Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1886-04-22
TOO MUCH MONEY.
BY EMMA A. oPPER.

The long dining room OF a pleasant
New York hotel was fast filling, at 7
p. m. of a cool autumn day; and the
bright gaslight, the soft warmth, the
flying walters, the subdued chatter of
dishes and the murmur of converse
ton combined to make it as cheerful
a room as possible.
A party of three sat at table near
it's center-a portly gentleman and
two young ladies.
If the latter were targets for the
wandering glances of the male occu-
pants OF the surrounding tables, GER
tainly it was not surprising, since
both were, in widely different styles,
strikingy pretty. Moreover, they
were calmly oblivious of the admira-
ton they excited. They ate their soup
with q business-like concentration
which bespoke healthy appetites, and
profound indifference to the approx
al OF strange gentlemen.
1t was not until the waiter was
gracefully removing the soup plates
that the silence was broken. Then,
Alice Gardner, glancing at her father
to make sure that he had fallen into
his usual table reverie, turned her
blue eyes upon the dark haired rather
pensive faced girl, at her side-her
cousin and her fathers ward.
"Supposing he comes right on after
us, Nettie? Surprising he left the is
land on the next boat?" she said, half
mischievously, "What shall you
do?'
Nettie Avery's soft, somewhat ro-
mantle eyes gathered frown; her grasp
upon the lemon she was squeezing on
her oysters grew rather fierce.
"Refuse him again, if necessary, ]"
she said, firmly. "It's no laughing
matter" she added, severely, seeing
her cousin on the verge of a smile.
"Not for poor Harry certainly" re-
sponded Alice, with a touch of indig-
nation.
Nettie laid down her fork and gazed
reproachfully into the others fair
face.
"Shall never be understood? Shall
never find a sympathiser?" she muir
INJURED.
"Not in me-" SAID Alice, with candid
promptness. 81 don't understand
why you have refused az rich, and well
behaved, and nice looking, and good
tempered, and altogether sweet a fell
low as Harry Miller, and all your high
flown reasons don't make it a bit
clearer.
She looked defantly at her cousin,
who continued to empty her half
shells with the air of martyr.
81 never could have treated Dwight
So" Alice went on, with fond glance
at the diamond sparkling on her left
hand; "and Idon't see-good gracious,
Nettie, there he is!''
Nettie turned with start.
A jolly looking young man was in
the act OF sitting down at distant
table. His rowing eyes fell upon the
two young ladies as he unfolded
his napkin, and he smiled and bowed
eagerly.
II told you'll" said Alice, triumph
antly. al knew it. He followed
you on the next boat"
81 am not surprised" said Nettie,
in an injured tone. He has taken
away my appetite, she added, plant
lively. II don't care for dessert; Pm
going upstairs"
She brushed stray crumb from
her brown satinla lap, and left the table;
while Alice unsympathetically or
dered steak and mushrooms from the
waiter.
But she was only half way up
the stairs when the bell boy rush
ing after her, thrust card into her
hand.
"The gentleman wants to see you in
the parlor, "he informed her:
Nettie hesitated. Then she turned
and walked with dignity down the
stairs andinto the reception room.
Harry Miller was waiting near the
door.
al was anxious to see YOU" he said,
as he grasped her hand warmly, "and
Ididnt lose any time"
Indeed, he held his napkin still
clutched in one hand.
Nettie smiled slightly. Then she
checked the smile and replaced it with
a frown.
"There is nothing to be gained by
seeing me, Mr.. Miller" she said
coldIy, moving away from him.
Don't say sol' said the young
man, following her hastily. "Tve
been thinking it over, Miss Avery
what you said TO me at the island
and can't think you mean 1T. Be
cause, he'd as I've tried, ! can't un.
derstand it any better than l did
them"
al can go over it again, / suppose, .
said Nettie, YEARLY, discreetly inter
posing n chair between herself and
her lover. "you are well of, Mr.
Miller. / won't say rich; its n vulgar
word, and hate it, You are well off
and SO am /. Now, for two rich-wel
off-people to marry, and selfishly
settle down TO enjoying their disgust
ing money, and never think oil the
of the poor, and never visit hospitals
and prisons, nor subscribe to CHAIR
ties, and grow more and more sell
satisfied and narrow-minded anc
hard hearted"
Nettie paused for breath, with hel
dark eyes glowing.
"But we wouldn't need to do al