CHAPTER XXXIX
During this period the dissatisfaction of the Kane family withLester's irregular habit of life grew steadily stronger. That it couldnot help but become an open scandal, in the course of time, wassufficiently obvious to them. Rumors were already going about. Peopleseemed to understand in a wise way, though nothing was ever saiddirectly. Kane senior could scarcely imagine what possessed his son tofly in the face of conventions in this manner. If the woman had beensome one of distinction--some sorceress of the stage, or of theworld of art, or letters, his action would have been explicable if notcommendable, but with this creature of very ordinary capabilities, asLouise had described her, this putty-faced nobody--he could notpossibly understand it.
Lester was his son, his favorite son; it was too bad that he hadnot settled down in the ordinary way. Look at the women in Cincinnatiwho knew him and liked him. Take Letty Pace, for instance. Why in thename of common sense had he not married her? She was good looking,sympathetic, talented. The old man grieved bitterly, and then, bydegrees, he began to harden. It seemed a shame that Lester shouldtreat him so. It wasn't natural, or justifiable, or decent. ArchibaldKane brooded over it until he felt that some change ought to beenforced, but just what it should be he could not say. Lester was hisown boss, and he would resent any criticism of his actions.Apparently, nothing could be done.
Certain changes helped along an approaching denouement. Louisemarried not many months after her very disturbing visit to Chicago,and then the home property was fairly empty except for visitinggrandchildren. Lester did not attend the wedding, though he wasinvited. For another thing, Mrs. Kane died, making a readjustment ofthe family will necessary. Lester came home on this occasion, grievedto think he had lately seen so little of his mother--that he hadcaused her so much pain--but he had no explanation to make. Hisfather thought at the time of talking to him, but put it off becauseof his obvious gloom. He went back to Chicago, and there were moremonths of silence.
After Mrs. Kane's death and Louise's marriage, the father went tolive with Robert, for his three grandchildren afforded him hisgreatest pleasure in his old age. The business, except for the finaladjustment which would come after his death, was in Robert's hands.The latter was consistently agreeable to his sisters and theirhusbands and to his father, in view of the eventual control he hopedto obtain. He was not a sycophant in any sense of the word, but ashrewd, cold business man, far shrewder than his brother gave himcredit for. He was already richer than any two of the other childrenput together, but he chose to keep his counsel and to pretend modestyof fortune. He realized the danger of envy, and preferred a Spartanform of existence, putting all the emphasis on inconspicuous but veryready and very hard cash. While Lester was drifting Robert wasworking--working all the time.
Robert's scheme for eliminating his brother from participation inthe control of the business was really not very essential, for hisfather, after long brooding over the details of the Chicago situation,had come to the definite conclusion that any large share of hisproperty ought not to go to Lester. Obviously, Lester was not sostrong a man as he had thought him to be. Of the two brothers, Lestermight be the bigger intellectually orsympathetically--artistically and socially there was nocomparison--but Robert got commercial results in a silent,effective way. If Lester was not going to pull himself together atthis stage of the game, when would he? Better leave his property tothose who would take care of it. Archibald Kane thought seriously ofhaving his lawyer revise his will in such a way that, unless Lestershould reform, he would be cut off with only a nominal income. But hedecided to give Lester one more chance--to make a plea, in fact,that he should abandon his false way of living, and put himself on asound basis before the world. It wasn't too late. He really had agreat future. Would he deliberately choose to throw it away? OldArchibald wrote Lester that he would like to have a talk with him athis convenience, and within the lapse of thirty-six hours Lester wasin Cincinnati.
"I thought I'd have one more talk with you, Lester, on a subjectthat's rather difficult for me to bring up," began the elder Kane."You know what I'm referring to?"
"Yes, I know," replied Lester, calmly.
"I used to think, when I was much younger that my son's matrimonialventures would never concern me, but I changed my views on that scorewhen I got a little farther along. I began to see through my businessconnections how much the right sort of a marriage helps a man, andthen I got rather anxious that my boys should marry well. I used toworry about you, Lester, and I'm worrying yet. This recent connectionyou've made has caused me no end of trouble. It worried your mother upto the very last. It was her one great sorrow. Don't you think youhave gone far enough with it? The scandal has reached down here. Whatit is in Chicago I don't know, but it can't be a secret. That can'thelp the house in business there. It certainly can't help you. Thewhole thing has gone on so long that you have injured your prospectsall around, and yet you continue. Why do you?"
"I suppose because I love her," Lester replied.
"You can't be serious in that," said his father. "If you had lovedher, you'd have married her in the first place. Surely you wouldn'ttake a woman and live with her as you have with this woman for years,disgracing her and yourself, and still claim that you love her. Youmay have a passion for her, but it isn't love."
"How do you know I haven't married her?" inquired Lester coolly. Hewanted to see how his father would take to that idea.
"You're not serious!" The old gentleman propped himself up on hisarms and looked at him.
"No, I'm not," replied Lester, "but I might be. I might marryher."
"Impossible!" exclaimed his father vigorously. "I can't believe it.I can't believe a man of your intelligence would do a thing like that,Lester. Where is your judgment? Why, you've lived in open adulterywith her for years, and now you talk of marrying her. Why, in heaven'sname, if you were going to do anything like that, didn't you do it inthe first place? Disgrace your parents, break your mother's heart,injure the business, become a public scandal, and then marry the causeof it? I don't believe it."
Old Archibald got up.
"Don't get excited, father," said Lester quickly. "We won't getanywhere that way. I say I might marry her. She's not a bad woman, andI wish you wouldn't talk about her as you do. You've never seen her.You know nothing about her."
"I know enough," insisted old Archibald, determinedly. "I know thatno good woman would act as she has done. Why, man, she's after yourmoney. What else could she want? It's as plain as the nose on yourface."
"Father," said Lester, his voice lowering ominously, "why do youtalk like that? You never saw the woman. You wouldn't know her fromAdam's off ox. Louise comes down here and gives an excited report, andyou people swallow it whole. She isn't as bad as you think she is, andI wouldn't use the language you're using about her if I were you.You're doing a good woman an injustice, and you won't, for somereason, be fair."
"Fair! Fair!" interrupted Archibald. "Talk about being fair. Is itfair to me, to your family, to your dead mother to take a woman of thestreets and live with her? Is it--"
"Stop now, father," exclaimed Lester, putting up his hand. "I warnyou. I won't listen to talk like that. You're talking about the womanthat I'm living with--that I may marry. I love you, but I won'thave you saying things that aren't so. She isn't a woman of thestreets. You know, as well as you know anything, that I wouldn't takeup with a woman of that kind. We'll have to discuss this in a calmermood, or I won't stay here. I'm sorry. I'm awfully sorry. But I won'tlisten to any such language as that."
Old Archibald quieted himself. In spite of his opposition, herespected his son's point of view. He sat back in his chair and staredat the floor. "How was he to handle this thing?" he asked himself.
"Are you living in the same place?" he finally inquired.
"No, we've moved out to Hyde Park. I've taken a house outthere."
"I hear there's a child. Is that yours?"
"No."
"Have you any children of your own?"<
br />
"No."
"Well, that's a God's blessing."
Lester merely scratched his chin.
"And you insist you will marry her?" Archibald went on.
"I didn't say that," replied his son. "I said I might."
"Might! Might!" exclaimed his father, his anger bubbling again."What a tragedy! You with your prospects! Your outlook! How do yousuppose I can seriously contemplate entrusting any share of my fortuneto a man who has so little regard for what the world considers asright and proper? Why, Lester, this carriage business, your family,your personal reputation appear to be as nothing at all to you. Ican't understand what has happened to your pride. It seems like somewild, impossible fancy."
"It's pretty hard to explain, father, and I can't do it very well.I simply know that I'm in this affair, and that I'm bound to see itthrough. It may come out all right. I may not marry her--I may.I'm not prepared now to say what I'll do. You'll have to wait. I'll dothe best I can."
Old Archibald merely shook his head disapprovingly.
"You've made a bad mess of this, Lester," he said finally. "Surelyyou have. But I suppose you are determined to go your way. Nothingthat I have said appears to move you."
"Not now, father. I'm sorry."
"Well, I warn you, then, that, unless you show some considerationfor the dignity of your family and the honor of your position it willmake a difference in my will. I can't go on countenancing this thing,and not be a party to it morally and every other way. I won't do it.You can leave her, or you can marry her. You certainly ought to do oneor the other. If you leave her, everything will be all right. You canmake any provision for her you like. I have no objection to that. I'llgladly pay whatever you agree to. You will share with the rest of thechildren, just as I had planned. If you marry her it will make adifference. Now do as you please. But don't blame me. I love you. I'myour father. I'm doing what I think is my bounden duty. Now you thinkthat over and let me know."
Lester sighed. He saw how hopeless this argument was. He felt thathis father probably meant what he said, but how could he leave Jennie,and justify himself to himself? Would his father really cut him off?Surely not. The old gentleman loved him even now--he could seeit. Lester felt troubled and distressed; this attempt at coercionirritated him. The idea--he, Lester Kane, being made to do such athing to throw Jennie down. He stared at the floor.
Old Archibald saw that he had let fly a telling bullet.
"Well," said Lester finally, "there's no use of our discussing itany further now--that's certain, isn't it? I can't say what I'lldo. I'll have to take time and think. I can't decide thisoffhand."
The two looked at each other. Lester was sorry for the world'sattitude and for his father's keen feeling about the affair. Kanesenior was sorry for his son, but he was determined to see the thingthrough. He wasn't sure whether he had converted Lester or not, but hewas hopeful. Maybe he would come around yet.
"Good-by, father," said Lester, holding out his hand. "I think I'lltry and make that two-ten train. There isn't anything else you wantedto see me about?"
"No."
The old man sat there after Lester had gone, thinking deeply. Whata twisted career! What an end to great possibilities? What a foolhardypersistence in evil and error! He shook his head. Robert was wiser. Hewas the one to control a business. He was cool and conservative. IfLester were only like that. He thought and thought. It was a long timebefore he stirred. And still, in the bottom of his heart, his erringson continued to appeal to him.
Jennie Gerhardt: A Novel Page 39
