that
most of them are "rubbish,” as they
were recently asserted to be in the
house of commons, but that they mis
represent American life and give to
foreigners altogether wrong notions
of the social and moral standards
which prevail In the United States.
Lord Lee might have gone further
and pointed out the great opportunity
which American exporters of films
are missing. Enjoying, as they do,
very nearly a monopoly of the busi
ness—^German cinema producers be
ing their chief rivals—they might
do a real educational work not only
In behalf of this country, but in the
Interest of speeding accurate Infor
mation and sound ideas on many sub
jects.
At the 121st annual meeting of tlK.
British and Foreign Bible Society In
London some astonishing facts were
made known regarding the translation
and sale of the Bible in various parts
of the world. The society has helped
to produce the Bible In 572 languages,
and within the last year has tssued
10.1)45,575 volumes. For 10 years the so
ciety has published the Bible In one
new language every six weeks. The
chairman. Lord Uaryngton, reported
that the soviet government of Russia
continued to prohibit the publication oi
sale of the Bible In that country. All
the society's efforts to gain admv«lon
to the Russian market have failed.
]
wtt for sale, according to the Index <if the Sears-Iloehuck Agricultural
Foundation. In spite of the better prices, theie has not been so much
com going to market as a year ago. Usually time is increased marketing
cf corn Just after planting time, but net this year. The corn waa not
in the country, and hogs have beep V.'nging good prices so that much corn
will go to the market on the hoot. Higher prices for corn does not seem'
to have curtailed the demand, for corn has been disappearing from the!
> commercial channels just about as fast nu last year when much lower
prices prevailed. In spite of an Increased acreage this spring; inferior
eeed and dry wea her Indicate nothing more than a normal crop. Good
prices fov the 1925 com crop are confidently expected.
r- . Mi, ____
Trends in the Corn Market
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Flapper Fanny Says
/nmi " ' ..!.W -k
Many a queen is a slave to fashion.
Tarriff Is Local Issue.
From the Lincoln Journal.
It Is true, as a correspondent re
cently asserted, that the tariff is
ceasing to be a partisan political Is
sue. The tariff is being taken out of
partisan politics by a splitting up of
both parties oil that issue.
Democratic Louisiana has lor.g
voted with the eastern republicans
on the tariff. Louisiana h^s a special
tariff interest, its sugar. Party lines
crumble before a recognized pocket
Interest there. With the shifting of
the steel and textile industries into
the south the democrats grow less
ami less reliably low tariff.
Meanwhile the republican west,
also increasingly regardful of its
pocket interest, has developed a set
tled dislike for high tariffs. Iowa Jed
a revolt 20 years ago against tariffs
whose effect was to increase the
cost of living In Iowa without in the
least increasing Income. Nebraska's
republican senator voted against the
present high tarifT law.
Finally there develops In the very
center of the high tarlf? country a
powerful low tariff Interest. Ameri
cans to whom Europe owes money
cannot collect their Interest' and
prletpal except In European goods.
A high tariff bars out their pay. The
bankers of New York utre no longer
reliable aides to the manufacturers of
the east In their efforts to shut out
foreign competition.
A point has about been reached
where each gegtlon and region views
the tariff with clear-eyed regard to
Its own Interest. Those Interests do
not run at all parallel to party lines.
The easy going farmer begins to
stand for his pocket Interest, with
a little of tile diligence with which
the manufacturer has always sto^d
for his pocket Interest. Against t'ne
clash of Interests which this entails
conventional party lines cannot
stand.
In the Immortal words of General
Hancock, who spoke better than he
knew, the tariff is now a “local Is
sue.”
Lost Train Travel.
From the Pierre Capital-Journal.
Recently tha Grand Lodge of Ma
sons met at Sioux Falla and tlier#
were saveral hundred representative*
fro mevery oornor and section of
the state. The railroad companies
had granted the usual return reduc
tion fare, provided enough tickets
were sold to meet the general plan
of a 150 or more tickets being sold.
Just prior to this meeting the Sunday
school convention was likewise held
there and the same tlhng applied.
The credit was to be given these
who attended either body. But there
was some consternation among visit
ors to both, although more particu
larly to the Sunday school people, as
The Use of the Flags.
From the Kansas City Star.
“My curiosity was aroused by observ
ing a number of small white flags at
tached to poles about the size of fish
ing rods, leaning In a fence corner
at tha back side of a smalt farm ever
yonder In the hills,” said a motorist
who was Journeying through the Slip
pery Siap region.
“Tell you about ’em," replied Lum
Da mm. a prominent resident of that
neighborhood. "If you come out of the
timber at the tuther side of the farm
you're e'poeed to take a flag and march
right up to the back door of the house."
“Then what?”
“Then. If you’re a friend you buy
some bone-dry lloker, and If you haln't
a friend you get shot. It amounts to
about ths sara* thin? either war.”
many of them were young people and
vunitn of generally moderate cir
cumstances, when it was learned that
there were not enough visiters to
either body to get the return fare
reduction privilege. This is another
striking example of the general serv
ice of the private automobile. It
shows that but very few now travel
by train. In the case of te Grand
Lodge of Masons there were only
about Bu certificates to he validated
and of course there was no use to
fi:l out these blanks. Railroad agents
and trainmen report that many of
the Sunday school people crlttzed
the train employes for failure to get
their reduced fare privilege. There is
no use doing this, but rather it Is a
striking lesson that the public need
consider a.- to the question of general
service by the railroad. When there
are not more tan 50 people riding to
a Masonic Grand Lodge or a state
Sunday school convention it shows
that the income of railroads has
practically been eliminated compared
to former patronage.
That New Element.
From the Philadelphia Public Ledger.
F-ince the solar eclipse informally
set-n by millions, a good many per
sons are more interested than they
would otherwise have been in the
possibility of finding a valuable ele
ment like helium in the make-up of
the chromosphere. Now the bureau
of standards at Washington an
nounces. as a result of the study of
tiie eclipse data, that the existence of
foronlum is fairly well established.
Helium was found in the solar spec
trum in 1808, at the time of a total
eclipse. It was not discovered on
earth till 1&95, when Ramsey deter
mined its presence in a Norwegian
mineral clew-ite. Another observer, in
the same year, found It in the air.
J.et us hope It will not take three
decades to locate coronlum at a
closer range than the fiery mantle of
the central orb of the sun and that a
use may be discovered for the gas
es important as that of helium, which
bus provided a noninflammable sub
stitute for hydrogen in the naviga
tion of dirigibles.
Exertion Discloses Flask.
From the Docket.
One Elswiek was throwing halls
at a doll rack. There was nothing
wrong in doing that. He apparently
exerted himself to the utmost.
There was nothing wrong in doing
that. Still, Elswiek would have fared
better had he Indulged In some less
strenuous pastime. One of the spec
tators was a deputy marshal.
This was the situation when the
movements of Elswiek caused the
tail of his coat to rise and hang over
the neck of a bottle carried in his
hip pocket. The liquid contents of
the bottle dashed around merrily,
with each lithe movement of the
ball thrower’s body.
The Court of Appeals of Kentucky
In Elswiek v. Commonwealth. 261
Southwestern Reporter, 249, affirmed
the judgment, holding that the ar
rest by the officer without a warrant
was lawful and the evidence obtained
admissible.
Housi. g Shortag# vs. Divorce.
From the Philadelphia Public I-edger.
Freni Berlin comes a novel theory
of the relation of the housing short
age to marriage and divorce. From
all sorts of conventions here in the
Urited States are coming complaints
and charges that crowded dwellings
are filling the courts with divorce
proceedings. The theory would ap
pear to be that it takes plenty ol
room for people to get along together
even though they are married to each
other. But the story from the Ger
man capital is that where two live
together in a house, no matter how
abbreviated, they dare not consider
separation for tho simple reason that
th« re isn't room to be had to live
separately. In o'.her words, the hous
ing shortage is preventing divorces
there vvhiie it is charged with multi
pl.ving them over here. However, it
may he ,1uat another illustration of
the o’.d saying that it is a poor rule
that won’t work both ways.
Weil Trained.
From the Western Christian Alvocate
A c.1u1m3rrt.il traveler, visiting a
large insurance office, boasted to the
manatee that ho could pick out all
the ina: r.e.1 nu*n among the employes.
Accordingly he stationed himself at
the door, as they returned from dinner,
and mentioned all those he believed to
be married. In almost every case bn
whs right.
“How do you do it?” asked the man
ager.
“The married men wipe their feet
•n the mat; the single ones don't."
It isn't that marriage makes men
meek, but that the meek ones are
easily caught.—Akron Beacon -Jo'-ir
nai.
