{"product_id":"2940013182714","title":"SANTA CLAUS'S PARTNER","description":"Berryman Livingstone was a successful man, a very successful man, and as\u003cbr\u003ehe sat in his cushioned chair in his inner private office (in the best\u003cbr\u003eoffice-building in the city) on a particularly snowy evening in\u003cbr\u003eDecember, he looked it every inch. It spoke in every line of his\u003cbr\u003eclean-cut, self-contained face, with its straight, thin nose, closely\u003cbr\u003edrawn mouth, strong chin and clear gray eyes; in every movement of his\u003cbr\u003eerect, trim, well-groomed figure; in every detail of his faultless\u003cbr\u003eattire; in every tone of his assured, assertive, incisive speech. As\u003cbr\u003esome one said of him, he always looked as if he had just been ironed.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe used to be spoken of as \"a man of parts;\" now he was spoken of as \"a\u003cbr\u003eman of wealth--a capitalist.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNot that he was as successful as he intended to be; but the way was all\u003cbr\u003eclear and shining before him now. It was now simply a matter of time. He\u003cbr\u003ecould no more help going on to further heights of success than his\u003cbr\u003e\"gilt-edged\" securities, stored in thick parcels in his safe-deposit\u003cbr\u003eboxes, could help bearing interest.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe contemplated the situation this snowy evening with a deep serenity\u003cbr\u003ethat brought a transient gleam of light to his somewhat cold face.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe knew he was successful by the silent envy with which his\u003cbr\u003eacquaintances regarded him; by the respect with which he was treated and\u003cbr\u003ehis opinion was received at the different Boards, of which he was now an\u003cbr\u003einfluential member, by men who fifteen years ago hardly knew of his\u003cbr\u003eexistence. He knew it by the numbers of invitations to the most\u003cbr\u003efashionable houses which crowded his library table; by the familiar and\u003cbr\u003ejovial air with which presidents and magnates of big corporations, who\u003cbr\u003ecould on a moment's notice change from warmth--temperate warmth--to ice,\u003cbr\u003egreeted him; and by the cajoling speeches with which fashionable mammas\u003cbr\u003ewith unmarried daughters of a certain or uncertain age rallied him about\u003cbr\u003ehis big, empty house on a fashionable street, and his handsome dinners,\u003cbr\u003ewhere only one thing was wanting--the thing they had in mind.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBerryman Livingstone had, however, much better proof of success than the\u003cbr\u003emere plaudits of the world. Many men had these who had no real\u003cbr\u003efoundation for their display. For instance, \"Meteor\" Broome the broker,\u003cbr\u003ehad just taken the big house on the corner above him, and had filled his\u003cbr\u003estable with high-stepping, high-priced horses--much talked of in the\u003cbr\u003epublic prints--and his wife wore jewels as handsome as Mrs.\u003cbr\u003eParke-Rhode's who owned the house and twenty more like it. Colonel\u003cbr\u003eKeightly was one of the largest dealers on 'Change this year and was\u003cbr\u003eadvertised in all the papers as having made a cool million and a half in\u003cbr\u003ea single venture out West. Van Diver was always spoken of as the \"Grain\u003cbr\u003eKing,\" \"Mining King,\" or some other kind of Royalty, because of his\u003cbr\u003einfallible success, and Midan touch.","brand":"SAP","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47069837099248,"sku":"2940013182714","price":0.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940013182714_p0.jpg?v=1763577668","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940013182714","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}