HIS WOOING PROSPERS WHILE OUR HERO ENJOYS HIS FIRST VACATION.
Fern Fenwick's interest in the experimental farm was intense. She read
with eagerness the weekly reports from Fillmore Flagg, which were
accompanied by such charmingly ardent love letters. She was very proud
of the success he had achieved in two short years. She blushed as she
thought how dear to her he had become in those busy months which swiftly
passed. How much she should miss him and his fascinating love letters,
if by evil chance anything should happen to take him away from her! She
could not contemplate such a possibility without a shudder. Now that her
studies were finished and her plans perfected, why not send for him to
come to Fenwick Hall for a week's vacation? He had certainly earned the
privilege which he would prize so much. The opportunity to personally
compare notes and exchange suggestions would no doubt prove helpful to
the farm work and to her own. She longed for the confidential
companionship of some one who was in perfect sympathy with her, who
could understand her work, and appreciate her motives in carrying it
forward; some one who would be able to advise her wisely and
unselfishly; one in whom she had implicit confidence. Who so capable and
so desirable as Fillmore Flagg? Acting on the impulse of the moment, she
wrote the letter directing him to come at once.
To Fillmore Flagg, the summons to Washington proved as welcome as it
was unexpected. He came at the earliest possible moment. The hope of
again meeting the noblest, sweetest, and dearest woman in the world for
him, his heart's idol; of again being permitted to look long and
lovingly into her gloriously beautiful eyes, stirred his emotional
nature intensely, and fired his throbbing pulse with the fever of
impatient expectancy. The beautiful words of the poet Dennison, in his
"Night Ride of a Lover," were ever in his mind and on his lips. Over and
over again he murmured:
"Though fleet as an arrow he flies,
Though sundering space swiftly dies,
My heart cries 'Oh haste!
All time is a waste
'Till I drink of her soul at her eyes!'"
The speediest express train seemed a laggard, left far behind in the
race of the journey by his swift desire, which kept pace with the
telegram announcing his departure from Solaris and the probable time of
his arrival in Washington. At length his heart was made glad by a
distant glimpse of the dome of the Capitol, which seemed to give him a
welcome greeting as it marked his approach to the great city. He found
Fern Fenwick's carriage, with Mrs. Bainbridge waiting for him at the
depot. Half an hour later he was shown into the library at Fenwick Hall,
where in radiant beauty his blushing sweetheart gave him a royal
welcome.
As he approached her, with shining eyes and face aglow, soul and body
radiant with the grace and adoration of his all-absorbing love, the
heroic order of his manly beauty thrilled the heart of Fern Fenwick with
its irresistible charm. The kisses claimed by a lover's privilege, she
was powerless to deny. Nay! she did not try to hide the shining light
of a great happiness from the adoring eyes of such a noble lover, whose
magnetic presence stilled the tumult of her fluttering heart with the
ecstatic calm of a measureless content; that unmistakable signature of
sanction, that crowning seal of nature's approval which greets the
meeting of kindred souls, who, mated in the warp and woof of the web of
destiny, in the flashing flight of Cupid's dart, become the harmoniously
united halves of a perfect whole.
Ah, thrice happy, thrice blessed, thrice crowned lovers! How swiftly
passed those golden hours, as hand in hand, they sat entranced, with
soulful eyes in silent communion, dreaming and drifting in the
cloud-land of love's harvest-moon, in whose silvery mist they lost all
consciousness of the existence in this world of aught else beside
themselves!
The next morning after his arrival at Fenwick Hall, Fillmore Flagg
having breakfasted with Fern Fenwick and Mrs. Bainbridge, accompanied
the former to her work room in the tower. Here, as had been arranged on
the previous evening, she gave him a complete account of her work in
Washington, since the transition of her father. She also gave the
details of her general plan for enlarging the scope of the work to
include the women's movement and of directing the combined work in such
a way as to become an aid to the work of the model farm.
"My dear Fillmore," said Fern, "How are you impressed by my scheme for
carrying out the chosen plans? Can you suggest anything that may be of
assistance to me?"
"Your scheme," replied Fillmore Flagg, "is a glorious one which promises
to start a revolution in the aristocratic circles of society. It
impresses me profoundly, as a deep laid plot, cunning and strong, which
must accomplish a vast amount of good for the interests of humanity. So
deep, so broad and so vast are its possibilities, that a week devoted to
study and reflection would but poorly prepare me to understand its
significance or perfection as a whole, much less to pronounce judgment
upon it. But at this moment, of one thing I feel sure--that the noble
purpose which has inspired your skill and genius in the construction of
this remarkable plan, which deals so effectively and practically with
human life as the result of planetary evolution, will prove a sure guide
to success. The plan itself, in all of its details, is already so
perfect, in my estimation, as to leave nothing for me to suggest by way
of improvement. It is characteristic of you and of your capacity for
brilliant work! I am, more than ever before, amazed at this exhibition
of your intellectual greatness, which demonstrates your power to think
so deeply and plan so wisely. I am very proud of you! I am especially
grateful for this opportunity to burn incense as a worshipper at the
shrine of your genius! You ask to what extent will the work affect the
destiny of woman? I answer, its possibilities in that direction are
limitless! They are beyond the power of any living mortal to comprehend!
With woman surrounded by such conditions of financial independence, and
such harmonious environments as will permit her to devote the best
energies of her soul to the perfection of the highest type of
motherhood, there will come a solution of the problem of how best to
accomplish the perfection of the race. Surely, generations far in the
future shall rise up to call you blessed! Dearest, best and noblest of
women! Go forward bravely without a fear for the result. Undoubtedly
your plan possesses all the elements of success. With the talisman of
your goodness and beauty as the moving force, you cannot fail. Whatever
I am capable of doing to assist you, I shall do gladly, with all my
heart and strength."
"Thank you, my dear Fillmore," said Fern, "your words of assurance and
approval, so beautifully expressed, have appealed potently to all that
is good and spiritual in my nature. They have inspired me to better and
nobler deeds. They are very grateful to me and I prize them highly.
"Now that you are so much interested, I feel sure you will be able to
help me in thinking out some problems which puzzle me. For instance:
From among the people I have interested, I wish to select and
concentrate the dominant thinkers and workers of both sexes and from all
classes, into some kind of a club organization, for the purpose of still
further perfecting the efficiency of organized co-operative effort.
Question: Shall this society take the form of a club? If so, what name
shall I choose for it? In its formation what method shall I use? Can you
evolve anything from your inner consciousness in answer to these
questions?"
Absorbed in the intensity and earnestness of her questioning spirit,
Fern Fenwick left her chair and as her interrogatories came to an end,
she stood by the side of Fillmore Flagg, looking straight into his eyes
with such a penetrating, magnetic glance, that for some moments he was
unable to reply. With his beautiful curl-crowned head thrown back to
meet and return her entrancing gaze, he breathed but slowly and for the
moment seemed rigid as a man of marble; a far-off, dreamy look shone
from his half closed eyes. Presently, with a long sigh, speaking very
slowly and softly, he said: "Ah! Miss Fenwick, I think I see what you
are reaching out for. Your idea is coming to me now quite clearly." Then
with returning animation he continued: "Yes, I grasp the idea; it is
capital! I believe I can help you. I would suggest the use of the club
formation without using the word 'club' in its title. I would call it
'The Twentieth Century Cosmos.' I would choose for its badge of
membership a small silver fern leaf, crossed by a large gold key. I
would advise that you alone, as the founder and sole director of the
club, should have the power to select the members, and to decorate them
with the badge of membership. To be in harmony with the century idea,
the number of members should be limited to one hundred. All meetings of
the club should be held in suitable rooms at Fenwick Hall; these rooms
should be known as Cosmos Court. Admittance to each meeting should be
gained by the presentation at the door, of an invitation, printed on
club paper, bearing the name of the member, giving the date and stating
the object of the meeting, all duly attested by your written signature
as director.
"The object and purpose of the existence of the club may be stated as
follows: That its membership may secure, by the harmonious association
of properly qualified minds,--which shall represent the dominant
thinkers in all departments of knowledge--a higher, broader conception
of the possibilities and purposes of life; as the necessary basis which
shall make it possible to acquire a larger store of cosmic wisdom, by
the use of systematic methods of co-operative research, study and
thought.
"This system of formation for a club would certainly be unique. I
believe it will prove to be especially well fitted for the
accomplishment of your peculiar work. Does the plan proposed meet your
approval by offering satisfactory answers to your questions?"
"Oh! my dear Fillmore," said Fern, "what a darling, clever boy you are,
to be sure! Now it is my turn to praise your wisdom and your genius. I
think your plan is an excellent one, which will suit the exigencies of
my purpose most admirably. Before you return to Solaris we will consider
the details more at length. Now let us change the subject.
"In keeping you so long at my work, how selfish and thoughtless I have
been! I shall try to make amends! I have planned to make your brief
visit as pleasant as possible. To-day I must show you over the house and
grounds. In the afternoon we shall take a long drive which will give you
a glimpse of the beautiful streets, buildings, parks and monuments of
our lovely city. Each afternoon these drives are to be repeated, until
you are familiar with the great possibilities of this city of destiny,
this priceless gift--the perpetual home of the government of the
nation--from General George Washington, who is forever enshrined in the
hearts of the people as the founder of the republic, the father of his
country! When you return to our farm people, I wish you to be able to
impress them with the matchless beauty, vastness and importance of the
City of Washington, the political center of this unrivaled republic. It
is my great desire to have them always think of it and speak of it with
love and pride, with feelings of individual proprietary interest, as
they realize that they are important factors, as voters and working
units of the government, in the great work of shaping its destiny.
"As you are the guest of honor at Fenwick Hall, I am going to do my
best to make you, for one week, the happiest man in town! The evenings
are to be devoted to the theatre, the opera, and to various society
events at Fenwick Hall, arranged for your especial benefit and
edification."
"My dear Fern," said Fillmore, "How good and kind you are! To be near
you, to hear your voice, to look into your beautiful eyes; is paradise
for me! A week so full of happiness, I shall cherish as the one week of
a lifetime! As to these society events of which you speak, I shall be
jealous of each moment so devoted which shall take you from my side.
Pray then, my good angel, do make such moments as short as possible!"
"Rest assured, my knight of the farm, you shall have no cause to
complain," said Fern, with a saucy smile as she laid her hand
caressingly on his arm. "You are to come with me, prepared to look and
listen, while I show you the beauties of my Washington home!"
* * * * *
As the "Saint Louis Express" left the Washington station, westward
bound, Fillmore Flagg caught a final glimpse of Fern Fenwick, as with
characteristic grace and enthusiasm she continued to wave a parting
salute with her dainty lace handkerchief, until the train had vanished
around the curve. With a sigh he returned to his seat to muse over the
events of the week which had passed so sweetly yet so very swiftly for
him.
Yes, Fern had kept her pledge up to the last moment. As the guest of
honor at Fenwick Hall, she as hostess, in all the graciousness of her
bewitching beauty, marked by such charming tenderness, had made him
conscious each day that he was indeed the happiest man in town. He now
returned to Solaris with renewed courage and enthusiasm, to prepare for
the celebration at the farm of the coming arbor-day festival, which Fern
had promised to attend. As this celebration was to mark her first visit
to Solaris Farm, he wished most ardently to have it prove a great
success.
The events of the past week had been a revelation to Fillmore Flagg: a
host of new attributes to the noble character of Fern Fenwick had shone
forth and dazzled him by their unexpected brilliancy. He began to
realize what a wonderful woman she was in this new role, as the queen of
the select set in the aristocratic circles of Washington society.
Her strange power to mold the minds of these people; to make them strive
for the accomplishment of social and industrial reforms, which meant the
redemption of the masses, impressed him most profoundly. By what
remarkable process had she, in so short a time, achieved such commanding
heights of intellectual and spiritual greatness? Heights, where by
operating from the vantage ground of the social and political center of
the republic, like some chief marshal on the broad field of human
events, she could, by the unseen and irresistible power of hypnotic
suggestion, inspire, guide and control the causative and law-making
forces which so powerfully affect all social and industrial conditions.
Was it possible that spiritual unfoldment alone, could confer such
marvelous power? Apparently in response to the intensity of his
question, came the reply:
"When a person representing combined physical, intellectual and
spiritual unfoldment, is inspired by a noble, unselfish desire to
accomplish a great good for all human life, by the use of methods that
are in conjunctive harmony with the evolutionary progress of the planet:
then such a desire acquires an irresistible force. Naught can prevail
against it! In compliance with the demands of a wise cosmic law, it has
received the omnistic seal of nature's approval."
The clearness and wisdom of this unexpected reply, appealed strongly to
the reason of Fillmore Flagg. Profoundly moved, yet outwardly calm, he
perceived at once that the truth of the statement was absolute! In the
new light of this remarkable revelation, he wished to carefully examine
the claim of the model co-operative farm to the seal of nature's
approval. Were the desires, the ideas and the methods in conjunctive
harmony with planetary evolution? Apparently they were! That the success
of the model farm meant the elevation and future happiness of humanity,
was true beyond question. Equally so was the intensity and unselfishness
of the desire which had inspired his action and the acts of Fennimore
Fenwick and his daughter, Fern. Surely then, the project bore the
unmistakable stamp of approval which foretold success! It could not
fail! It must succeed! It was irresistible and invincible!