The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1905-03-09
Rich Man, :.
Poor Man! "
By KEITH GORDON
/
Cooy1;sh, 1904. BY Franc-s Wlsoo

Before they reached the first ledge
overlooking Sausalito mist like float
ing giobules Of crushed pearl rolled
noisslessIy through the 6ssures Of the
hills aud blotted out the village, the
bay and the towers and chimneys OF
San Francisco-in other words, the
world. In the damp air the girls hair
curled more disractngly than ever.
Never had he seen it when it framed
the low forehead in 80 bewildering
an arabesQue Of rings and curves and
waves.
You look rather swell yourself" she
laughed in response to his eloquent
glance Of approval. "Knickers and a
Norfolk cap and the Jacket aren't half
bad on you. Taken In connection with
your cleft chin" she 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 the
terse reply. This walk to Point Boni-
ia has an object"
She opened her eyes wide.
Certainly" she assented politely.
Point Bonita, for instance. If it has
any other object" she went on sternly,
IL you're going back to that old sab
tect, won't go a step farther"
BY this tine they were moving tn the
midst Of cloud
It was bis turn to be innocent
You mean-oh," with fine imita-
tion Of impatence, doesn't girl ever
forget it II a fellow has once happened
to fancy himself in love with her and
said SOP
The pink OF the girls cheeks-t had
the soft, furred look that Is response
bic for the slang adjective "peachy-
deepened suddenly, unaccountably. Out
Of the tail Of bis eye the youth observed
this interesting fact with cruel glee,
rejecting with a pang that he should
have chosen diplomacy as a vocation
instead Of engineering.
You should forgive and forget the
sins Of my youth" he resumed. "You
know you insisted that you would al.
ways be the best Of friends, and that's
what need now!"
"You change quickly enough, I must
say!' she remarked with some heat.
1T isn't six months SINCE
''Since what?'' he challenged. But she
turned away and did not reply, while
the walls OF mist lazily closed In nearer
and nearer.
What do you want to tell meT she
questioned at last in an oddly subdued
manner. BE did not answer imme-
diately, but swung on ahead Of her In
the narrow path as If he were making
a way for her through the mist. So he
had got over his love for her. She felt
a shuddering sense Of desolation. Still,
she argued, she could scarcely have
be would go on caring es-
pecially since she had explained to him
with judicial carefulness that she must
marry a man with money ON account
Of her mother and the younger girls.
Strangely enough, though she bad
pictured herself as married to another,
there had always been somber, In
teresting figure lowering In the back
ground Of that picture, one to whom
she meant to be 80 kind, 80 gentle, 80
all sweet, that his regret should become
like a beautiful, sad song-to be wept
over and enjoyed. And now the brute
was asking her to "forgive and forget
that he had ever told her that he loved
her!
They had reached the summit Of q
hill, and he proposed that they sit down
upon a convenient bowlder to rest be-
fore attempting the next one. Ap-
parently her silence was unnot1ced.
"You see, fates been telling of my
buttons lately" he began in business
like tone, "and the decree is that it has
got to be money!
What do you mean"
"Rich woman, poor woman, beggar
woman, squaw," he elucidated, touch
ing the buttons ON his jacket, land the
lot falls to rich woman every time. It
seems a beastly thing to think Of
marrying for money. I would be cad
enough to do it, but the thing is that
there's a girl-a mighty fine girl-and
I really-I-hang it, I like her! But
how am I to tell whether it's the real
thing or whether her money he's some
thing to do with It? You see, there are
reasons why should have money right
away, long before can hope to gain
it by my own efforts. The governor is
breaking down, and his affairs are in
bad shape, and there are the two kids
and mother to provide for"
The girls heart was sinking as the
mercury does In falling temperature.
All the JOY Of living seemed to be ooz-
ing away through her finger tips, leav-
ing her cold and inert. He turned to-
ward her curiously.
"Of course you don't think I'd con-
slider such a thing if were not forced
to it by dutyw he went on fervent1y.
"And I came to you because thought
you'd understand, because circum-
stances are forcing you into the same
thing. They say you're going to mar