Jennie Gerhardt: A Novel

  CHAPTER XLI

  But worse was to follow. The American public likes gossip aboutwell-known people, and the Kanes were wealthy and socially prominent.The report was that Lester, one of its principal heirs, had married aservant girl. He, an heir to millions! Could it be possible? What apiquant morsel for the newspapers! Very soon the paragraphs began toappear. A small society paper, called the South Side Budget,referred to him anonymously as "the son of a famous and wealthycarriage manufacturer of Cincinnati," and outlined briefly what itknew of the story. "Of Mrs. ----" it went on, sagely, "notso much is known, except that she once worked in a well-knownCleveland society family as a maid and was, before that, aworking-girl in Columbus, Ohio. After such a picturesque love-affairin high society, who shall say that romance is dead?"

  Lester saw this item. He did not take the paper, but some kind soultook good care to see that a copy was marked and mailed to him. Itirritated him greatly, for he suspected at once that it was a schemeto blackmail him. But he did not know exactly what to do about it. Hepreferred, of course, that such comments should cease, but he alsothought that if he made any effort to have them stopped he might makematters worse. So he did nothing. Naturally, the paragraph in theBudget attracted the attention of other newspapers. It soundedlike a good story, and one Sunday editor, more enterprising than theothers, conceived the notion of having this romance written up. Afull-page Sunday story with a scare-head such as "Sacrifices Millionsfor His Servant Girl Love," pictures of Lester, Jennie, the house atHyde Park, the Kane manufactory at Cincinnati, the warehouse onMichigan Avenue--certainly, such a display would make asensation. The Kane Company was not an advertiser in any daily orSunday paper. The newspaper owed him nothing. If Lester had beenforewarned he might have put a stop to the whole business by puttingan advertisement in the paper or appealing to the publisher. He didnot know, however, and so was without power to prevent thepublication. The editor made a thorough job of the business. Localnewspaper men in Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Columbus were instructedto report by wire whether anything of Jennie's history was known intheir city. The Bracebridge family in Cleveland was asked whetherJennie had ever worked there. A garbled history of the Gerhardts wasobtained from Columbus. Jennie's residence on the North Side, forseveral years prior to her supposed marriage, was discovered and sothe whole story was nicely pieced together. It was not the idea of thenewspaper editor to be cruel or critical, but rather complimentary.All the bitter things, such as the probable illegitimacy of Vesta, thesuspected immorality of Lester and Jennie in residing together as manand wife, the real grounds of the well-known objections of his familyto the match, were ignored. The idea was to frame up a Romeo andJuliet story in which Lester should appear as an ardent,self-sacrificing lover, and Jennie as a poor and lovely working-girl,lifted to great financial and social heights by the devotion of hermillionaire lover. An exceptional newspaper artist was engaged to makescenes depicting the various steps of the romance and the whole thingwas handled in the most approved yellow-journal style. There was apicture of Lester obtained from his Cincinnati photographer for aconsideration; Jennie had been surreptitiously "snapped" by a staffartist while she was out walking.

  And so, apparently out of a clear sky, the storyappeared--highly complimentary, running over with sugary phrases,but with all the dark, sad facts looming up in the background. Jenniedid not see it at first. Lester came across the page accidentally, andtore it out. He was stunned and chagrined beyond words. "To think thedamned newspaper would do that to a private citizen who was quietlyminding his own business!" he thought. He went out of the house, thebetter to conceal his deep inward mortification. He avoided the morepopulous parts of the town, particularly the down-town section, androde far out on Cottage Grove Avenue to the open prairie. He wondered,as the trolley-car rumbled along, what his friends werethinking--Dodge, and Burnham Moore, and Henry Aldrich, and theothers. This was a smash, indeed. The best he could do was to put abrave face on it and say nothing, or else wave it off with anindifferent motion of the hand. One thing was sure--he wouldprevent further comment. He returned to the house calmer, hisself-poise restored, but he was eager for Monday to come in order thathe might get in touch with his lawyer, Mr. Watson. But when he did seeMr. Watson it was soon agreed between the two men that it would befoolish to take any legal action. It was the part of wisdom to let thematter drop. "But I won't stand for anything more," concludedLester.

  "I'll attend to that," said the lawyer, consolingly.

  Lester got up. "It's amazing--this damned country of ours!" heexclaimed. "A man with a little money hasn't any more privacy than apublic monument."

  "A man with a little money," said Mr. Watson, "is just like a catwith a bell around its neck. Every rat knows exactly where it is andwhat it is doing."

  "That's an apt simile," assented Lester, bitterly.

  Jennie knew nothing of this newspaper story for several days.Lester felt that he could not talk it over, and Gerhardt never readthe wicked Sunday newspapers. Finally, one of Jennie's neighborhoodfriends, less tactful than the others, called her attention to thefact of its appearance by announcing that she had seen it. Jennie didnot understand at first. "A story about me?" she exclaimed.

  "You and Mr. Kane, yes," replied her guest. "Your loveromance."

  Jennie colored swiftly. "Why, I hadn't seen it," she said. "Are yousure it was about us?"

  "Why, of course," laughed Mrs. Stendahl. "How could I be mistaken?I have the paper over at the house. I'll send Marie over with it whenI get back. You look very sweet in your picture."

  Jennie winced.

  "I wish you would," she said, weakly.

  She was wondering where they had secured her picture, what thearticle said. Above all, she was dismayed to think of its effect uponLester. Had he seen the article? Why had he not spoken to her aboutit?

  The neighbor's daughter brought over the paper, and Jennie's heartstood still as she glanced at the title-page. There it allwas--uncompromising and direct. How dreadfully conspicuous theheadline--"This Millionaire Fell in Love With This Lady's Maid,"which ran between a picture of Lester on the left and Jennie on theright. There was an additional caption which explained how Lester, sonof the famous carriage family of Cincinnati, had sacrificed greatsocial opportunity and distinction to marry his heart's desire. Belowwere scattered a number of other pictures--Lester addressingJennie in the mansion of Mrs. Bracebridge, Lester standing with herbefore an imposing and conventional-looking parson, Lester drivingwith her in a handsome victoria, Jennie standing beside the window ofan imposing mansion (the fact that it was a mansion being indicated bymost sumptuous-looking hangings) and gazing out on a very modestworking-man's cottage pictured in the distance. Jennie felt as thoughshe must die for very shame. She did not so much mind what it meant toher, but Lester, Lester, how must he feel? And his family? Now theywould have another club with which to strike him and her. She tried tokeep calm about it, to exert emotional control, but again the tearswould rise, only this time they were tears of opposition to defeat.She did not want to be hounded this way. She wanted to be let alone.She was trying to do right now. Why couldn't the world help her,instead of seeking to push her down?