Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-08-24

out for the best" said Louisa, who had
come down from the hill with her sew.
Ing.
But Captain Harding had no doubts
on the subject. First thing, some
Clothes" said he. "l've heard saw
there's nothin' succeeds like success.
an 80 you've gotter look successful.
An III say one thlng-if there's any
body that'll be q credit to fine clothes
it's my wifew
And yet, as his wife walked through
the corridors Of the Fifth Avenue hotel,
after returning from the far west a
little awed by the velvet carpets, the
satin curtains. the gliding, the mir
rors, the spiendor Of the other women,
she was conscious Of something about
herself not as it should be. Her hus
band was all we'll enough, n bluff and
ready man of business in a business
suit. But either she had on too much
or she didn't know how to put it on.
She felt she was unlike these grandes
danes who talked and laughed and
moved at ease. Her hands troubled
her and made her uncOm Portable; her
hair lacked the touch. But still she
knew 1t was only matter Of time;
she would catch on. Charlie, anyway,
looked at her with admiring eyes when
he had any time to look at her at ALL
She was more lonesome than at first
for her husband had become entirely
absorbed in his schemes.
Meantime she was seeing the world.
1t went by her in the beginning like a
panorama: it almost made her dizzy.
Yet. although at last she was a part
of 1t aud az eager in the rush as any,
she was never quite at home in it.
Captain Harding had indeed had
some measure of the luck he had hop
ed for, and he was floating the shares
Of the Nimblc Dollar mine in way
that made his wife hold her breath
when he reported his successes to her.
Ee had been on the ground, he had
seen the mine, he knew what he was
talking about. he was not anxious for
too large a price. and he came out Of
the transaction with small fortune
"Now," he said, "if l did what my
folks and your folks would approve
of should lay this down TO grass
that means interest-and go home and
build house with bow winders and
a French roof and be the rich man of
the region"
YES" said Grace.
"But you believe in me, don't you:"
asked he anxiously.
eyes" said Grace.
You'd like to see me one of the mil
lionaires? I've as good right to big
money as the best Of 'em, and I'm goin'
In for it. I'm goin' into Wall street in
earnest. And Captain Harding had
sense of assured success which made
him the happiest. best natured and
busiest man alive. "'Tain't luck" he
said to his wife. ITS long head. Id
look pretty hdin' such knack of bust
ness in the corner store, wouldn't /?
And as for you, I'm proud OF you ev-
cry day"
But Mrs. Harding was not proud of
herself. She would not let her husband
know 1t, but she felt herself wholly
unequal to meet the women Of society
with whom her husbands affairs
brought her into some association, in
vited now and then to their houses. to
their opera boxes-women who had ac-
Quaintance with each other, with for
eign life, who knew what to do and
how to do 1t and who without the least
III feeling often overlooked and ignored
her and made her feel herself out of it.
She sent home boxes Of gowns and 9TH
err things to Louisa and her mother (of
which in their private talks they said
they would have preferred her own
things to make over for themselves,
without dreaming how unsuitable they
would be-, and she sent grandma a
lace she would look like little old
flower, as Grace pleased herself by
thinking, and she sent her GRANDPA
thcr Il fur coat and wonderful meer-
schaum pipe. She had feeling that
such things were. ms her husband
phrased it, 40 much to the good Now
and then she sent her father a little
money. but she did not have much
money. Captain Harding needed all
his ready money, but she had generous
credit-and bills. "Pile it on. said
her husband. "One must look success
full in order to be successful, you
know
They still lived at the hotel. where
they had what seemed to her royal
rooms, although she never grew used
to them, and. although entertaining
there those who accepted their invita-
tons, she always had sensation that
one day those people would find her out
for fraud.
She laughed sometimes when she saw
herself in the glass, with her bare
shoulders and Jewels, her satin and
lace sind marabou, with kind of
mockery. But she never let her hus.
band know that this was not what her
soul longed for, that she was afraid of
the other women or that she felt all
their own new way Of life to be of very
uncertain tenure.
She did not have 80 much chance ms
once to let him know her state Of mind.
He was occupied from morning till
night; he was writing and telegraphing
and seeing people aud down in the lob.
by talking with men till midnight, the
hote! lobby being a minor Wall street.
Things seemed to her to be In such q
whirl that sometimes she wondered II