The Honorable Peter Stirling and What People Thought of Him by Paul Leicester Ford

P >> Paul Leicester Ford >> The Honorable Peter Stirling and What People Thought of Him

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34

"Peter has just asked me for this waltz," said Leonore. "Oh, Mr.
Rutgers, I'm so sorry, I'm going to dance this with Mr. Stirling."

And then Peter felt he was to be congratulated.

"I shan't marry him myself," thought Leonore, "but I won't have my
friends married off right under my nose, and you can try all you want,
Mrs. Rivington."

So Peter's guardianship was apparently bearing fruit. Yet man to this
day holds woman to be the weaker vessel!

CHAPTER LIV.

OBSTINACY.

The next morning Peter found that his prayer for a rainy day had been
answered, and came down to breakfast in the pleasantest of humors.

"See how joyful his future Excellency looks already," said Watts,
promptly recalling Peter to the serious part of life. And fortunately
too, for from that moment, the time which he had hoped to have alone (if
_two_ ever can be alone), began to be pilfered from him. Hardly were
they seated at breakfast when Pell dropped in to congratulate him, and
from that moment, despite the rain, every friend in Newport seemed to
feel it a bounden duty to do the same, and to stay the longer because of
the rain. Peter wished he had set the time for the Convention two days
earlier or two days later.

"I hope you won't ask any of these people to luncheon," Peter said in an
aside to Mrs. D'Alloi.

"Why?" he was asked.

Peter looked puzzled, and finally said weakly, "I--I have a good deal to
do."

And then as proper punishment for his misdemeanor, the footman
announced Dorothy and Miss Biddle, Ray and Ogden. Dorothy sailed into
the room with the announcement:

"We've all come to luncheon if we are asked."

"Oh, Peter," said Ray, when they were seated at the table. "Have you
seen this morning's 'Voice of Labor?' No? Good gracious, they've raked
up that old verse in Watts's class-song and print it as proof that you
were a drunkard in your college days. Here it is. Set to music and
headed 'Saloon Pete.'"

"Look here, Ray, we must write to the 'Voice' and tell them the truth,"
said Watts.

"Never write to the paper that tells the lie," said Peter, laughing.
"Always write to the one that doesn't. Then it will go for the other
paper. But I wouldn't take the trouble in this case. The opposition
would merely say that: 'Of course Mr. Stirling's intimate friends are
bound to give such a construction to the song, and the attempt does them
credit.'"

"But why don't you deny it, Peter?" asked Leonore anxiously. "It's awful
to think of people saying you are a drunkard!"

"If I denied the untruths told of me I should have my hands full. Nobody
believes such things, except the people who are ready to believe them.
They wouldn't believe otherwise, no matter what I said. If you think a
man is a scoundrel, you are not going to believe his word."

"But, Peter," said Mrs. D'Alloi, "you ought to deny them for the future.
After you and your friends are dead, people will go back to the
newspapers, and see what they said about you, and then will misjudge
you."

"I am not afraid of that. I shall hardly be of enough account to figure
in history, or if I become so, such attacks will not hurt me. Why,
Washington was charged by the papers of his day, with being a murderer,
a traitor, and a tyrant. And Lincoln was vilified to an extent which
seems impossible now. The greater the man, the greater the abuse."

"Why do the papers call you 'Pete'?" asked Leonore, anxiously. "I rather
like Peter, but Pete is dreadful!"

"To prove that I am unfit to be governor."

"Are you serious?" asked Miss Biddle.

"Yes. From their point of view, the dropping of the 'r' ought to
convince voters that I am nothing but a tough and heeler."

"But it won't!" declared Leonore, speaking from vast experience.

"I don't think it will. Though if they keep at it, and really convince
the voters who can be convinced by such arguments, that I am what they
call me, they'll elect me."

"How?" asked Mrs. D'Alloi.

"Because intelligent people are not led astray but outraged by such
arguments, and ignorant people, who can be made to believe all that is
said of me, by such means, will think I am just the man for whom they
want to vote."

"How is it possible that the papers can treat you so?" said Watts. "The
editors know you?"

"Oh, yes. I have met nearly every man connected with the New York
press."

"They must know better?"

"Yes. But for partisan purposes they must say what they do."

"Then they are deliberately lying to deceive the people?" asked Miss
Biddle.

"It's rather a puzzling matter in ethics," said Peter. "I don't think
that the newspaper fraternity have any lower standard of morals, than
men in other professions. In the main they stand for everything that is
admirable, so long as it's non-partisan, and some of the men who to-day
are now writing me down, have aided me in the past more than I can say,
and are at this moment my personal friends."

"How dishonest!"

"I cannot quite call it that. When the greatest and most honorable
statesmen of Europe and America will lie and cheat each other to their
utmost extent, under cover of the term 'diplomacy,' and get rewarded and
praised by their respective countries for their knavery, provided it is
successful, I think 'dishonest' is a strong word for a merely partisan
press. Certain it is, that the partisan press would end to-morrow, but
for the narrowness and meanness of readers."

"Which they cause," said Ogden.

"Just as much," said Peter, "as the saloon makes a drunkard, food causes
hunger, and books make readers."

"But, at least, you must acknowledge they've got you, when they say you
are the saloon-keepers' friend," laughed Watts.

"Yes. I am that--but only for votes, you understand."

"Mr. Stirling, why do you like saloons?" asked Miss Biddle.

"I don't like saloons. My wish is to see the day come, when such a gross
form of physical enjoyment as tippling shall cease entirely. But till
that day comes, till humanity has taught itself and raised itself, I
want to see fair play."

"What do you mean?"

"The rich man can lay in a stock of wine, or go to a hotel or club, and
get what he wants at any time and all times. It is not fair, because a
man's pockets are filled with nickels instead of eagles, that he shall
not have the same right. For that reason, I have always spoken for the
saloon, and even for Sunday openings. You know what I think myself of
that day. You know what I think of wine. But if I claim the right to
spend Sunday in my way and not to drink, I must concede an equal right
to others to do as they please. If a man wants to drink at any time,
what right have I to say he shall not?"

"But the poor man goes and makes a beast of himself," said Watts.

"There is as much champagne drunkenness as whisky drunkenness, in
proportion to the number of drinkers of each. But a man who drinks
champagne, is sent home in a cab, and is put to bed, while the man who
can't afford that kind of drink, and is made mad by poisoned and
doctored whisky, doctored and poisoned because of our heavy tax on it,
must take his chance of arrest. That is the shameful thing about all our
so-called temperance legislation. It's based on an unfair interference
with personal liberty, and always discriminates in favor of the man with
money. If the rich man has his club, let the poor man have his saloon."

"How much better, though," said Mrs. D'Alloi, "to stop the sale of wine
everywhere."

"That is neither possible nor right. You can't strengthen humanity by
tying its hands. It must be left free to become strong. I have thought
much about the problem, and I see only one fair and practical means of
bettering our present condition. But boss as the papers say I am, I am
not strong enough to force it."

"What is that, Peter?" asked Dorothy.

"So long as a man drinks in such a way as not to interfere with another
person's liberty we have no right to check him. But the moment he does,
the public has a right to protect itself and his family, by restraining
him, as it does thieves, or murderers, or wife-beaters. My idea is, that
a license, something perhaps like our dog-license, shall be given to
every one who applies for it. That before a man can have a drink, this
license must be shown. Then if a man is before the police court a second
time, for drunkenness, or if his family petition for it, his license
shall be cancelled, and a heavy fine incurred by any one who gives or
sells that man a drink thereafter."

"Oh," laughed Watts, "you are heavenly! Just imagine a host saying to
his dinner-party, 'Friends, before this wine is passed, will you please
show me your drink licenses.'"

"You may laugh, Watts," said Peter, "but such a request would have saved
many a young fellow from ruin, and society from an occasional terrible
occurrence which even my little social experience has shown me. And it
would soon be so much a matter of course, that it would be no more than
showing your ticket, to prove yourself entitled to a ride. It solves the
problem of drunkenness. Ant that is all we can hope to do, till humanity
is--" Then Peter, who had been looking at Leonore, smiled.

"Is what?" asked Leonore.

"The rest is in cipher," said Peter, but if he had finished his
sentence, it would have been, "half as perfect as you are."

After this last relay of callers had departed, it began to pour so nobly
that Peter became hopeful once more. He wandered about, making a
room-to-room canvass, in search of happiness, and to his surprise saw
happiness descending the broad stair incased in an English shooting-cap,
and a mackintosh.

"You are not going out in such weather?" demanded Peter.

"Yes. I've had no exercise to-day, and I'm going for a walk."

"It's pouring torrents," expostulated Peter.

"I know it."

"But you'll get wet through."

"I hope so. I like to walk in the rain."

Peter put his hand on the front door-handle, to which this conversation
had carried them, "You mustn't go out," he said.

"I'm going," said Leonore, made all the more eager now that it was
forbidden.

"Please don't," said Peter weakening.

"Let me pass," said Leonore decisively.

"Does your father know?"

"Of course not."

"Then you should ask him. It's no weather for you to walk in."

"I shan't ask him."

"Then I shall," and Peter went hurriedly to the library.

"Watts," he said, "it's raining torrents and Leonore insists on going to
walk. Please say she is not to go."

"All right," said Watts, not looking up from his book.

That was enough. Peter sped back to the hall. It was empty. He put his
head into the two rooms. Empty. He looked out of the front door. There
in the distance, was that prettiest of figures, distinguishable even
when buried in a mackintosh. Peter caught up a cap from the hall rack,
and set out in pursuit. Leonore was walking rapidly, but it did not take
Peter many seconds to come up with her.

"Your father says you are not to go out."

"I can't help it, since I am out," said Leonore, sensibly.

"But you should come back at once."

"I don't care to," said Leonore.

"Aren't you going to obey him?"

"He never would have cared if you hadn't interfered. It's your orders,
not his. So I intend to have my walk."

"You are to come back," said Peter.

Leonore stopped and faced him. "This is getting interesting," she
thought. "We'll see who can be the most obstinate." Aloud she said, "Who
says so?"

"I do."

"And I say I shan't."

Peter felt his helplessness. "Please come back."

Leonore laughed internally. "I don't choose to."

"Then I shall have to make you."

"How?" asked Leonore.

That was a conundrum, indeed. If it had been a knotty law point, Peter
would have been less nonplussed by it.

Leonore felt her advantage, and used it shamefully. She knew that Peter
was helpless, and she said, "How?" again, laughing at him.

Peter groped blindly. "I shall make you," he said again, for lack of
anything better.

"Perhaps," said Leonore, helping him out, though with a most insulting
laugh in her voice and face, "you will get a string and lead me?"

Peter looked the picture of helplessness.

"Or you might run over to the Goelets', and borrow their baby's
perambulator," continued that segment of the Spanish Inquisition. If
ever an irritating, aggravating, crazing, exasperating, provoking
fretting enraging, "I dare you," was uttered, it was in Leonore's manner
as she said this.

Peter looked about hopelessly.

"Please hurry up and say how," Leonore continued, "for I want to get
down to the cliff walk. It's very wet here on the grass. Perhaps you
will carry me back? You evidently think me a baby in arms." "He's such
fun to tease," was her thought, "and you can say just what you please
without being afraid of his doing anything ungentlemanly." Many a woman
dares to torture a man for just the same reason.

She was quite right as to Peter. He had recognized that he was
powerless; that he could not use force. He looked the picture of utter
indecision. But as Leonore spoke, a sudden change came over his face and
figure. "Leonore had said it was wet on the grass! Leonore would wet her
feet I Leonore would take cold! Leonore would have pneumonia! Leonore
would die!" It was a shameful chain of argument for a light of the bar,
logic unworthy of a school-boy. But it was fearfully real to Peter for
the moment, and he said to himself: "I must do it, even if she never
forgives me." Then the indecision left his face, and he took a step
forward.

Leonore caught her breath with a gasp. The "dare-you" look, suddenly
changed to a very frightened one, and turning, she sped across the lawn,
at her utmost speed. She had read something in Peter's face, and felt
that she must fly, however ignominious such retreat might be.

Peter followed, but though he could have caught her in ten seconds, he
did not. As on a former occasion, he thought: "I'll let her get out of
breath. Then she will not be so angry. At least she won't be able to
talk. How gracefully she runs!"

Presently, as soon as Leonore became convinced that Peter did not intend
to catch her, she slowed down to a walk. Peter at once joined her.

"Now," he said, "will you come back?"

Leonore was trying to conceal her panting. She was not going to
acknowledge that she was out of breath since Peter wasn't. So she made
no reply.

"You are walking in the wrong direction," said Peter, laying his hand on
her arm. Then, since she made no reply, his hand encircled the arm, and
he stopped. Leonore took two more steps. Then she too, curiously enough,
halted.

"Stop holding me," she said, not entirely without betraying her
breathlessness.

"You are to come back," said Peter.

He got an awful look from those eyes. They were perfectly blazing with
indignation.

"Stop holding me," she repeated.

It was a fearful moment to Peter. But he said, with an appeal in his
voice, "You know I suffer in offending you. I did not believe that I
could touch you without your consent. But your health is dearer to me
than your anger is terrible. You must come home."

So Leonore, realizing that helplessness in a man exists only by his own
volition, turned, and began walking towards the now distant house. Peter
at once released her arm, and walked beside her. Not a glimpse did he
get of those dear eyes. Leonore was looking directly before her, and a
grenadier could not have held himself straighter. If insulted dignity
was to be acted in pantomime, the actor could have obtained some
valuable points from that walk.

Peter walked along, feeling semi-criminal, yet semi-happy. He had saved
Leonore from an early grave, and that was worth while doing. Then, too,
he could look at her, and that was worth while doing. The run had made
Leonore's cheeks blaze, as Peter's touch had made her eyes. The rain had
condensed in little diamonds on her stray curls, and on those long
lashes. It seemed to Peter that he had never seen her lovelier. The
longing to take her in his arms was so strong, that he almost wished she
had refused to return. But then Peter knew that she was deeply offended,
and that unless he could make his peace, he was out of favor for a day
at least. That meant a very terrible thing to him. A whole day of
neglect; a whole day with no glimpse of these eyes; a whole day without
a smile from those lips!

Peter had too much sense to say anything at once. He did not speak till
they were back in the hall. Leonore had planned to go straight to her
room, but Peter was rather clever, since she preceded him, in getting to
the foot of the staircase so rapidly that he was there first.

This secured him his moment for speech. He said simply: "Miss D'Alloi, I
ask your forgiveness for offending you."

Leonore had her choice of standing silent, of pushing passed Peter, or
of speaking. If she had done the first, or the second, her position was
absolutely impregnable. But a woman's instinct is to seek defence or
attack in words rather than actions. So she said: "You had no right, and
you were very rude." She did not look at Peter.

"It pained me far more than it could pain you."

Leonore liked Peter's tone of voice, but she saw that her position was
weakening. She said, "Let me by, please."

Peter with reluctance gave her just room to pass. He felt that he had
not said half of what he wished, but he did not dare to offend again.

As it turned out, it was the best thing he could do, for the moment
Leonore had passed him, she exclaimed, "Why! Your coat's wringing wet."

"That's nothing," said Peter, turning to the voice.

He found those big dark eyes at last looking at him, and looking at him
without anger. Leonore had stopped on the step above him.

"That shows how foolish you were to go out in the rain," said Leonore.

"Yes," said Peter, venturing on the smallest smiles.

Leonore promptly explained the charge in Peter's "yes." "It's very
different," he was told. "I put on tips and a mackintosh. You didn't put
on anything. And it was pouring torrents."

"But I'm tough," said Peter, "A wetting won't hurt me."

"So am I," said Leonore. "I've tramped for hours in the Orkneys, and
Sweden and Norway, when it was raining. But then I was dressed for it.
Go and put on dry clothes at once."

That was what Peter had intended to do, but he saw his advantage. "It
isn't worth while," he said.

"I never heard of such obstinacy," said Leonore. "I pity your wife, if
you ever get one. She'll have an awful time of it."

Peter did not like that view at all. But he did not forego at once his
hope of getting some compensation out of Leonore's wish. So he said:
"It's too much trouble to change my clothes, but a cup of your tea may
keep me from taking cold." It was nearly five, o'clock, and Peter was
longing for that customary half-hour at the tea-table.

Leonore said in the kindness of her heart, "When you've changed your
clothes, I'll make you a cup." Then she went upstairs. When she had
reached the second floor, she turned, and leaning over the balustrade of
the gallery, said, "Peter."

"Yes," said Peter, surveying her from below, and thinking how lovely she
was.

Leonore was smiling saucily. She said in triumph: "I had my way. I did
get my walk." Then she went to her room, her head having a very
victorious carriage.

Peter went to his room, smiling. "It's a good lawyer," he told his
mirror, "who compromises just enough to make both sides think they've
won." Peter changed his clothes with the utmost despatch, and hurried
downstairs to the tea-table. She was not there! Peter waited nearly five
minutes quietly, with a patience almost colossal. Then he began to get
restless. He wandered about the room for another two minutes. Then he
became woe-begone. "I thought she had forgiven me," he remarked.

"What?" said the loveliest of visions from the doorway. Most women would
have told one that the beauty lay in the Parisian tea-gown. Peter knew
better. Still, he was almost willing to forgive Leonore the delay caused
by the donning of it, the result was so eminently satisfactory. "And it
will take her as long to make tea as usual, anyway," he thought.

"Hadn't I better put some rum into it to-day?" he was asked, presently.

"You may put anything in it, except the sugar tongs," said Peter, taking
possession of that article.

"But then I can't put any sugar in."

"Fingers were made before forks," suggested Peter. "You don't want to
give me anything bitter, do you?"

"You deserve it," said Leonore, but she took the lumps in her fingers,
and dropped them in the cup.

"I can't wait five years!" thought Peter, "I can't wait five
months--weeks--days--hours--minutes--sec----"

Watts saved Peter from himself by coming in here. "Hello! Here you are.
How cosy you look. I tried to find you both a few minutes ago, but
thought you must have gone to walk after all. Here, Peter. Here's a
special delivery letter, for which I receipted a while ago. Give me a
cup, Dot."

Peter said, "Excuse me," and, after a glance at the envelope, opened the
letter with a sinking sensation. He read it quickly, and then reached
over and rang the bell. When the footman came, Peter rose and said
something in a low voice to him. Then he came back to his tea.

"Nothing wrong, I hope," asked Watts.

"Yes. At least I am called back to New York," said Peter gloomily.

"Bother," said Watts. "When?"

"I shall leave by the night express."

"Nonsense. If it was so important as that, they'd have wired you."

"It isn't a matter which could be telegraphed."

"What is it, Peter?" said Leonore, putting her finger in.

"It's confidential."

So Leonore did not ask again. But when the tea was finished, and all had
started upstairs, Leonore said, "Peter," on the landing. When Peter
stopped, she whispered, "Why are you going to New York?"

"I can't tell you," said Peter.

"Yes, you can, now that papa isn't here."

"No."

"Yes. I know it's politics, and you are to tell me."

"It isn't politics."

"Then what is it?"

"You really want to know?"

"Of course."

"It's something really confidential."

Leonore gave Peter one look of insulted dignity, and went upstairs to
her room. "He's different," she said. "He isn't a bit afraid of
displeasing me any more. I don't know what to do with him."

Peter found Jenifer waiting. "Only pack the grip," he said. "I hope to
come back in a few days." But he looked very glum, and the glumness
stuck to him even after he had dressed and had descended to dinner.

"I am leaving my traps," he told Mrs. D'Alloi. "For I hope to be back
next week."

"Next week!" cried Watts. "What has been sprung on you that will take
you that long?"

"It doesn't depend on me, unfortunately," said Peter, "or I wouldn't
go."

When the carriage was announced later, Peter shook hands with Watts and
Mrs. D'Alloi, and then held out his hand to Leonore. "Good-bye," he
said.

"Are you going to tell me why you are going?" said that young lady, with
her hands behind her, in the prettiest of poses.

"No."

"Then I shan't say good-bye."

"I cannot tell you," said Peter, quietly; "please say good-bye."

"No."

That refusal caused Peter gloom all the way to the station. But if
Leonore could have looked into the future she would have seen in her
refusal the bitterest sorrow she had ever known.

CHAPTER LV.

OATHS.

As soon as Peter was on the express he went into the smoking cabin of
the sleeping-car, and lighting a cigar, took out a letter and read it
over again. While he was still reading it, a voice exclaimed:

"Good! Here's Peter. So you are in it too?" Ogden continued, as Ray and
he took seats by Peter.

"I always did despise Anarchists and Nihilists," sighed Ray, "since I
was trapped into reading some of those maudlin Russian novels, with
their eighth-century ideas grafted on nineteenth-century conditions.
Baby brains stimulated with whisky."

Ogden turned to Peter. "How serious is it likely to be, Colonel?"

"I haven't any idea," replied Peter, "The staff is of the opposite party
now, and I only have a formal notification to hold my regiment in
readiness. If it's nothing but this Socialist and Anarchist talk, there
is no real danger in it."

"Why not?"

"This country can never be in danger from discontent with our
government, for it's what the majority want it to be, or if not, it is
made so at the next election. That is the beauty of a Democracy. The
majority always supports the government. We fight our revolutions with
ballots, not with bullets."

"Yet Most says that blood must be shed."

"I suppose," said Peter, "that he has just reached the stage of
intelligence which doctors had attained when they bled people to make
them strong."

"What can you do with such a fellow's talk? You can't argue with him,"
said Ogden.

"Talk!" muttered Ray, "Don't dignify it with that word. Gibberish!"

"No?" said Peter, "It's too earnest to deserve that name. The man can't
express himself, but way down underneath all the absurd talk of
'natural monopolies,' and of 'the oppression of the money-power,' there
lies a germ of truth, without which none of their theories would have a
corporal's guard of honest believers. We have been working towards that
truth in an unsystematic way for centuries, but we are a long way from
it, and till we solve how to realize it, we shall have ineffectual
discontent."

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34