The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1903-01-15

nY nl.lxAnnrH 4. orLMnR.


Os4s..e. sac went on still apologetically.
Nobody ever is." answered GROSSLY.
To tell the truth I have seldom yccn
more provoked. Maud is a protege Of
mine. with q face like n flower, but
poor ~ the traditional church mouse.
Tom 0rigsby, handsome and talented,
but, alns, equally penniless, Is another
% my fads, and that he should have
t4llen In love with Maud seemed one OF
tecse whimsical cruelties Of fate for
which life could offer no justification or
excuse. Moreover am social social
~, - one might say. can never see
rich eligible man or woman without
Desiring to marry them straight on to
beautiful poor. or a worthy, but Inn
pecunious, young man. and thus equal
ne the distribution OF wealth.
In this particular case had ar
ranged. In my mind. that Tom should
marry Betty Hawdon--old-pig-iro
Hawdon's only child. you know. Plain
~ kitchen door, but such a good girl,
with pot Of money. Maud's hand l
was resolved should be bestowed upon
Philip Leland. president Of the Second
National bank, and the Merchants Ex-
change, and goodness knows what else.
Of course he was old enough to be her
.es"~ss oos uSaNtur, yOu ho'N
everything In this world, and II there's
any lot In life with more charms to II
than that OF being beautiful rich
young widow, I'd Just like to know
what II IL. But here was Tom upset
ting all my plans -and had really laid
awake two nights settling his future
for him--by falling In love with Maud.
OF course knew she was far too sensi-
bit girl to commit such folly as
preferring the wrong person, herself,
stu woman always blames some
other woman for a mans fault, and
felt she deserved scolding.
You know you didn't intend to mar
~ him." said, returning to my grlev-
ance.
mo-" she admitted, II didn't"
Yet you led him on
Il wasn't rude to him, II you mean
that"
Flirting" said self-righteously, ''is
something never did In my life"
Poor dear" murmured Maud SYM
pathetically," what you have missed"
He was as good as engaged to Bet
ty Hawdon before he met YOU" went
on. ignoring her reply.
''0h. not quite" Maud objected" be-
sides, he says am the only woman In
the world ne ever could have really
loved"
That's what men always say,"I re-
turned irritably.
True" she asscnted. Il have been
told II by hundred different men my.
self"
''she was the very wife for him."
went on regretfully.
Think OF her nose" implored Maud.
Shes such good GIRL" continued,
reciting her virtues. ''she never firts."
1T In easy to be good when you have
no temptation to be bad" remarked
Maui sententiously. Now with me"
Yes!" inquired.
Maud's eyes sparkled. ITO have beea
my nrst ndorer would have been hap
piness. but TO be my last, is n dlstinc-
ton"
thought wcsid change the subject.
"Her fortune Is something enormous"
I said.
1T In disgusting" observed Maud
with feeling. How easy II IL to fall In
love with the wrong person. II IL like
buying shoes--yOu always want the
ones that are certain TO hurt you"
But was not 10 be diverted from
my grievance. Hes always dangling
after you, I said. AT the Thompson's
the other nigh. you sat out half dozen
dances with him"
He dances SO abominably." pleaded
Maud. Besides, he was telling me a
story about a girl he met last winter"
"OhT I inquired with interest.
ut seems" went on Maud, after her
face bent above the cream Jug" that
this girl was a-a-a-sort OF Franken-
stein. That Is what woman IN who
has not heart. isn't she? She was pret-
", you know, and all that, but Just des-
perately poor. and she wanted fine
clothes, and Jewels. and carriages. and
horses. and all the pomp that money
buys, and she'd made up her mind 10
sell herself for them to the first man
who was rich enough to pay the price.
Only. Of course. she didn't put the thing
In that brutal way to herself. She in
tended to make what we call brilliant
match. and the world smiled i's ap-
proval. and called her very clever.
= shed been awfully spoiled, first by
her own people. and then by others,
and she'd been taught to always take
the bcst OF everything. and never to
think about anybody else. DO you
know she was so selfish she'd never
even noticed how worn her poor old
mother looked, or how weary and care
burdened her old father seemed when
he came home from his hard days
work" and Maud caught her breath
with something like sob. well,
when she went into society. because her
face wss fair. and she had n way of
pleasing people. many men loved her.
and she amused herself with them,
lured them on with soft words that
meant nothing. and smiles that were
but an actresses trick, and then, when
ehe grew tired OF them. she threw them
aside with no more thought. or care
that she did soiled glove. They had
swelled her court. they had made her
n belle, and they had served their pur-
pose She never even stopped to think
IN she hurt an honest heart, or wrecked
a mans faith In all that was good and
true.
AT last there came time when two
millionaires were suitors for the girls
hand, and while she hesitated between
them there came another man, hand
some an Grek god. but quitely utterly
and impossibly poor. He fell In love
with her. aifd she amused herself with
playing with him, too. He was little
iinsophisticated, you know, fresh from
the country and he believed In all true
and beautiful things, and somehow
when he was with her, he seemed "a
lift the shallow girl up to his height
and she grew ashamed Of her silly, pur.
p0seless life. and most OF all ashamed
0f the bargain she was going to make
nolling her soul for a few gew-gaws
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