The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-04-08

week. Pay day is two days ahead for most
OF the gang Hildreth answered, with a flick
ering smile. Lord, l shall like to see
them when they know! You are going to
tell them. Of course, Helen?"
. You may tell them. shall not say a
WORD. Helen said. setting her finger tips
together. Pm beginning to be cowardly,''
she went on. Suppose it should turn out
that my money costs me my friends and my
lilusons?''
II hardly understand" Hildreth began
She raised her hand. This is my fear
she said. All these Ave years have been
out in the scurry of things have Rugged
the belief that my-that people liked me for
what was, not for what might one day be-
come Latterly. since Gumpsey's has asked
for and exploited my stories, there has been
so perceptible warming up in some quarters
| 1t has made me bit cynical Now l am
saying to myself, Suppose the money draws
the sycophants to you and the fear of seem
ing sycophantic drives away the real ones2.
| That would be terrible. | hope-oh how
hope-that those care, most for will under
| stand, however my way Of life changes, my
self shall be just the same!'
81 shall believe it, Hildreth said lifting
her hand to his lips. In proof, You must
dine with me this night year, and at the
Accent place-if it survives so long -,
IF it does not. you shall dine with me-
Helen said gratefully "and not at the Swell
dorf, either. 1t shall be deep in the country,
under my own fig tree and vine
NO, the accent place did not die in an
swer to my Drayes," Hildreth said upon the
anniversary of Helen's inheriting He sat
opposite her. with broad damask snowfeld
between, all the breadth of it cleaning with
silver and crystal. Roses lay loosely over it
aVy-headed dollhouse roses grown upon the
place Helen, vision in misty white with
pearls ct her throat and richer roses at her
breast, was all unlike the girl of last year
She had been trinity tailor made. yet very
very threadbare then. Somehow Hildreth
found it hard to give her place to the fluffy
futtery creature who now answered her name
He had been absurdly fond of the tailor
made girl, sinfully fond if one reflected that
between them the two had had nothing certain
a week. Free lances of the pen, they had
been also free companions sentient, respon-
siye as the wind harp to the winds, yet never
by any chance sentimental
81 suspect It died in answer to my peii-
tons. die not see how else was ever to
get you down here Helen said denlurely
Vance, you have treated me very very
badly--only three letters and two snippets of
your valuable time when u came to the city.
BY way of nenance you shall now tell me
everything about everybody
For instance?' Hildreth said nquiringly.
Helen shook her finger at him. You know
she said. But by way of setting you off,
who has my place at L'Ally's and the ofices9
| Do you know Gumpsey's begged me to work
exclusively for my discoveries? %
characteristic, y Hildreth said. "But as to
your place, you don't really think anybody
| could take it. Marvel has not got done la
! menting your loss to literature, and Ransom
| signs for your stories of occasion.
You fiatter me-. Helen said Ransom
was always a dear He read my things by
the light of his own kindness. But tell me
about the new young women. There must be
new young women, who strum guitar for
you to smoke by, and know, as I did, not to
bother you with "a word
iOh, there are two or three" Vance said
indifferently: then, suddenly rousing: ssAnd
one of them's a corker, too-western girl, two
years in civilization. If she ever quits burning
her RS. yours truly will surrender at indis-
creticn.'
Dear, dear. this is crushing" Helen said,
pretending to hide her face. In reality she
studied Hildreth from the ambush OF her fin
gers "If YOU love her very much Vance,
she said in muff1ed tones, fetch her here for
six months. I'll try my best to straighten
out the tragic accent"
Don't know if it's worth WHILE Hildreth
said, drumming on the table, There's a
pnoto-SQuafe-JaWed IellOW, Win glmlet- eyes
which keeps Iward over her den. I've q
sneaking suspicion the gimlet-eyed is aelion
in all our paths a#= - s&
"Oh, he need not count. can take care
of him.. Helen said, smiling wickedly.
Vance got uo and went over to her side.
mo, you can't" he said, "for the very ex-
ce!lent reason that you have got to take care
of me. I've been all sorts of a fool. Helen,
over this blessed money!"
Ir,oyy fro11 OLE o1o,
glad am you have seen light at last