Robert Kimberly

or him. Charles leaned against the mantel and his brother stood at a window looking across the lake toward Cedar Point. As Francis left the room Uncle John's

s eyebrows and looking bla

ood-naturedly, looking f

dly assumed idiocy, looking from

and he came back at Charles on the flank. "Get any fish?" he asked, as

Uncle John. Then they began to strike and I had ei

isappointment under a s

elle

s subject, and Uncle John tried anoth

t, Uncle John. She never steamed

tty penny,

etty pennies are

Uncle John launched straight into business.

te? Robert tells me he has conc

ng too much

what the stuff is

. "He will give them more tha

said

a reason for that,

ome decision. His intonation might have been unpleasant but that the depth and fuln

matter just as well as I do,"

s; this is undeniable. McCrea has complained of them for two years. Through a

gers of one hand tightly in the other. "That i

at all. But the rest of you have overruled me. Very good. They know now that they are in our power. They are, on

ch people we get beaten, invariably. They have cut into us on the Missouri River, at St. Paul, even at Chicago--from their Kansas plants. They make poor sugar, but it sells, and even when it won't sell, it demoralizes the trade. Now they are on

y was slipping through his fingers. "It m

trimmed, or they can be satisfied. I say give them eleven millions--six millions cash--three millions preferred an

elp MacBirney reorganize and run the plants. It is a fortune for them, and we keep MacBirney and the rest of them, for ten years at least, from scheming to s

ly articulate: "Too m

generosity is 'plainly ind

o m

ht," asserted

p as if to say: "If you are

ter place for him. Let him be responsible for the Western territory. With such an arrangement we ought to have peace out there for ten

e. "Then it

t appeal. "Make the cash

sed the figure well above what he intended to pay. "As you like, Uncle Joh

t the half million he had saved, and encouraged by his frail trium

by Charles and Robert before the Kimberly pa

roposal before MacBirney, who had been sent for and whose

a simple after-dinner conference, in which he had sat down at ten o'clock

oom, with eyes burning with the fires of success, he told her of the stupendous change in their fortunes. With an affection that su

em away and forced a laugh. "Too g

. "If it will only brin

worry too much over business. There will be no more worries now--they are past and gone. And I want you to forget everything, Allie." He embraced her

ss. She rose to answer the bell. Dolly was calling from downstairs. "Come down

could not come down. Dolly told her she "simply must." The controversy upset Alice but she had at last to give way. S

lowed MacBirney down, taking refug

gan came in, bringing some young friends. "Aren't they the

cceed to the De Castro fortune, and Larrie is likely sometime to have the K

of children?" Ali

urse, dear;

of them. I lost my only

ver have ha

N

there," continued Imogene. "But I am afraid he neve

delightf

to see him preside. And he hasn'

is

long story, dear, a tragedy came into his life--in

y moved to a south room to get the breeze. Imogene talked with Alice and MacBirney,

rom the cooling windows, moved her chair to where the breeze could be felt more perceptibl

is scrutiny, but concealed her annoyance as best she cou

t wa

I? I am not supposed t

d him more than anything he had seen before. Her first little air of annoyed defiance and her effort to throw him off the track, all

t might follow. "Certainly, you are supposed to know," said he graciously. "Why not? And you may tell if you like.

w that we are very happ

uld be mere excitement

aid anything about tears. They are going out on the porch--

of electric lamps, where she did not wish to sit for inspection. As she hesitated Rober

himself. When an ice was served, the small tables were drawn together. Alice, occupied with Nelson, who inspired by his vis-à-vis had summoned something of his

If a measure of truth lies in the charge I think it is due to the fact that doctors are victims of the mercenary spirit about them. It's a part of the very air they breathe. They can't escape it. The doctor, to begin with, must spend one small fo

ned forward with a grave and leng

sessed of greed. If a surgeon be set too fast on fame he will affect the spectacular and cut too much and too freely. I admit all of this. My plea is for the cons

filling in the pause, "that a good doctor must spend his ti

saddest of all possible proofs of the difficulties of our calling is found in the f

idea of such a thing. Had you, Mr. Kim

nly because I have been interes

the mention of suicide. "Oh, dear," she ex

e family were disturbed but no one presumed to interfere. "Suicide," he went on, "has a painful interest for man

no m

hat sane men and wom

ly, Mr. K

viction. The fact is," he went on in a humorous tone, "I am forced either

olly, "can't we talk

acute listeners. "The insanity theory is in many cases a comfortable one. But I don't find it so, and

a brave one," he continued, "his suicide would be all the more the act of a coward. I don't believe that kind of

, Robert," declared Dolly with unmistakable