The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-14
THE SPENDERS
By Harry Leon Wilson
Publishing
TALE or THE Third E N a T Q N

time you ii be half way 10 Chicago with
Mr.. Bines-rm perfectly reasonable and
serious-I mean it-are you quite sure you
didn't lose your wits when you lost your
money!
1t may be considered witless thing to
marry a girl who would marry for money
but never mind that-Im used to taking
chances
She glanced at him, curiously
You know I'm to marry Mr.. Shepler the
tenth of next MONTH.
"Your grammar is faulty-tense Is wrong
You should say was to have married Mr..
Shepler.' I'm fastidious about those little
things. | confess.
How can you jest?"
Il can't. Don't think this is any joke.
He'll find out
WHO will find out-what, pray?'
He will. He's already said he was afraid
there might have been some nonsense be-
tween you and me, because we talked that
evening at the Oldakers'. He told my grand,
father he wasn't at all sure of you until
that day lost my money"
revenge-carrying me off from him just to
hurt him."
IF you say that I'll hold you in my arms
again." He started toward her. I've loved
you so, tell you-all the time-all the
time"
.Or perhaps it's a brutal revenge on me
after thinking I'd only marry for money"
I've loved you always, tell YOU"
He came UP to her, more gently now, and
took up her hand to kiss it. He saw the
ring.
Take his ring OFF,
smile, but did not move. He reached for the
hand, and she put ii behind her.
Take it off,, he said, harshly.
He forced her hand out took off the ring
and laid it on the table behind him. Then
he covered the hand with kisses.
Now it's my hand. Perhaps there was a
little of both those feelings you accuse me
L tn
you and Shepler-and the other people who
said you'd never marry for anything but
money-but do you think I'd have had either
one Of those desires If hadn't loved you?
Do you think I'd have cared how many
Sheplers you married If / hadn't loved you
so, night and day?-always turning to you
in spite of everything-loving you always,
under everything-always, L tell you"
Under what-what everything q
when l was sure you had no heart-that
you couldn't care for any man except a rich
ey.'
You thought that?"
'Of course 1 thought it,"
What has changed your"
Nothing. I'm going to change 1t now by
proving differently. shall take you against
your will-but'I shall make you love me-in
the end. | know you-youre a woman. in
you were entirely right about me. 1
would even have married you because of
the money"
Tell me what 1T is you're holding back
don't wait
Let me think-don't talk, pleased"
She sat long time silent, motionless her
eyes fixed ahead. At length she stirred her
self to speak.
You were right about me, partly-and
partly wrong. l don't think can make you
understand. I've always wanted so much
from life-so much more than 1T seemed pos
sible to have. The only thing for girl in
my position and circumstances was to.make
what is called a good marriage. 1 wanted
what that would bring, too. / was torn be-
tween the desires-or rather the natural in
stincts and the trained desires. had ideals
about loving and being loved, and had the
material ideals of my experience in this
world out here.
II was untrue to each by turns. Here-I
want to show you something.
She took UP book with closely written
pages.
II came here tonight won't conceal
from you that 1 thought of you when
came. 1t was my last time here, and you
had gone, / supposed. Among other things
had out this old diary to burn, and l had
day, when 1 came out-the fond romantic,
secret ideal of foolish girl-listen:
The Soul of Love wed the Soul Of Truth
and their daughter. Joy, was born; who was
immortal and In whom they lived forever!
You see-that was the sort of moonshine
started in to live. Two or three times /
was grievous disappointment to my peo-
pie, and once or twice, perhaps, / was dis
appointed myself. / was never quite sure
what wanted. But if you think 1 was con-
sistently mercenary you are mistaken.
Il shall tell you something more-sOme-
thing no one knows. There was man met
while that ideal was still strong and beau
tiful to me-but after I'd come to see that
here, in this life, it was not easily to be
kept He was older than /, experienced with
women-a lover of women, / came to under
stand in time. / was novelty to him, a
fresh recreation-he enjoyed all those ro-
mantle ideals of mine. / thought then he
loved me, and 1 worshipped him. He was
married, but constantly said he was about
to leave his wife, so she would divorce him.
/ promised to come to him when it was done
He had married for money and he would
have been poor again. didn't mind in the
least. tell you this to show you that 1 could
have loved poor man, not only well enough
to marry him, but to break with the tradi-
tons, and brave the scandal of going to him
in that common way. With all / felt for
him / should have been more than satisfied
But L came in time to that he was not
as earnest as l had been. He wasn't cap
able of feeling what 1 felt. He was more
cowardly than Tor rather, was more reck-
less than he. 1 suspected 1T a long time;
became convinced of it a year ago and a
little over. Then he became hateful to me-
/ had wasted my love. Then he became
funny. But-you see-I am not altogether
what you believed me. Wait bit longer.
please.
Then / gave up, almost-and later, gave
up entirely. And when my brother was
about to marry that woman, and Mr.. Shep-
Ter asked me 10 marry MIN, consented. III
seemed an easy way to end 1t all. I'd quit
fondling ideals. And you had told me must
do anything 1 could to keep Fred from
marrying that woman-my people came to
say the same thing-and So
IF he had married her-if they were mar
ried now-then you would feel free to mar
ry me?
You would still be the absurdest man in
New YOrk-but We can't discuss that. He
isn't going to marry her."
But he has married her
What do you mean?
II supposed you knew-Oldaker told me as
I left the hotel. He and your father were
witnesses. The marriage took place this
afternoon at the Arlingham."
You're not deceiving me?"
Come, come!-girl!
''Oh, pardon me! please, OF course I didn't
mean it-but you stunned me. And papa said
nothing to me about it before he left The
money must have been too great q tempta-
ton to him and to Fred. She has just made
some enormous amount in copper stock OF
something"
II know, she had better advice than had
I'd like to reward the man who gave It to
her."
And was sure you were going to marry
that other woman.
How could you think SOP"
''Of course I'm not the least bit Jealous
| it isn't my dispositions: but / did think
| Florence Akemit wasn't the woman to maks
| you happy-of course | liked her i amensely
and there were reports going about-ev.
| erybody seemed to be sure-and you were
with her so much. oh, how / did hate herr
81 tell you she is joke and always was
Its funny-thats exactly what / told
Aunt Cornelia about that-that man."
Lets stop joking, then"
How absurd you are-with my plans al
| made and the day set
There was knock at the door. He wen
over and unlocked it, Jarvis was there