Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1905-12-14

in society. He had dropped old friends
and cultivated men in whom he felt
no real interest; he had been errand
boy for the matrons and cavalier for
the buds; he had joined more clubs
than he could afford and had pinched
in D7&ny ways to make up for the eX-
penditures. He had tGld countless
stories of his life at Harvard, but never
spoke of his family in Dakota. He had
often referred TO incidents of his trip
abroad, without limiting that he had
been tutor to a rich youth he had told
dreamy tales of a winter in Mexico,
carefully concealing the fact that he
had been assistant 10 an invalid archi-
tect. He had talked wittily of plays
and operas, gathering his ideas from
the daily papers rather than from OBJ
servation. Indeed, he had done every
thing in his power to seem man Of
the world and a favorite in society.
And now-when he had thought his
position assured-when he had
dreamed of spending John Little's mil
lions with perfect taste and passing his
days in an atmosphere of wealth and
leisure with the grace of one TO the
manner born" he found that he did
not seem 10 belong anywhere" and
was. TO be given a New Years dinner
out of charity, while little Charlie Lef-
fingwell, who never managed to get be-
yond his freshman year at Yale, whose
only accomplishment was driving an
automobile and whose one aim in life
was to increase his already large for
tune, was TO share the Little millions.
and "the boys" would no doubt laugh
behind his back because he, Bertram
Wingate. had angled for them in vain.
The whole shallow mockery, which
lay bare to others, for the first time
seemed thoroughly contemplate to
him. Angry tears smarted in his eyes
and his hands were clenched in his
pockets with a fierce determination to
win an enviable position without the
help of society; to live life too busy
for the tolerant patronage of women
or the amused contempt of men.
He had walked for nearly an hour
before he became conscious that his
feet were numb with cold and his face
no longer felt the sting of the sleet.
Pausing iTreSolutely to get his bearings
before seeking the nearest car line, he
stood for a moment in shaft of light
from the window of a pretty cottage.
A young girl, turning briskly to
enter the house. exclaimed: 80 you
have really come to see us at last This
| is the place. Come right in. Your
mother said she would write and tell
you we were here, but we thought she
had forgotten. Mabel is teaching, I'm
going to the conservatory, Bob's in
business college and fathers got q
good job buying wheat for the Consol-
idated. Why haven't you been to see
us before?"
Wingate murmured something about
being very busy, as he meekly followed
the girl into the house.
q suppose you're always busy" com
mented the girl kindly out this way
on some building | guess? | hope you
| haven't been to dinner.
Mother, here's Bertram Wingate.
He was out this way and has looked us
up" she said, ushering Wingate into
! the CHEEKY sitting room.
He was thankful for the easily as.
sumed explanations and glad TO follow
! the girl into the cosy room. Mrs. Whit
comb greeted him heartily and the
whole family gathered about him,
/ pressing him TO stay and asking news
] Of hi a, OF
/ pleasant affection and Difference for
his accomplishments which was sooth.
| ing to his wounded vanity.
| When he took his departure Mrs.
| Whitcomb said, kindly, Cant you
spend New Years with us, Bertram?"
1T would be real charity on your
! part if | may" said Wingate, flushing
warmly at the thought of the other
charity dinner he had expected to eat.
It's nice of you to speak that way
Bertram," said Mrs. Whitcomb, strok-
ing his sleeve. but you know the pleas
ure will be ours in having a friend
from the old Dakota home to share the
day with us
The New Years dinner was by no
means the last which Bertfam Win
gate ate in the little cottage.
In the spring Molly, the irrepressi-
BILE, wrote to her Dakota confidante,
Mabel and Bertram Wingate are
going together a good deal. He isn't a
bit stuck up as some of the Dakota
people used to say he was Father says
he has drawn the plans for nearly all
the big buildings to be put up this
summer. If he's going to he my bro.
ther-in-law, hope he'll plan a cute
little house for Mabel. | think mother
knows all about it, but she won't tell! "
Washington Home Magazine.
A NEW YEAR RESOLUTION.