Life — June 15, 1899 — page 9: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

falutin phrases, is out of fashion, Nothing short of a railroad president satisfles us for a hero, To be truly romantic, « rall- road president must convince the reader ‘hat his collateral is gilt-edged, . . . N “ThoShort Lino War” (Macmillan), I by Merwin-Webster, the president fs all the conditions of good railroad romance, There isa fine sentimental background for his gigantic stock operations, He loved and lost —and drowned his sorrow in work. ‘That takes the grossly material edge off his fortune, Moreover, the young man who is to win the girl of the story is the son of the president's old sweetheart. Of course he is going to make things easy for tho young man! But there was no sentiment about Jin. Weeks in a railroad fight, which is tho main interest of this rattling story, Neither sido to the contest for control of the Short Line wastes any time splitting bairs over fine points of morality or legality. They water stock, buy judges and councilmen, kidnap, steal books, fight mob battles und wreck engines with tho gay irresponsibility which characterized the late lamented Jim Fisk. If this is thesort of thing prevailing in Chicago railroad circles to-day, the wise investor will seck Eastern securities, “TAKING HER PROPER (?) PLACE AMONG THE OKEAT POWERS!" But as matorial for romance, it can bo quoted at par. Both sides to the fight ought to have landed in Joliet, but Jim Weeks would be instantly pardoned by a vote of sympathotic readers, As for the heroine, Katharine Porter, sho {8 tho worthy daughter of a nervy but unscrupulous sire. That in a crisis she did not sell out her father to her lover is strong proof that sho can bo safely trusted to marry a prospective railroad king. oe e HERE {s too much lawyer and too T little Whistler in “The Baronet and the Butterfly” (It. H, Russell), which is the eminent artist's way of getting even with the canny baronet who tried to beat him down in payment for his wife's portrait, The marginal notes by Mr. Whistler are meagro, but biting. They contain few of the memorablo and rapierlike witticisms that made “Tho Gentle Art of Making Ene- mies” so amusing. Tho story of the lawsuit as told in tho pleadings is, however, good fun, and illus- trates the eccentric humor which Whistler delights to exploit. Droch, EVER ask a girl if she dislikes your kisses, What could she say? A Common Experience. “T AM afraid you will be angry with me.” Mrs, Von Blumer looked at her hus- band anxiously as she spoke, and, tak- ing from her desk a ncat array of papers, laid them where it was possible for her to snatch them back in an emergency. “ The fact is, dear,” she said, ‘I have been buying a few clothes, and these bills are a trifle more than I expected. I had to have the clothes, of course, but I suppose I might have got along with less.” “Of course,” said Von Blumer, as he took up the papers and glanced them over carelessly, ‘‘ you might have got along with less. But never mind; it's all right.” A great feeling of relief showed itself in Mrs. Von Blumer’s face. ‘I expected you would make an awful fuss,” she said, in some surprise. Von Blumer looked at her with a joy that no transient set-back could dampen, “T would under ordinary circum- stances,” he said. ‘But I have just been examining my dress suit, and find I can wear it another season.”