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[Illustration: “‘She is beautiful!’ he exclaimed.” Page 77.]
Published by Woodward & Tiernan Printing Co. St. Louis.
Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1894, by Woodward & Tiernan Printing Co. St. Louis. Mo., In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. All Rights Reserved.
They were seated tete-a-tete at a dinner table.
“Tell me why you have never married, Milburn,” and the steel eyes in Willard Frost’s face searched through his glasses.
Robert Milburn’s answer was a shrug, and a long cloud of smoke blown back at the glowing end of his cigar.
“Tell me why,” persisted the keen-eyed Frost.
“Because it is too expensive a luxury; besides, a man who has affianced a career like mine must take that for his bride,” was Robert’s answer.
“Admitting there is warmth and color in some of your artistic creations, old fellow, I should think you would find these scarcely available of winter nights, eh?”
Robert laughed; his laugh was short, though, and bitter. He had taken keen pleasure in the cynical worldly wisdom and unsentimental judgment of this man.
“If you can’t afford the wife, then let the wife afford you,” began Frost’s logical reasoning. “You have brain, muscle and youth. Marry them to that necessary adjunct which you do not possess, and which the government refuses to supply. This is perfectly practical. The whole question of marriage is too much a matter of sentiment; too little a matter of judgment. Now, the son of a millionaire without an idea above his raiment and his club, devoid of morals and of brains, marries the daughter of a silver king. What is the result? A race of vulgar imbeciles.”