The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1893-10-31
Helena Simpson, ! WON'T wear

plaiu enough. III WIS u lltule 100 bnOft,
perhaps, but the rich old lady looked
very trim as stepped of the cars at
the city and gave her directions to a
cabman.
She had written to the boys, telling
them OF her contemplated visit. She
had said in her letter that she was
getting old, and naturally would like
to see them once more but they needn't
feel 10 incumbent upon them to sit
down and cover q couple of pages
begging her TO name the day and the
hour, 30 hat they could be on hand
to meet her at the station. She would
choose her own time, and she wasn't
too old u direct a cabman or make u
will.
She still had aIUauthoritative tone
fOrthe boys. But she would have been
very angry indeed IL they hadn't both
sat down and written off the couple Of
pages contrary to her directions,
see her, and that she had better recon
slider hor decision and allow them to
meet her.
Very glad, indeed; / expect 80 !'
shifted Miss Hoover, putting the
second letter back in its envelope.
But I'll choose my W day" .
She was perfectly sure that Richard
Hoover had prospered. She said to
herself, as she "a jumbled over the
cobble stones, that the boy had the
making OF a maj in him, but the
magnificence OF the house at which the
cab drew up startled her. AS she made
her way up the dark, polished steps
she was conscious of two feelings, one
that her travelling dress was too short,
the other of thankfulness that dress
makers didn't fashion gloves.
A servant in livery answered the
bell, and Miss Hoover felt a strange
timidity upon her as she gave her
name, and, following the mans order,
stepped into the reception room.
Richard will be down at the store"
she soliloquized. 81 suppose I shall
have TO meet his wife first"
And then what was this strange
thing she was wishing THAT she had
named the day or else gone around to
Bob's.
A rustic of silken robes announced
the coming Of Richards wife, and the
little old aunt stood up and rubbed her
hands %nervously one over the other.
"Miss Hoover, that is Richards aunt
Susanna" said Richards wife, stoop-
ing and kissing the old lady lightly on
the cheek.
liz WOO aO H. IOlIiC "llCl Io was IL
boy" explained Miss Hoover.
ooh, yes" said Richards wife, and
then she laughed. 81 don't suppose
you would know him now. You will
see him at dinner. But | mustn't keen
you hore I must let you get rid OF
your travel stains"
A severe trial awaited Miss Hoover
in the pretty front room On IT, Q second
story. Her trunk was there before
her, and the maid accompanying her
evidently meant to stay and help her
change her attire. She had intended
to get rid of her travelling dress, OF
course, but not right away, and she
had never once thought of the maid.
Then once moro she wished she was
at Bobs where she could put on her
old silk and cap and feel perfectly at
home yes, and more than that, where
she could feel as if she were the rich
relation. She "a so sure that Bob
hadn't prospered.
Under the press of circumstances,
however, she donned one of the be-
ribboned gowns, awkwardly availing
herself of the maids services, and felt
very unbecomingly dressed and worry
miserable as she made her way back
to the first floor, still depending upon
the maid to tell her where to go.
No, she would never have known
Richard and yet she might have
guessed that he would have grown into
just such q prosperous, smiling gentle
man.
She did not see the children until
the following day. Their mother gave
them a look as they came into the
room, but the pretty little girl with
the brown curls giggled convulsively,
n the great aunt felt sure that the
child was laughing at her gown.
She was timid before Richards
children on account of the little girls
laugh.
Miss Hoover's visit was four days
old when she acknowledged to herself
that she would never dare ask Richard
Hoover to let her look at the books,
for which purpose she had travelled
400 miles.
"And what would be the use OF look
ing at the books-dou't I know he's
prospered 2" she said, with a sigh.
The first doubt that came into her
mind was early the next morning,
when she saw Richard for IL half hour
in the cosy breakfast room and an
nounced her intention of leaving that
day. His ace wore q frown instead of
its usual placid, smiling expression,
and he spoke rapidly and irritably.
Its all very woll to be rich, Aunt
Susanna, you and l both know that, but
| tell you it's a pity that there isn't a
certain attitude beyond which a man
couldn't get. I'd like to have reached
that attitude and have some time and
some money, too, to bestow on other
things. You'll find Bob poor and hap.
py. | go around to see him sometimes.
Ioull find him surrounded by his
children you'll find his wife adoring
him."
Richard laughed; and then he rang
the bell for the breakfast to be brought
In, and laughed again, and said that
money, after all, vas a good thing, and
a powerful thing, and making it kept
a man from worrying.
Miss Hoover went around to Bob's
that afternoon. He lived in a better
house than she had supposed. She
was astonished to find everything SO
nice, and she was astonished also to
discover that she preferred merely
nice things to the luxuries of life.
The wife, who adOred Bob, did not
come sweeping in upon her in silken
robes, but for all that she thought that
Bob had made good choice in a wife.
The children were a little awed at her.
That was because she was rich and
h understood thoroughly how riches
could awe. She liked Bob's wife and
chlldren from the start and when she
looked into Bob's happy face that even
ing, as ne stood grasping her hand in
nearly welcome, she was sorry that he
hadn't been the one that prospered.
She was sorry, too, to leave at the
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