The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1893-07-29
MONTMORENCY CRANE.

MONTMORENCY CRANE.
A Lost Opportunity That Brought
Him Happiness.
Montmorency Crane had been brought
up to believe that he was to .'come into
4 his property" when his majority was
attained. But on the morning of that
eventful day his mother had revealed
to him, in long and serious interview,
that his property existed nowhere
but in his own imagination.
Il have done every thing for the best, y
Mrs. Crane had said in conclusion. s.In-
stead of scraping and pinching to save
YOU few pitiful thousands, have, on
the contrary, brought you up with the
most expensive habits, and to associate
with only the richest people. have
not spared any pains to turn you out
gentleman; in fact, the last of my
ready money has gone for your initia-
ton at the Howling Exclusives club,
and to set you up with your horse and
trap, with just sufficient in reserve to
pay your expenses at Saratoga for the
summer | have kept back absolutely
nothing for myself, and now have only
my small annuity to live on, which, as
you know, dies with me- It is true that
HI have accustomed you to look forward
TO a brilliant future, but that future
now depends entirely upon yourself"
Montmorency moved uneasily.
But what do you expect me to do?''
he asked, after short pause.
You must marry money, of course. -
was his mothers reply,
Montmorency changed color, and,
while he played with his eye-glass in a
helpless sort Of way, vision Of pretty
Jennie, the lodging-house keepers
daughter, down the street, rose sud-
denly before him.
But suppose-I should prefer err
going into business?'' he ventured, ten
tatively.
That would never do, Montmoren-
cyH Mrs. Crane said, decisively. 'sYou
haven't brains enough for anything in
the world but to be gcntleman! You
are all Crane, my dear boy; and there
never was such fool about money
matters as your poor dear father!''
Late that same afternoon, as Mont
I morency drove in his neat turnout down
the street. he was still revolving in his
mind all that his mother had said dur
ing that fatcful interview; and he could
not help acknowledging certain JUS
tice IN her conclusions. Indeed, he was
in SO deep a study that he forgot to look
up at Jennie's window until after he
had passed by. Then, glancing back
over his shoulder and catching sight of
her pretty, smiling face, he groaned in
the anguish of his spirit.
But by evening, when he gave a
dinner to a party of his intimates
at the club, in honor of the occasion. he
had himselfin hand SO well that he was
able to respond to their toasts with
even feeble show of wit, and to dodge
their most searching questions relative
to his property" and his future plans.
You see, boys, really haven't de-
scided anything yet" he said at last,
with a fine assumption of candor, 'ex-
cept that shall spend my summer in
Saratoga"
Without his mothers assistance,
Montmorency would never have been
able to make his choice among all the rich
and pretty girls he met at the springs.
But Mrs. Crane was too wise to let her
son run the risk of refusal, and soon
she had settled upon handsome and
spirited young woman from the west.
There's your opportunity, Mont
mcrency," she said. 'sPork-packers,
with enormous wealth! The old peo-
pie are good-hearted, but common.
Ihey have come east on purpose to
marry their only child to gentleman,
and they don't care what it costs them.
You can't afford to be too particular.
and the girl has style and spirit. Be
sides, wife always rises to the rank of
her husband. Montmorency, your path
lies clear before you Just do as / tell
you, and as soon as you get things
settled shall go home with an easy
mind.
Notwithstanding that Montmorency
had come Of age, he apparently had no
will apart from his mothers; and, hay-
ing followed her instructions to the let
terit was otlong before he found him
self the accepted suitor of the handsome
Edna Barlow, of Chicago.
But, in spite of his enviable position
as prospective son-in-law to one Of the
richest men in the west, Montmorencv
was low-spirited and miserable, and his
avoidance Of his former sassf,ctat 40 erax,o