Cañon City record., 1902-07-03
: :CROESUS
) A. D CUP D
. BY Martha
cCuiloch-Williams
Copyright. l@rs, by II
:. ). Mcclure Company


dreth asked. laying down the lawyers
letter. Helen shrugged the least bit as
she answered: why. yes! II only one
could have been born Il widow
Il am ready to immediate myself
Widows are easier made than born"
Hildrcth said, catching her hand.
Only make me your lord. Helen OF
Troy, and | will promise to do the dis
appearing act whenever You are
ready"
"Yuu don't understand. or course !
should hate being made widow.
Made widows have to wear caps, and
and people say such horrid. horrid
things of them If they venture to be
oh. the least bit human-l mean not
runcrral. But If only one could be
bora to that estate. with all the grief
over or softencd TO II becoming pensive
memory. why. 1t would be heavenly.
Widows for all their dra wbacks. have
the best lives "f ALL" Helen said. puck
ering her forehead the best she could.
ScOwliug WAS an unknown art to her.
she had lat @hed perSistently in the
face of hard fortune. Now that the
tide had turned her gay courage began
to ebb
"If only had anybody all my own.
should not mind" she went on. But
there Is not soul. Maybe | ought to
be selhshIy glad. II there was soul
nearer than ninth cousin. this wonder
full fairy fortune would be cut In two
/ cannot feel that In the least de-
serve it, But only think! can have
4 -. ,tI ali
for my poor people Instead Of pennies"
.Will it spoil you. wondcrF' Hi
dreth said meditatively. You know
we've always sid money was the real
touchstone. Any poor body can be de
cent: there is so little temptation to be
anything else"
Il wish knew" Helen said. Il
think souls are like flowers. making
the earth they grow in too rich-ruins
II it does not kill them outright"
"You are not extensively rich. All
told. this great-uncle's legacy foots up
n quarter Of "A million. Spending that
will never bother person OF your luSu-
rious capacities" Hildreth said consol-
ingly.
Helen laughed. And | have existed
on less than six hundred IA year" she
said. Promise me. Vance. you will
never cLanre-the beastly money shall
make no difference with us
ITS bound TO make difference.
Think of daring 10 ask You now to dine
with me at L'Ally's"' Hildreth laugh
ed back: Nothing will go with you but
Merry's or the Swelldorf And | can
not eat your dinners there since have
not the coin to return them In kind
You are horrible!' Helen said
promptly. by way OF punishment, /
invite myself to dine with you tonight.
Not at L'Ally's either-we'll go to that
forty cent place where the coffee is SO
sinful that it always suggests an ap-
peal to the police. Maybe some Of the
others will be there"
"All OF them. It's near the middle OF
the week. Pay day is two days ahead
for most Of the gang" Hildreth an
swered. with a tiickering smile. Lord,
shall like to see them when they
know! You are going TO tell them, Of
course. Hclent'
You may tell them. | shall not say
n word" Helen said, setting her finger
tips together. I'm beginning Ia he
cowardly." she went on. Suppose 1t
should turn out that my money costs
me my friends and my Illusions
II hardly understand" Hildreth be
gan.
She raised her hand. This Is my
fear" she said. "All these five years /
have been out in the scurry OF things.
| have hugged the belief that my-that
people liked me for what was. not for
what ! might one day become. Latter
ly, since Gumpsey's has asked for and
exploited my stories. there has been so
perceptible n warming up In some quar-
ters It has made me n bit cynical. Now
| am saying to myself. Suppose the
money draws the sycophants to you.
and the fear OF seeming sycophantic
drives AWAY the real oDesr That would
be terrible. | hope-oh. how ! hope
that those ! care most for will under
stand. however my way OF life changes.
! myself shall be just the same"'
81 shall believe it." Hidreth said,
lifting her hand to his lips. "In proof,
you must dine with me this night year.
and at the forty cent place--if 1t sur
wives so long
IF 1t does not, you shall dine with
me-" Helen said gratefully. ''and not
AT the Swelldorf either. II shall be
deep in the country, under my own fig
tree and vine"
mo: the forty cent place did not die
in answer to my prayers" Hildreth
said upon the anniversary OF Helen's
inheriting. He sat opposite her. with u
broad damask snowfield between. all
the breadth Of 1t cleaning with silver
and crystal Roses lay loosely over IL
heavy headed dollhouse roses grown
upon the place. Helen, vision in
misty white. with pearls at her throat
n, tta n