Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1902-07-03
i! CROESUS
) AND CUPID
BY Martha
McCuIloch-WiIliams
Copyright, 1902, by the
S. s. Mcclure Company

/ SVOVOVOVOVOVO
"a fine country place, heaps of ready
noney-and perfect liberty! Helen, is
there anything left to wish for?' Hill
dreth asked, laying down the lawyers
letter Helen shrugged the least bit as
she answered: "Why, yes! If only one
could have been born widow
II am ready to immediate myself.
Widows are easier made than born"
Hildreth 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"
you don't understand OF course
should hate being a made widow.
Made widows have to wear caps, and
land people say such horrid, horHd
4 things of them if they venture to be
oh, the least bit human-I mean not
funereal But if only one could be
born to that estate, with all the grief
over or sOftened to a becoming pensive
memory, why, it would be heavenly.
Widows, for all their drawbacks, have
the best lives of all,' Helen said, puck
ering her forehead the best she could.
Scowling was an unknown art to her.
She had laughed 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 I ought to
be selfishly glad. If there was soul
full fairy fortune would be cut in two.
l cannot feel that 1 in the least de.
serve it. But only Think / can have
what frocks please and silver money
for my poor people instead of pennies"
"Will it spoil you, wonder?" Hill
dreth said meditatively. you know
we've always said money was the real
touchstone. Any poor body can be de-
cent; there is SO little temptation to be
anything else.'
81 wish I knew" Helen said. 81
think souls are like flowers, making
the earth they grow in too rich-ruins
if it does not kill them outright
"You are not extensively rich. All
told, this great-uncle's legacy foots up
a quarter of million. Spending that
will never bother person of your luXu-
rious capacities Hildreth said consol-
ingly.
Helen laughed. "And have existed
on less than six hundred year." she
said. Promise me, Vance, you will
never change-the beastly money shall
make no difference with u.s."
Its bound to make a difference.
) Think of daring to 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. Rnd 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'n 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
l swered, with a Pickering smile. Lord,
I shall like to see them when they
know! You are going to tell them, of
e course, Helen?"
$ you may tell them. l shall not say
! word" Helen said, setting her finger
e tips together. "I'm beginning to be
I cowardly," she went on. Suppose it
should turn out that my money costs
] me my friends and my illusions?"
81 hardly understand Hildreth be.
gan.
. She raised her hand. '"rhis is my
9 fear she said. Cali these five years
have been out in the scurry of things
!. I have Rugged the belief that my-that
a people liked me for what was, not fol
what might one day become. Latter
: ~, since Gumpsey's has asked for and
exploited my stories, there has been sc
: perceptible warming up in some quar-
tiers it has made me bit cynical. Now
/ am saying to myself, Suppose the
$ money draws the sycophants to you
: and the fear Of seeming sycophantit
f drives away the real ones? That would
5 be terrible. | hope-oh, how hope
y that those care most for will under
stand, however my way of life changes
: I myself shall be just the same!"
: 81 shall believe it," Hildreth said
lifting her hand to his lips. I'm proof
9 you must dine with me this night year
f and at the forty cent place-if it sur
Y wives so long"
i "If it does not, you shall dine witt
e me-" Helen said gratefully, land no
f at the Swelldorf either. 1t shall b.
a deep in the country, under my own fl
d tree and vine"
e mo; the forty cent place did not di
in answer to my prayers" Hildretl
said upon the anniversary of Helen
l. inheriting. He sat opposite her, with I
e broad damask snowield between, al
j the breadth of it cleaning with silve
e and crystal. Roses lay loosely over
8 heavy headed dollhouse roses grow
/ upon the place. Helen, a vision il
| he