, 1905-11-15

IL II tOulu De Drought ABOUT, meant
wealth beyond dreams for all concern-
ed, and, if it couldn't, meant ruin. But
it WAS going to be brought about; 1t
couldn't fail; women couldn't under
stand business of this sort; she must
possess her soul in patience. And she
tried to do as she was told. But she
knew now that her husband had every
thing staked on one throw. She leaned
over him in his snatches of sleep. NUT
tering and tossing in his dreams. and
as she smoothed the lock lightly from
his Forehead she felt she would take all
the anxiety from him If she could give
him either success or peace of mind.
He had grown white and gaunt of late.
eating nothing, waking before light, sit
ting lost in thought, starting at slight
sounds with all his nerves on edge, bur-
rying as he walked as If he pursued
something flying from him.
He was very much later for Inner
n day thai ever before. Early in the
afternoon a telegram had come and had
been brought up to her. kilograms
usually went to the downtown desk.
She waited. expecting her husband, a
long while, and then, as he did not
come. she opened it. She said it might
be from home. But she was conscious
that that was not the reason she OPEN
ed it.
1t was a very simple message and i'll
very terse language, Gone up" But
she knew in an instant what it meant,
n she summoned all her for 1es about
her.
Her husband came in after awhile
rather more b~oisterous than commonly.
DC you know where my old silver
watch Is? ?" he asked while making his
toilet.
".Why, to be sure; in the upper draw
err In my dressing case"
with the two keys" he laughed.
you're a sentimental woman. | sup
pose you have some fancy or other
about those keys. You're all ready for
the dinner and look like a princess.
Toggery's becomin' to YOU. You like
it."
II don't know" she said. ~ used to
like my old pink ginghams."
$50 did Il" be exclaimed. "Tiresome
work, this going out to dinner business.
I'll be ready in no time. Which is it
tonight? Harder work than when |
went trainin' 18th the militia"
1t was several times in the course o.
that evening that Captain Harding
looked at his wife with a smile of
triumph in spite of circumstances.
With what an air she carried it off, he
tIatrbt How uhn haaan,n wealth and
splendor! And yet the girl in the pink
Bingham dress had been as pretty.
The truth was that for the first time in
this career Grace felt sure of herself
and OH her own ground.
"Well," he said to her when they
were again in their rooms, 81 don't be-
lieve any of those men felt as proud
Of their wives as | did of you. This is
the sort of life you were meant for.
It's too bad-I'm sorry. But now brace
up. I've something to tell you"
mo, you haven't" she said, laughing,
her great blue eyes blazing, it seemed
to him joyously. And she drew the tel
egram from under a book.
"By George he cried, gazing ut her
with fresh admiring pride. You beat
the record! That's what l call sand!
And you knew it all the time! Well,
there it is. | amt no match for these
fellers. BY selling my watch and your
Jewels and furs we'll get out whole and
have enough to buy a little stock of
fresh goods for the store. And-and-
what do you say"
THAT we can't start an hour too
soon,' she cried.
"Then We'll go back and just open up
the store and dust it out as if nothin'
had happened, as if we'd beer out to
see the world and had seen it and was
satisfied and vas lack again to the old
stand with some new ~notlons,' he said
gayly. "Sowed our wild oats, SO to
say
And I'll give you raised biscuits and
doughnuts for Yaur breakfast. And III
feed my chickens ana I've my plants.
I'll have a jack rose. 8hy, Charlie,
We'll be real happy yet"
You better believe. And with this
load off my shoulders. It'll be nuts to
your grandfather, though"
Hell like to hear you talk. He'll be
at the store early and late. And some
days" said Grace, one glad smile
breaking after another across her face,
'Ill bring my sewing down to the
store and visit with you myself. And
every day I'll see father and the rest of
them at the old place. And I'll have SO
much to tell mother and Louisa that
they'll think I'm making it up. And