Vreeland

“ All through the quiet duel of cards, Vreeland was haunted by the twin obstacles, Bagley and Miss Mary Kelly. “Bagley is a perfect servant, and I can not get any excuse to rid myself of him. My secrets are not kept where he can reach them,” mused Vreeland.
“The girl I surely dare not displace; but I can get around them both, if I have the right kind of a woman here near me. ”

“ In a stolen detour, Vreeland arranged for an early morning interview with Doctor Alberg, and then he passed the “Circassia” on his way to the train after dinner.
The flat demand of janitor Helms for “backsheesh” keenly angered a man already enraged by “Uncle James’” quiet appropriation of the first evening with that hawk-eyed free-lance of marital beauty, Mrs. Katharine Vreeland, “whose remarkable loveliness had created such a London and Paris sensation.”
“I will soon cut the Gordian knot between these two,” growled Vreeland, as he descended from the waiting carriage at Lakemere. ”

“ Greed, ambition, revenge, a desire to reach the gilded coterie of New York’s crème de la crème, all these motives Vreeland suspected, but not that an old love, revived in a burning passion, a mad desire for repossession, thrilled the hardened heart of the man “who had once thrown a pearl away, richer than all his tribe.” ”

“ But Hathorn never knew how eagerly Vreeland, at the Waldorf, his anxiety veiled by a thoughtful smile, watched the clock hands crawl around till seven.
“That fool has but one chance left to ruin me [72] forever—and—to block my little game!” restlessly reflected Vreeland. “If he only had the manly nerve to dash up to Lakemere and to throw himself there on Elaine’s generosity, he might be forgiven—even now. The swaying bosom of womanhood is always ripe for forgiveness. A woman is fondly weak to a man who calls up a lost love. ”

“ And so Vreeland and Justine had freely met in the fancied security of their Fools’ Paradise.
But blissfully ignorant, over the wine, Vreeland in the crowning interview, eyed the Western rising statesman. He was all on the alert as he said: “Senator Garston, I am now ready to close with you.
[260]
“But first, you must plainly tell me all. Why do you wish to find this girl?”
Garston carelessly knocked the ash off his cigar, as he coolly said: “There is a large amount of Western property, a very large one, in which that child has an interest, an interest moreover of which she knows nothing. ”

“ Either cash or stocks. Sugar stocks will do,” meaningly replied Vreeland.
“Damn it, don’t haggle!” cried Garston. “Tell me simply what you want.”
Vreeland calmly pushed over a piece of paper on which he had written six figures. “I want that, and then, I will marry Katharine Norreys on your pledge of honor that you give to her an equal amount as dowry. You are then to direct the whole future game. Of course, there must be the usual preliminary society flurry over the engagement. I am now ready [261] to go over to you, body and soul. What do you say? I serve you to the death, then.” ”

“ Her eyes were beaming with that vicious triumph of an unfaithful underling discovering the naked soul of her helpless mistress.
The household traitor is the lowest of all human spawn.
“Tell me everything,” was Vreeland’s hurried response. “When I marry her, I will be the King of the Street, and you shall stay with us as long as you wish—it will be always the same between us.” ”

“ You are to be a young man à la mode.” Vreeland bowed in a grave silence.
That night, when he returned to New York City, to blindly obey his strange patroness, Vreeland’s bosom was big with his happy secrets.
“I am to hold the hidden fort ‘of the Sugar treasure.’”
He divined a bitter campaign against Hathorn. And he then dreamed a strange, sweet, wicked dream. Alida Hathorn’s stolen visits—with Justine, perhaps—as a dark-eyed devil laughing over the downfall of his enemy’s wife.
“I will make my own little game,” he laughed. ”

“ Once the taste of the easy evening outing life comes upon her, then, bit by bit, she will be as wax in my hands. You can meet her, by chance, at the theatres or operas when out with me. I will have a little supper given at some friend’s home. We can drop off the friends one by one. I cling to her.
“You can then drop me off, when we are sure that the taste of pleasure is gently awakened, and you are free to then show her all your generous liberality. Take her home to your daily life, then once that the confidential relation is established—” Vreeland’s eyes gleamed in a coming triumph. ”

“ Vreeland was unable to leave his apartment even for a moment to meet Justine, his busy spy, or to respond to the urgent invitation of Miss Joanna Marble, who had telegraphed to him: “I have found the very woman you want. A perfect stranger, and, a beauty.” ”

“ Harold Vreeland waited for two days in a fever of excitement for some mandate from his artful patroness. “She is a sly one at heart, after all, is Mme. Elaine,” he growled. “Her stay ‘at Pittsburg’ is only to throw me off my guard, and perhaps Hathorn. ”

“ Harold Vreeland’s heart beat wildly as Senator Garston, after locking the door, drew two chairs into the middle of the room. He studied the young man’s face and said slowly:
“Vreeland, I am now in a position to make a fortune for you. I can easily see that you depend on Mrs. Willoughby in some way. I want you to take a few moments to consider whether you will not put yourself unreservedly into my hands, and so, in helping me, help yourself. You know what the favor of rich women finally amounts to. The day that the wind blows cold you are left out in the street. ”

“ The crawling hands of the clock were a torture to the man whose darkest purpose was now hidden behind a smiling face—for it is not often given, even to a smooth scoundrel, to betray two women at once. He was swimming in a sea of glory, now.
Vreeland slept but little after his conference with his resolute and beautiful patroness. He had scanned her face keenly to see the “sweet unrest of Love,” or the play of a hidden passion written there, but all that the keen schemer could discern was the calmness of a settled purpose, the poise of an unshaken self-control. ”

“ And the shadows deepened around them, as the young schemer told a plaintive story of emotional lying embroidery to the woman whose agitated heart was swept with a storm of revengeful feeling.
A passionate desire to punish the younger woman whose husband had used the mean taunt of her sunset years to quiet the jealous little spitfire heiress.
“I did not come to New York City under false pretenses,” began Vreeland, “but, Hathorn has taken me wrongly to be a rich man. I am only a poor man to-day, and a weary and a lonely life lies before me.” ”

“ Vreeland had gained the general impression that he was “bookish,” and the silent partner avoided all show society.
Thirty-five years sat lightly on the man, whose scanty references to Senator Alynton’s millionaire [107] father indicated that the “poor relation,” had been trained up in adversity as the dead financier’s private secretary. “He is a fellow to beware of. I’ll let him alone,” mused Vreeland.
Harold Vreeland thanked his lucky stars when Wyman drew him into his private den when the first sporadic Christmas trees were beginning to creep into Gotham. ”

“ The egoistic revelers imagined their hostess’ seizure to be a mere passing weakness. They all knew the strain of the exhausting New York season.
“Charming woman, our hostess,” frankly remarked Senator Garston to Vreeland. “Type all unknown to our modest Marthas of the Occident. Here in America, our women will soon be crowned queens, if I may trust to the ‘tiara’ bearing stories of the society journals.” And a casual remark from Vreeland brought out the admission that Senator Garston had never before met the hostess. ”

“ Harold Vreeland followed up his policy [52] of self-abnegation. “Do you not know that I can trace your noble kindness everywhere?” he murmured.
“I am all alone in the world. Your veiled influence is making cold-hearted New York smile as a blossoming paradise for me. No; do not deny it. You are the very loveliest Queen of Friendship.” The beautiful brown eyes dropped before his eager gaze. She was a woman still.
Elaine Willoughby marked him as he went away with a growing interest. ”

“ Katharine Vreeland, who has already left New York for a protracted sojourn abroad.
“There are sorrows which are sacred. It rests with you alone to bring back the happiness which she craves to your mother’s sorely tried heart.” ”

“ You should not blame me for our little estrangement.”
“And you did not scheme to supplant him with—with—”
“One word, Madame,” meaningly said Vreeland. “I have opened my heart to you. Noblesse oblige! Your question was one I could honorably answer, just as I could not honorably forewarn men whom fate had made our business rivals.
“Remember, all’s fair in love, stocks, and war. And it’s every man for himself in New York.” ”

“ There was a remarkable wave of activity among the advocates of legislation against the sale of intoxicating liquors, leading, especially in the South, to the adoption of prohibition and local option laws. The first session of the Sixtieth Congress passed laws in the interest of government employees injured in the performance of duty, and similar measures, and, finally, after much debate and filibustering, a compromise Currency Bill, known as the Vreeland-Aldrich Bill. ”

“ That she has sustained the burden upon the first two points is not disputed; therefore the remaining question is as to evidence of her ratification. * * * Considering this testimony in connection with corroborating testimony, it appears to us that what Mary A. Vreeland did, in legal effect, was to make a valid execution of a power of attorney for the transfer of stock. ”

“ One day the superintendent asked the boss if he could give him a reliable man to replace a switchman who had just made a blunder leading to a collision, and had been discharged. The reply was: ‘Well, I’ve got a man here named Vreeland, who will do exactly what you tell him to.’ They called me up, and, after a few short, sharp questions from the train-master, I went down to the dreary and desolate marsh near Bushwick, Long Island, and took charge of a switch. ”

“ It is admitted that the judge charged the jury correctly, according to principles established by Michigan C. R. Co. v. Vreeland, 227 U.S. 59, 57 L. ed. 417, 33 Sup. Ct. Rep. 192, but it is thought to be apparent as matter of law that the jury found more than the charge or the law allowed. The argument is this: The deceased was making not more than $900 a year, and the only visible ground of increase was the possibility that he might be promoted from fireman to engineer, with what pay was not shown. ”

“ United States 250 U.S. 273 (1919) Blair v. United States 250 U.S. 283 (1919) Rumely v. McCarthy 250 U.S. 290 (1919) Washington Post Company v. Chaloner 250 U.S. 295 (1919) Williams v. Vreeland 250 U.S. 300 (1919) United States v. ”

“ No matter how miserable people in England were then, they will never realize fully what it meant to pass those black months in the midst of a Dutch population; one felt oneself indeed alone amongst foes. Smarting under irritation and annoyance, I decided to go myself to Vryburg—Dutch town though it had become—and see if I could not ascertain the truth of these various reports, which I feared might filter into Mafeking and depress the garrison. ”

“ The Tapinyani Concession.
At the hour of noon the straggling main street of Vryburg, the village capital of British Bechuanaland, lay bare and shadeless beneath the merciless glare of a February sun. The few straggling saplings in front of the corrugated-iron shanty known as the Criterion Hotel, and a forlorn blue gum-tree here and there in other parts of the place, served but to accentuate the utter nakedness and lack of shade. Notwithstanding the sun’s fierce assault, the air was crisp and nimble, for the plains here lie high—nearly four thousand feet above sea-level. ”

“ Vryburg, Thursday, May 10th.
We occupied Vryburg yesterday at about three o'clock. We made a very easy march, with a long rest at midday, and as the column wound up to the summit of a high ridge we saw Vryburg lying green and white on the farther slope. Half our journey done, and the most dangerous half; it [Pg 228] was a pleasant sight. The Boers had all left the little town, and the English residents—chiefly women of the artisan and shopkeeper class—swarmed out to meet us, waving spurious Union Jacks, and exhibiting all the loyalty that can be displayed by means of dyes and pigments. ”

“ Much as these two books are marked by the effort to describe Flanders as it actually is, stronger than this effort is the yearning at the heart of them to escape from the present to the past. Every temperament exceeds reality. Flanders was here described in the sense of an ideal; but the ideal in both cases was projected on the past. Beauty young Verhaeren had sought in the monks, the symbols of the past; strength and the fire of life he had sought in the old Flemish masters. ”

“ While the inhabitants of this strange little island are thoroughly Dutch in appearance, the recognized language of Saba is English, and, save among the older people, the tongue of the Netherlands is seldom used.
Owing to the absence of so many of the men at sea, women seem in the great majority at Bottom and like all the women of their race they are never idle for a moment, and they keep their homes and village so tidy and clean that one is convinced that here is the original “spotless town.” ”