The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1905-02-26
Rich Man, !.
Poor Mani q
D. KEITH coRDoH


Ill
overlooking Sausalito o mist like fioat
Ing giobules Of crushed pearl rollet
noiselessly through the assures Of th,
hills and blotted out the village, th.
bay and the towers and chlmneys Of
San Francisco--in other words, ths
world. In the damp air the girls nall
curled more distractingly than ever
Never had he seen II when II framed
the low forehead in 30 bewilderfng
an arabesque Of rings and curves and
waves.
'You look rather swell Yourself" she
laughed In response to bis eloquent
glance Of approval. "Knickers and q
Norfolk cap and the jacket aren't half
bad on you. Taken In connection with
your cleft chin" sbe went on, throw.
Ing her head back and screwing up her
eyes critically. they make you very
presentable youth indeed"
I'VE won't talk about that" was ths
terse reply. This walk to Point Boni-
ta has sn object"
She opened her eyes wide.
Certainly" she assented politely.
Point Bonits, for instance. IL II has
any other object she went on sternly,
III you're going back to that old sub
ject ] won't 50 . step farther"
BY this time they were moving in the
midst OF cloud. d
II was bis turn to be innocent.
"You mean--oh." with q fine imIta.
ton Of impatience. doesn't girl ever
forget II II fellow has once happened
to fancy himself In love with her ana
said sor'
The pink Of the girls cheeks-it had
the soft, furred look that is responsI.
BILE for the slang adjective ''peachy'-
deepened suddenly. unaccountably. Out
Of the tail Of his eye the youth observed
this interesting fact with cruel giee,
rejecting with pang that he should
have chosen diplomacy as a vocation |
instead OF engineering.
you should forgive and forget the |
sins Of my youth" be resumed. sYou
know you insisted that you would al.
ways be the best of friends, and that's |
what need now!"
"YoS change quickly enough. l must
sayf' she remarked with some heat.
1T isn't six months since
Since what?" be challenged. But she
turned away and did not reply, while
The walls Of mist lazIly closed in nearer
and nearer. fN y Us
"what do you want to tell meY' she
questioned at last In an oddly subdued
He did not answer imme.
lately. but swung on ahead Of her In
he narrow path a. II he were ma king
way for her through the mist. SO he
lad got over his love for her. She felt
shuddering sense Of desolation. Still,
he argued, she could scarcely have
he would go on caring, e.
ecially since she had explained to him
With judicial carefulness that she must
marry a man with money on account
{ her mother and the younger girls.
Strangely enough. though she hais
ictured herself as married to another,
here had always been a somber, In
eresting figure lowering In the back.
round Of that picture, one to whom
be meant to be 30 kind, so gentle, 30
II sweet, that his regret should become
ke a beautiful, sad song--to be wept
YER and enjoyed. And now the brute
'as asking her to forgive and forget"
nat he had ever told her that he loved
erl
They had reached the summit Of 0 u
ILL., and he proposed that they SIT down
pom a convenient bowlder to rest be-
're attempting the next one. Ap- v
arently her silence was unnotlced.
"You see, fate's been telling or nv
uttons lately" he began in a business
ke tone, "and the decree Is that 1t has :, :
,t to be money! .
What do you meanf" =
"Rich woman, poor woman, beggar "
oman, sQuaw," he elucidated, touch t'
q the buttons on bis jacket, "and the Of
{ falls to rich woman every time. 1t "
'ems a beastly thing to think Of p
arrying for money. l would be a cad II
Tough to do it. but the thing Is that H
ere's glrl--a mighty fine girl-and
really-I-hang 1t. like her! But
wv nm TO tell whether it's the real
Ing or whether her money has some
Ing to do with It? You see, there are p
asons why should have money right o.
Vay, long before can hope TO gain d
by my own efforts, The governor is K
eaking down. and his affairs are In Ia
d shape, and there are the two kids III
ID mother to provide for" aye& al
The, girls heart was sinking as the III
arcury does in falling temperature. :
the Joy Of living seemed to be ooz
: away through her finger tips. leav.
her cold and inert. He turned to
lrd her curlOusly. -,
or course you don't think I'd con.
Ter such a thing II were not forced
1t by duty" he went on fervently. an
nd came to you because thought 40
I'D understand, because clrcurn, Sc
lnces are forcing you into the same no
ng. They say you're going to mar ou
Bradshaw. You'll be rich won. ns ,1s
and happy one, hope; but, wheth. bu
vOu are mr. nnf t.ot, x.yft1 ho,o aoe. | a..