The Last Woman

E-text prepared by Suzanne Shell, Hélène de Mink, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net)
by
ROSS BEECKMAN
AUTHOR OF Princess Zara
FRONTISPIECE BY HOWARD CHANDLER CHRISTY
NEW YORK GROSSET & DUNLAP PUBLISHERS
Copyright, 1909—by W. J. WATT & COMPANY Published August
THE THEME
If I could have my dearest wish fulfilled, And take my choice of all earth's treasures, too, And ask of Heaven whatsoe'er I willed— I'd ask for you.
There is more joy to my true, loving heart, In everything you think, or say, or do, Than all the joys of Heaven could e'er impart, Because—it's YOU.
THE PRICE
The old man, grim of visage, hard of feature and keen of eye, was seated at one side of the table that occupied the middle of the floor in his private office. He held the tips of his fingers together, and leaned back in his chair, with an unlighted cigar gripped firmly in his jaws. He seemed perturbed and troubled, if one could get behind that stoical mask which a life in Wall street inevitably produces; but anyone who knew the man and was aware of the great wealth he possessed would never have supposed that any perturbation on the part of Stephen Langdon could arise from financial difficulties. And could his most severe critics have looked in upon the scene, and have seen it as it existed at that moment, they would unhesitatingly have said that the source of his discomfiture, if discomfiture there were, was the queenly young woman who stood at the opposite side of the table, facing him.