Pi
Ce Younger Set
Copyrighted,
SYNOI'FIS OF PKKCKOIMl t'HAPTKKS
rnr l Itcturnlntr from Manila. Captain
Pclwvn fonnerlvof the army, la wclcomcrt
,Vhio i!ir NMnn Gerard, her wealthy
divorced. wfthout cullt
wifp Allxe who Is now the wife oi jam
Kuth4 ". with whoni she ran away frpm
Seiwvii II-Klleeii.whols very fond other
blotter. GewW. de.plte the "'
iirpiectof her. makes friends nun ntiwyii
llf-Gerald Is worried about youns KrrolVs
aVU1WH.x,t1itLai9;nB. hi, army
Manila, who Is coming to New J orK. , in ine
nark Eileen and Selwyn ride past .Allxc. I )
Kileen's deceased father was an archacol
oristf "lid she has Inherited some of his
SSnlarlv -Qualities. Helwyn helps (.crald
undertake his reformation. V Alixe ana
Kelwvn meet and discuss their altered rcla
As lie Is introduced to Mrs. Hosamund
Kne leader of the fast set and AHxc'sclos
Mend 'Henppeals itoAlIxe :t,. hc ph m
vnen Gerald from gambling. I-1 ne rien:
5hlb of Eileen and Selwyn progresses. II
Gerald promises Selwyn .he will stop gambl
In? Nfereard discloses to seljn, wno is
Sfercstedlnhls . olllce. a plan to control the
ffoesnot'appeaf to Selwyn, and he consu I s
Austin who denounces rseerearo aim ins
methods? VH-f At night 111 his rooni Helwyn
answers a knock at his door. lATc fa""
is Allxe who Is very unhappy with muni en
inrt wm ti i i talk ; with Selwpn. Kor u nio
mclit heir old Sve lashes in. hut nt the
ml Hon of Eileen ho knows that It Is past
resurrection. X-ltosannind distresses hi
loai by tell lug her society is gossiping about
AHi? and Helwyn. Allxe gets from Gerald,
w .0 hSL agiln lost heavily, a promise not to
nlav again at her house. Al Allxe mm
Kufhven quarrel over the gaming by which
Ae lives and he reveals his knowledge of her
visit at night to her ex-husband's room.
XII-GeralK Increasing Intimacy with Neer-
gVrd displeases Selwyn. who breaks with the
real estate man over the Slowltna matter,
ieard Is trying to break Into society.
xnf-Lanslne Invites Selwyn to make his
home with him In the modest house he has
honclit Selwyn declares he will no longer
let the past mat 1 his chance of happiness, and
Nlnaawl
in love with him. N na fears that Allxe,
restless mid disgusted with Kuthyen. will
make m schlef. Selwyn is experinicntlng
with chaosite. his discovery Is explosive.
XIV-Kifeen asks Selwyn to remove (.era d
Irom Neergard's Influence. A Through
Huthven i and the Fanes, Xcergard forces
hlmrelf a little way Into society and tries o
compel the Siowltha to elect him. en d
loses more and more at cards. Mnk ng hlleen
inonevas well ash s own. 'Irylnp UMie
h m. Selwyn quarrels with h in and then ap
peals in vain to Neergard, ItoMimund and
lluthven. lie almost kills Huthven. whose
heart is weak, when the latter hints at a pos
sible divorce suit, with Selwyn as eorreapond
cnt. XVI-Correspondcncu between Allxe
and Selwyn seems to .-jnllrm Nina's belief
that Selwyn's ex-wife is, as her lute father
was. mentally unsound., Selwyn makes up
wltl erild and helps him out ttnanrliilly.
seriously Impairing his own resources. X VII
-At Sllvcrslde. the (ieraids' conn rnite.
Eileen declares she cares lor hem in. nut
i e w 11 not ay that she will marry him.
ller brother Is noiv turning, over a new leaf.
XVIII-Kileenand Selwyn make a "life o ur
aVdanti-sentlnientnl mpart. --'(,r
nld renews his friendship with Aecrgaru.
yacht.furnlsliesgosslpforsoc e . Nlnaand
her brother are now convinced oi Alixe s ir
resisHb ty. Selwln proposes to K leen. but
t he eirl I i" nut sulliciently sure of herself to
Live hln be A romise. They asree to remain
irlend" .--Xa-(ie raid's appearance n public
w tl the fast set. among whom Is Allxe,
aii "ers his own people. Selwyn takes the boy
awav from "hern and learns that he has imar
rricd with "ergard. to whom he owes much
money, and with Kuthyen
him unjustly ot undue friendships 1th Allxe.
The bov has been help ng Alixe. abandoned
liiilncially by Kuthven. with money borrow
edfrom Seereird and Is in desperate straits.
Hilwyn aids mm again, leaving hlmseii al
most without money.
JKaptp 22
ELWYX hud gone to Now
York with (jeralil "for
a few days," as lie ex
pressed it, but it was
now the ilrst week lu
October, and lie laid not
yet returned to Silverside.
A brief note to Niua thauklug ber
for having bad biin at Silverside and
speaking vaguely of some bnsluess
matters wbieli might detain bim in
definitely; a briefer, note to Eileen re
gretting his Inability to return for the
present, were all the communications
they had from him except news
brought by Austin, who came down
from town every Friday.
A long letter to him from Niua still
remained unanswered. Austin bad
seen him only once in town. Lansing,
now back in New York, wrote a post
script in n letter to Drina, asking for
Selwyn's new address, the first inti
mation anybody bad that bo bad given
up bis lodgings on Lexington avenue.
Eileen had not written him. His sud
den leave taking nearly a month ago
bad so astounded ber that she could
not believe be meant to bo gone more
tban a day or two. Then came bis
note, written at the ratroons club,
very brief, curiously stilted and formal,
with a Btrauge tone of finality through
It, as though he were taking perfunc
tory leave of people wbo had come
temporarily Into bis life and as though
the chances were agreeably even of
bis ever seeing them again.
The girl wus not hurt as yet; she
remained merely confused, Incredulous,
unreconciled.
It was possible now to ride cross
country, and Nina, wbo was always In
terror of an added ounce to ber per
fect figure, rode every day with Eileen,
and Austin, on a big hunter, Joined
them two days In the week.
There were dances, too, and Nina
went to some of them. So did Eileen,
who bad created a furore among the
younger brothers and undergraduates,
and tbo girl was busy enough with
sailing and motoring and dashing
through the sound In all aorta of pow
er boats.
Truly, for her, the world woa atlll
green, the tun bright, the high ricy
It
By ROBERT W. CHAMBERS,
Author of "THE FIQHT1N0 CHANCE," Etc.
100", by Robert W. Chambers.
blue, but she bad not forgotten that
the earth had been greener, the sun
brighter, the azure above ber more
splendid once upon a time like the
first phrase of a tale that Is told. And
If she were at times listless, absent
eyed, subdued, a trifle graver or un
usually silent, b-eeklng the still paths
of the garden as though in need of
youthful meditation and the frulet of
the sunset hour, she never doubted that
that tale would be retold for her again.
Only, alas, the fair days wero passing,
and the russet rustle of October sound
ed already among the curling leaves In
the garden, and be had been away a
long time, a very long time, nnd she
could not understand.
On one of Austin's week end visits,
tho hour for conjugal confab having
arrived between husband and wife, he
said, with a trace of Irritation in his
voice:
"I don't know where Thll Is or what
he's about. I'm wondering he's got
the Selwyn conscience, you know
what he's up to and If It's any kind of
darafoolishness. Haven't you beard a
word from him, Nina?"
Nina, In ber pretty night attire, bad
emerged from ber dressing room, lock
ed out Klt-KI and her maid and had
curled up in a big, soft armchair, cra
dling ber bare ankles In her hand.
"I haven't henrd from him," she
said. "Rosamund saw him in Wash
ingtonpassed hlni on the street. He
was looking horribly thin nnd worn,
she wrote. He did not see her."
"Now, what In the name of common
sense Is he doing In Washington?" ex
claimed Austin wrathfully. "Probably
breaking his heart because nobody
cares to examine bis chaosite. By the
way, Nina, Gerald has done rather an
unexpected thing. I saw him last
night. He came to the bouse and told
me that he had just severed his con
nection with Julius Neergard's com
pany." "I'm glad of It!" exclaimed Nina.
"I'm glad he showed the good sense
to do It!"
"Well, yes. As a matter of fact,
Neergard Is going to be a very rich
man some day, and Gerald might
have But I nm not displeased. What
appeals to me is the spectacle of the
boy acting with conviction on his own
Initiative. Of course ho can, If he
chooses, begin everything again and
come In with me, or, If I nm satisfied
that he has any ability, lie can set up
some sort of real estate office on his
own book."
Niua hesitated, another idea Intrud
ing. ' "Austin, the Orchil boy, tho one In
Harvard, proposed to Eileen, the lit
tle Idiot! She told me. Thank good
ness, she still does tell me things!
Also the younger and chubbier Dray
inoro youth has offeretrhiinself after a
kllllugly proper Interview with me. I
thought It might amuse you to benr
of It."
"It might nmuse me more If Eileen
would get busy and bring Philip Into
camp," observed her husband.
"Do you know," said Nina, "that I
believe ho Is in love with ber?"
"Then why doesn't"
"I don't know. I was sure I am
sure now that tho girl cares more for
bim tban for anybody. And yet and
yet I don't believe she Is actually In
love with him."
After a moment Nina's face grew
grave, and she bent forward.
"Allxe Is ill. Nobody seems to know
what the matter Is. Nobody has seen
her.- But she's nt Clifton, with a cou
ple of nurses, and Hosamund beard
rumors that she is very 111 Indeed.
People go to Clifton for shattered
nerves, you know. There Is mental
trouble In ber family. You have beard
of It as well ns I. You know her fa
ther died of it."
"The usual defense In criminal cases,"
observed Austin, flicking his cigarette
end into the grate. "I'm sorry, dear,
that Allxe has the jumps. Hope she'll
get over 'em. But, as for pretending
I've any use for ber, I can't and don't
and won't. Sho spoiled life for the
best man I kuow. She kicked bis repu
tation into a cocked hat, nnd be, with
his chivalrous Selwyn conscience, let
ber do It. I did like ber once. I doji't
liko her now, nnd that's natural, and It
winds up the matter."
Ituthveu was nt that very moment
seated In n private card room at the
Stuyvesant club with Sanson Orchil,
George Fane and Bradley Harmon,
and the game bad been bridge, as
usual, and had gone very heavily
against htm.
Several things had gone against Mr.
Ituthren recently. For ono thing, he
was beginning to realize that he had
made a vast mistake In mixing himself
up In any transactions with Neergard.
When he, nt Neergard's cynical sug
gestion, bad consented to exploit his
own club the Siowltha and had con
sented to resign from It to do so, he
had every reason to believe that Neer
gard meant either to mulct them heavily
or buy them out In either case, hav
ing been useful to.Neergard, his profits
from the transaction wonld have been
considerable.
But even while he was absorbed In
figuring them up and he needed tho
money, as usual Neergard coolly In
formed him of his election to the club,
and lluthven, thunderstruck, began to
perceive the depth of the underground
mole tunnels which Neergard bad dug
to undermine and capture the strong
hold Which had now surrendered to bim.
llage made him 111 for n week, but
there was nothing to do about It. Ho
had been treacherous to his club and to
his own caste, nnd Neergard knew It,
nnd knew perfectly well that nuthve'n
dared not protest, dared not even
whimper.
Then Neergard began to use Ruthven
when he needed him, nnd be began to
permit himself to win nt cards In Ruth
ven'a house, a thing ho bad not dared
to do before. He also permitted him
self more ease nnd freedom lu that
house, n sort of Intimacy, even a cer
tain Jocularity.
Meanwhile Neergard had almost fin
ished with Gerald. lie bad only ono
further use for him, and as bis social
success became more pronounced with
the people be had crowded in among
be became bolder and more insolent, no
longer at pains to mole tunnel toward
the object desired, no longer overenrc
ful about bis mask. And one day bo
asked the boy very plainly why he bad
never Invited btm to meet bis sister.
And be got nn answer that he never
forgot.
Ruthven had viewed with Indiffer
ence Gerald's boyish devotion to bis
wife, which was even too open nnd
naive to be of interest to those wbo
witnessed It. But be had not counted
on Neergard's sudden hatred of Gerald,
and the first token of that hatred fell
upon the boy like a thunderbolt when
Neergard whispered to Ruthven one
night nt the Stuyvesant club and Ruth
ven, exasperated, had gone straight
home, to find his wife In tears and tho
boy clumsily attempting to comfort
her, both her hands in his.
"Perhaps," said Ruthven coldly, "you
have some plausible explanation for
this sort of thing. If you 'haven't, you'd
better trump up one together, nnd I'll
send you my attorney to hear. It. In
that event," he added, "you'd better
leave your Joint address when you find
n more convenient house than mine."
As a matter of fact, be had really
meant nothing more than the threat
and the insult, the situation permitting
him n heavier hold upon his wife nnd
a new grip on Gerald In case he ever
needed him, but threat and Insult were
very real to the boy, and he knocked
Mr. Ruthven fiat on bis back, the one
thing required to change that gentle
man's pretense to deadly earnest.
Ruthven scrambled to bis feet. Ger
ald did It again, and after that Mr.
Ruthven prudently remained prone dur
ing the delivery of a terse but concise'
opinion of him expressed by Gerald.
After Gerald had gone Ruthven
opened first one eye, then the other,
then his mouth and finally sat up, and
bis wife, who bad been curiously ob
serving him, smiled.
She dropped ber folded bauds into
ber lap, gazing coolly nt bim, but there
wns a glitter In her eyes which nrrest
ed his first step toward her.
"I think," she said, "that you mean
tny ruin. My mind has become curious
ly clear during the last year strangely
nnd unusually limpid and precise. Why,
my poor friend, every plot of yours nnd
of your friends, every underhand at
tempt to discredit and Injure me, has
been perfectly apparent to me. You sup
posed that my headaches, my outbursts
of anger, my wretched nights, passed
in tears, and the long, long days spent
kneeling in tho ashes of dead uiom
ories, all these you supposed bad weak
ened, perhaps unsettled, my mind. You
He If you deny it, for you have had
doctors watching me for months. You
didn't know I was aware of it, did
you? But I was, and I am. And you
told them that my father died of of
brain trouble, you coward! What a
credulous fool you are," she said, "to
build your hopes of a separation on
any possible mental disability of mine!"
He stood a moment without answer
ing, then quietly seated himself. The
suspicious glimmer in his faded eyes
had become the concentration of n curi
osity almost npprehenslve.
"Go on," he said. "What else?"
"For the remainder of the spring and
summer," she said, "I shall make my
plans regardless of you. I shall not go
to Newport. You are at liberty to use
the bouse there as you choose. And, ns
for this Incident with Gerald, you bad
better' not pursue It any further. Do
you understand?"
ne nodded, dropping bis hands Into
bis coat pockets.
"Now you may go," she said coolly.
Ho went, not, however, to bis room,
but straight to tbo bouse of the fash
ionable physician who ministered to
wealth with an unction and success
that bad permitted him In summer tlni'j
to occupy bis own villa at Newport and
dispense further ministrations when re
quested. On tbc night of the conjugal con
ference between Nina Gerard and her
husband and almost at tho same hour
Jack Ruthven, hard hit In the card
room of the Stuyvesant club, sat hud
dled over the table, figuring up what
sort of checks he wns to draw to the
credit of George Fane and Sanxon
Orchil.
And now as he sat there, pencil In
band, adding up the score cards he re
membered that bo was to Interview hU
attorney that evening at his own bouse,
a late appointment, but necessary to
insure tbo presence of one or two phy
sicians at a consultation to definitely
decide what courso of action might be
taken to rid himself of the wife who
had 'proved useless and almost ruinous
to bim.
He had not laid eyes on his wife that
summer, but for the-first time he had
really had her watched during ber ab
sence. What she .lived on, how she
managed, he had-not the least idea and
less. concern. AU.be knew was that he
had contributed nothing, and he was
quite certain that ber balance at her
own bank had been nonexistent for
months. In the autumn be had .beard
of her conduct nt Hltherwood House,
and a week later, to his astonishment,
he learned of her serious Illness nnd
that she bad been taken to Clifton. It
was the only satisfactory news he bad
had of her In months.
When be bad finished bis figuring he
fished out a check book, detached n
tiny gold fountain pen from tho bunch
of seals and knickkfincks on bfs watch
chain nnd, filling In the checks, passed
them over without comment.
As they filed out of tbo card room
into the dim passageway, Orchil lead
ing, n tall, shadowy figure in evening
dress stepped back from the door of
the card room against tho wall to give
them right of way, nnd Orchil, peer
ing nt bim without recognition In tho
dull light, bowed suavely as be passckl,
as did Fane, craning bis curved neck,
and Harmon also, who followed In bis
wake.
But when Ruthven came abreast of
the figure In the passage and bowed
his way past a low voice from the
courteous unknown, pronouncing his
name, halted bim sbort.
"I want n word with you, Mr. Ruth
ven," ndded Selwyn; "that card room
will suit me, If you please."
But Ruthven, recovering from the
shock of Selwyn'" voice, started to
pass him without a word.
"I said that I wanted to speak to
you!" repeated Selwyn.
Ruthven, deigning no reply, attempt
ed to shove by him, and Selwyn, plac
ing one band, flat against the other's
shoulder, pushed bim violently back
Into the card room he had Just left
and, stepping lu behind him, closed
and locked tbc door.
"W-whnt the devil do you mean?"
gasped Ruthven, bis hard, minutely
shaven face turning a deep red.
"What I say," replied Selwyn "that
I want n word or two with you."
ne stood still for a moment In the
renter of the little room, tall, gaunt of
feature nnd very pale.
"Ruthvcu," he said, "a few years
ago you persuaded my wife to leave
FlUltty in the cJiccJw.
me, and I have never punished you.
There were two reasons why I did not.
The first was because I did not wish
to punish her, and any blow at you
would have reached her heavily. The
second reason, subordinate to the first,
is obvious decent men in these days
have tacitly agreed to suspend a vio
lent appeal to the unwritten law as a
concession to civilization. This second
reason, however, depends entirely upon
the first, as you see.
"I have ah Invited you here to ex
plain to you the , present condition of
your own domestic affaire" be looked
at Ruthven full lu the face "to explain
them to you and to lay down for you
the course of conduct which ou are to
follow."
"By God!" began Ruthven, stepping
hack, ono band reaching for the door
knob, but Selwyn's voice rang out clean
and sharp:
"Sit down!"
And, as Ruthven glared at bim out of
bis little eyes, "You'd better sit down
I think," said Selwyn softly.
Ruthven turned, took two unsteady
steps forward nnd laid his heavily
ringed band on the back of a chair.
Selwyn smiled, and Ruthven sat down.
"Now," continued Selwyn, "for cer
tain rules of conduct to govern you
during the remainder of your wife's
lifetime. And your wife -Is 111, Mr.
Ruthven sick of a sickness which
may last for a great many years or
may be terminated lu as many days.
Did you know It?"
Ruthven snarled.'
"Yes, of course you knew It, or you
suspected It. Your wife Is In n sanitari
um, ns you have discovered. Sho Is
mentally ill rational at times, violent
at moments nnd for long periods quite
docile, gentle, harmless, content to be
talked to, read to, advised, persuaded
But during the last week a change of
a certain nature has occurred which
which, I am told by competent physi
cians, not only renders her case beyond
nil hope of ultimate recovery, but
threatens nu earlier termination than
was at first looked for. It is this: Your
wife has become liko a child again,
occupied contentedly and quite happily
with childish things. Sho has forgot
ten much. Her memory is quite gone.
How much she does remember It Is Im
possible to say."
His bead fell. His brooding eyes were
fixed on the rug nt his feet. After
awhile be looked up.
"I understand that you are contem
plating proceedings against your wife.
Are you?"
"Yes, I nm," said Ruthven.
"On the grounds of her mental Inca
pacity?" "Yes."
"Then, as I understand it, the wom
an whom you persuaded to break every
law, human and divine, for your sake
you now propose to abandon. Is that
it?"
Rutbveu made no reply.
"You propose to publish her pitiable
plight to the world by beginning pro
ceedings. You Intend to notify the
public of your wife's Infirmity by di
vorcing her."
"Sane or insane," burst out Ruthven,
"she was riding for a fall, and she's
going to get it! What the devil are
you talking about? I'm not accounta
ble to you. I'll do what I please. I'll
manage my own affairs."
"No," said Selwyn; "I'll manage this
particular affair. And now I'll tell
you how I'm going to do It. I have In
tny lodgings, or, rather, in the small
ball bedroom which I now occupy, an
army service revolver In fairly good
condition. I shall give myself the
Pushed Mm violently back Into the card
room.
pleasure of using It on you if you ever
commence any such action for divorce
or separation against your wife. This
is final."
Ruthven stared at him as though hyp
notized. "Don't mistake me," added Selwyn, a
trltlo wearily. "I am not compelling
you to decency for the purpose of pun
ishing you. Men never trouble them
selves to punish vermin. They -simply
exterminate them or they retreat and
avoid them. I merely mean that you
1 shall never again bring publicity and
shame upon your wife, even though
now, mercifully enough, she has not
the faintest idea that you arc what a
complacent law calls her husband."
A slow blaze lighted up his eyes, and
he got up from his chair.
"You decadent little beast!" he said
slowly. "Do you suppose that the
dirty accident of your intrusion into nn
honest man's, life could dissolve the
divine compact of wedlock? Soil It
yes, besmirch it, render it superficially
unclean, unfit, nauseous yes, but nei
ther you nor your vile code nor the Im
becile law you Invoked to legalize the
'situation really ever deprived me of
my irrevocable status and responsibil
ity. My wife, shamed or unshamed.
humbled or unhtrmbled, true to her
marriage vows or false to them, now
legally the wife of another, has never
ceased to be my wife."
He turned on bis heel, pared the lit
tle room once or twice, then swung
round again:
"Keep your filthy money, wrung
from women and boys over card tables.
Even If some blind, wormlike process
f instinct stirred the shame In you
and you ventured to offer belated nld
to tho woman who bears your name I
forbid it; I do not permit you the priv
ilege, except that she retains your
name, and the moment yon attempt to
rob her of that I will destroy you; ex
cept for that you have no further re
lations with her nothing to do or
undo; no voice ns to the disposal of
what remains of her; no power, no
will, po Influence In her fate. I sup
plant you; I take'my own again; I, re
assume a' responsibility temporarily
taken from me. And now I think you
understand!"
He gave bim one level and deadly
stare; then bis pallid features relaxed.
He slowly walked past Ruthven, grave,
preoccupied, unlocked the door nnd
nasscd out.
To be Continued.
BE KIND, OE PATIENT, TREAD
SOFTLY.
Quietly nail this rule in the cote
among tho Muttering, mild eyed doves.
Do your pigeons' hearts throb with
fear when In your-hands? You may
change that fear to friendship and af
fection by using this rule nnd feeding
l few sweetmeats.
Slip In quietly and try it, and tho
beautiful creatures will soon flutter
down to bill nnd coo with you.
There nro those nervous ducks, geese,
turkeys and guineas, that still retain
part of their ancestral wild nature of
the mountain nnd stream. Have you
made them friends and thus better
profit payers by gentleness and little
acts of kindness?
And the chickens!
Do those clarioji cocks give the sig
nal of danger to the hens to flee when
you approach, or do tbo roosters crow
for joy and tbo beautiful white biddies
come to trill their appreciation for
your kindness and to Inquire for tbc
usual treat of chicken confectionery?
There is this about It: Tho Individual
who has wild fowls is not a real fan
cier. If ho was, bo would love bis birds
and they would love bim.
The flock that Is wild does not put on
flesh for market uor fill tho egg basket
so well as the quiet one and Is there
fore not so profitable.
When Dally Sings.
She thrills my soul the while 1 sit--
She warbles like a bird
But, gracious me, I must'admlt
I can't make out a word!
Harper's Weeltlj
Helping Him Out.
Reporter How shall I handle tbN
mad dog story?
Olty Editor Make It suappy. Puck
On Her Way to the Club.
"For mercy's Bake, whose dirty llttlo
boy aro you?"
"Yours, mamma." Chicago Tribune,
March 4.
Let not a chill climatic doubt
Cause patriot Joy to lag.
We'll fling; the starry banner out
And hide the cold wave flag-,
Washington Btar.
Not Funny.
A merry smile ! well worth while.
But when, amid it chatter.
The senate laughed at cenius graft
It seemed no laughing matter.
Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Poverty,
"Poverty is no disgrace," said Uncle
Bben, "buttJar aln' no sense in slttin'
at yoh ease on de front step waltln'
fob folks to come along an' congratu
late you on it." Washington Btar.
TO OPEN CAPITOL
TO PUBLIC VIEW
Park Extensloa Will Give Travel
ers Chance to See Building.
NO MONEY WILL BE WASTED
Gov. Stuart Will Supervise the
Buying ot Property.
Harrisburg,. Pa., Feb. 28. With the
adoption of the Fox bill, which Is now
well on Its way through the legisla
ture, the extension of Capitol park
can be started without delay. The bill
provides for the appointment by the
governor, with the approval of the
senate, of a commission of three com
petent citizens, to acquire the property
for the state. The commission will be
vested with the full power of the state
to take land by condemnation where
it cannot be purchased amicably.
The fact that the naming of the com
mission la left entirely with the gov
ernor Is a guarantee that the enter
prise will be carried out with the
same business-like care and capacity
that has marked other features of the
Stuart administration. As In the case
of other committees appointed by him,
governor Stuart will keep in personal
touch with the work of this body. All
the acts of the commission will be
subject to the governor's approval.
As to the prices that are to be paid
for the properties within the area of
the proposed extension, the detailed
report of Governor Stuart's three ex
perts, already presented to the leglsla-
View Showing Character of Bulldfirj.
Within Stone's Throw of Capitol.
ture, will serve as a guide both to the
park extension commission in effect
ing amicable purchases and to the
court and juries where condemnation
proceedings are necessitated by re
fusal of property owners to sell at a
reasonable figure.
The bill provides that not more than
$400,000 a year shall be expended dur
ing Ave years. This will not only com
plete the purchase of the property
within the total appropriation of 2,
000,000, but Is expected to provide tho
ground ready for parking, as the ma
terials In the buildings will pay for
clearing them away. Governor
Stuart's experts have estimated that
the properties can be bought for $1.
801,450. The total appropriation In the
Fox bill, therefore. Is ample for all re
quirements. As fast as the property Is purchased
and cleared It will be entered upon by
the board of public grounds and build
ings for the purpose of converting it
into a park. This work will involve
comparatively little expense, as the
board is already equipped with a com
petent force of engineers and garden
ers. Even the plans are well thought
out, for the extension of the park has
been regarded for several years asi
bound to come, and there has been more
or less getting ready for it on the part
of tho officials In charge of the public
property. Under these circumstances
there will be no occasion for hiring
high-priced engineers and landscape
gardeners.
The extension will carry the park
from Its present eastern limit 1000 feet
to tho main line tracks of the Penn
sylvania railroad. This will open up a
sweeping view of the most imposing
state capltol In the country to hun
dreds of thousands of persons who an
nually pass this point along the great
avenue of transcontinental travel.
These Include people not only from all
over the United States and tho world,
but also the bulk of the Inhabitants of
Pennsylvania, who are especially In
terested In the state capltol, and who
can now see It only by stopping off
between trains at Harrisburg. Passen
ger trains at this point run at neces
sarily reduced speed, because they are
either approaching or Just leaving the
Harrisburg station, and with the park
extending for a distance of five city
Moults, abundant opportunity would
be given for u full view of the beau
tiful structure that is now bidden be
hind buildings of the poorest class.
As the members of the legislature
have studied this and other phases of
the proposition they have discerned
that this Is not only a good business
move, but Is a matter of Interest to
the people of the whole state. And
since the plan has been worked out
with so many safeguards against ex
travagance and with an economy of
expenditure which clears the way
financially, the lat, vestige of opposi
tion has faded away and there Is prac
tically unanimous approval of the
project.
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