Produced by Suzanne Shell, Steve Flynn, Virginia Paque, Peter Klumper, Tonya Allen, Thierry Alberto and PG Distributed Proofreaders [Illustration: "_THE FAIR AND SOMETIMES UNCERTAIN DAUGHTER OF THE HOUSE OF MILBREY_." (See page 182.)] THE SPENDERS A TALE OF THE THIRD GENERATION BY HARRY LEON WILSON _Illustrated by_ O'NEILL LATHAM 1902 To L. L. J. FOREWORD The wanderers of earth turned to her--outcast of the older lands-- With a promise and hope in their pleading, and she reached them pitying hands; And she cried to the Old-World cities that drowse by the Eastern main: "Send me your weary, house-worn broods and I'll send you Men again! Lo, here in my wind-swept reaches, by my marshalled peaks of snow, Is room for a larger reaping than your o'ertilled fields can grow. Seed of the Main Seed springing to stature and strength in my sun, Free with a limitless freedom no battles of men have won," For men, like the grain of the corn fields, grow small in the huddled crowd, And weak for the breath of spaces where a soul may speak aloud; For hills, like stairways to heaven, shaming the level track, And sick with the clang of pavements and the marts of the trafficking pack. Greatness is born of greatness, and breadth of a breadth profound; The old Antaean fable of strength renewed from the ground Was a human truth for the ages; since the hour of the Edenbirth That man among men was strongest who stood with his feet on the earth! SHARLOT MABRIDTH HALL. CONTENTS CHAPTER I. The Second Generation Is Removed II. How the First Generation Once Righted Itself III. Billy Brue Finds His Man IV. The West Against the East V. Over the Hills VI. A Meeting and a Clashing VII. The Rapid-fire Lorgnon Is Spiked VIII. Up Skiplap Canyon IX. Three Letters, Private and Confidential X. The Price of Averting a Scandal XI. How Uncle Peter Bines Once Cut Loose XII. Plans for the Journey East XIII. The Argonauts Return to the Rising Sun XIV. Mr. Higbee Communicates Some Valuable Information XV. Some Light With a Few Side-lights XVI. With the Barbaric Hosts XVII. The Patricians Entertain XVIII. The Course of True Love at a House Party XIX. An Afternoon Stroll and an Evening Catastrophe XX. Doctor Von Herslich Expounds the Hightower Hotel and Certain Allied Phenomena XXI. The Diversions of a Young Multi-millionaire XXII. The Distressing Adventure of Mrs. Bines XXIII. The Summer Campaign Is Planned XXIV. The Sight of a New Beauty, and Some Advice from Higbee XXV. Horace Milbrey Upholds the Dignity of His House XXVI. A Hot Day in New York, with News of an Interesting Marriage XXVII. A Sensational Turn in the Milbrey Fortunes XXVIII. Uncle Peter Bines Comes to Town With His Man XXIX. Uncle Peter Bines Threatens to Raise Something XXX. Uncle Peter Inspires His Grandson to Worthy Ambitions XXXI. Concerning Consolidated Copper and Peter Bines as Matchmakers XXXII. Devotion to Business and a Chance Meeting