The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1905-09-09
rs very nice being so rich, John,
don't you think so?"

0AA0A 0P0NN
~ if she were not sure whether riches
were an unmixed blessing or not, but
the man replied, with every appear
Rnce of h%eartiness:
Yes. it's very nice, Sarah; none OF
that scrimping and saving we had at
Lavender Farm in the old days. Why,
you hadn't a silk dress to your back
then, old woman, and now you've
how many?" She smiled family, but
did nut answer. and he continued:
eyes, 1t was a lucky day for us when
Uncle Peter died out in Colorado and
left us his money, and it was a me
day for us when we left Lavender
Farm and poverty for a costly city
home and everything we want"
Sarah Plat sighed softly. Now that
the first novelty and excitement of pos
gessing a fortune had worn OH, she
was most miserable, and she had asked
the question to see if her husband
felt the same. How could she know
that his CHEEKY answer was only for
her benefit; that he, too, longed for
the days Of poverty and freedom; and
found the possession of a pal2tial
house and host CT servants We3rlSome
in the extreme? But he believed that
Lis wife enjoyed it all, and he would
not for worlds have disturbed what he
imagined was her condition of pleased
contentment-
AS a matter of fact, the old couples
sway over the house and servants was
only nominal. A year ago., when the
news of their accession to great wealth
came to them, they had been living
quietly and poorly on a tiny Pennsyl-
yania farm, and, when they moved
from it to the metropolis, they realized
that they were unfit to cope unaided
with their altered circumstances. Inc
wealthy never lack friends, and so
many friends made their appearance
that old John Plat and his wife were
quite bewildered at all the conflicting
advice they received. Eventually
how, they hardly knew-they found
themselves installed in a house whose
magnifcence frightened them, n
where they never felt at home, n
they and it were under the absolute
control of Mrs. Dagleish and Mr..
Hutchinson. The first was Mrs. Platts
companion; the second Mr.. Platts sec
rotary; they both ruled their employ
ers with a rod of iron.
1t seems almost incomprehensl0le
that the two old people could be so
wretched, each enormously thinking
il was fer the sake Of the other, but
so It was. and the unhappy condition
Of affairs might have gone on indehn-
itely. but for tie growth of the seed
of jealousy which it has been said IS
in every womar'a heart.
It cannot be said what caused its
growth in the heart Of Sarah Platt to
torment and harass her in addition to
the sorrows of wealth which she al
ready bore. Why she was jealous, OF
whom. or of what, SIC did not know.
It may have been from z joking re-
mark made one day by Mrs. Daglelgh;
it may nave been because John very
rarely came into the parlor for tea
with her: it may have been for any
reason or for no reason; but the fact
= remains that a tiny seed of jealousy
took root. and from it sprang a slen-
der stalk of suspicion and mistrust
And one day chance helped her and
showed her where John Plat spent SO
much of his time. She and Mrs. Dag
leish drove to Broadway to have Mrs.
Dagleish's watch repaired. While she
was in the store and Mrs. Plat was
idly waiting in the carriage and watch
ing the Eassers-by, she saw her nus
band turn into a large office building
on the other side of the street. He did
not notice the carriage or her, and she,
consumed with curiosity as she was,
made no sign. Neither did she say
anything to Mrs. Dagleish when thai
ladv reioined her, and she only men
toned casually at dinner that evening
that she had been on Broadway. She
watched her husbands face closely as
she spoke, and to her excited magma
ton he seemed uneasy and DESTROYS
of changing the subject.
But she had made up her mind, and
the next day she only waited for Mrs
Dagleish to retire to her room for hel
afternoon sleep, to start cityward. She
went by the elevated, and was sooT
at the building she had seen her hus
band enter. She asked the janitor i
Mr.. Platt had IN Office there.
mo such name in the place, ma'am,'
he replied. 1T may be the queer olt
PARTY whose name | don't know, wht
comes at odd times. He's got an Office
in No. II, on the tsp floor, but, so ia
rs one car see, he does nothing. H
never has no letters. nor kilograms
nor visitors, and his Office is neve
cleaned. for he won't let no one insid
the door"
as he here now?' asked Mrs. Plat
her heart beating wildly, for she fel
che was on the brink of some discov
erv. and. although She hated hersel
for being where she was and her rea
cen for being there, q determined t
6nish what she had began.
81 couldn't say for certain, ma'an