Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1907-12-30

4 WIS prODable that at the same time he
would make an effort to secure the LET
tiers. Meantime she must be patient.
Too much hurry might spoil every
thing
So the days passed. Shirley devoting
almost all her time TO the history she
had undertaken. She saw nothing of
Ryder senior. but a good deal of his
/ wife, 10 whom she soon became much
attached. She found her an amiable.
good natured woman, entirely free
I from that offensive arrogance and pat
J ronizing condescensiOn which usually
mark the parvenu as distinct from
the thoroughbred Mrs. Ryder had no
claims to distinguished lineage: on the
/ contrary. she was the daughter of a
| country grocer when the then rising oil
man married her, and of educational
| advantages she had had little or none.
/ 1t was purely by accident that she was
/ the wife Of the richest man in the
/ world, and, while she enjoyed the pres
| tige her husbands prominence gave
her, she never allowed it to turn her
| head. She gave away large sums for
/ charitable purposes and, strange to
| say, when the gift came direct from
| her the money was never returned on
the pea that 1t was tainted" She
| shared her husbands dislike for enter
tanning and led practically the life of
a recluse. The advent of Shirley. there
fore. into her quiet and uneventful ex-
1stence was as welcome as sunshine
when it breaks through the clouds aft
er days Of gloom. Quite a friendship
sprang up between the two women,
and when tired of writing Shirley
would go into Mrs Ryders room and
chat until the financier's wife began to
look forward to these little impromptu
visits, so much she enjoyed them.
Nothing more had been said concern
Ing Jefferson and Miss Roberts. The
young man had not yet seen his father.
but his mother knew he was only wait
Ing an opportunity to demand an expla-
nation OF the engagement announce
ments. Her husband, on the other
hand, desired the match more than
ever, owing to the continued importu-
mites of Senator Roberts. AS usual,
Mrs. Ryder confided these little domes-
tic troubles to Shirley.
Jefferson" she said, ais very angry.
He is determined not to marry the
girl. and when he and his father do
meet there'll be another scene"
What objection has your son to
Miss Roberts?' inquired Shirley inno-
Gently.
"Oh, the usual reason" sighed the
mother, 'and I've no doubt he knows
best. He's in love with another girl
a Miss Rossmore."
"Oh, yes" answered Shirley simply.
"Mr. Ryder spoke of her"
Mrs. Ryder was silent, and present
~ she left the girl alone with her
work
The next afternoon Shirley was in
her room busy writing when there
came tap at her door, Thinking it
was another visit from Mrs. RYDER.
she did not look up, but cried out pleas
antly:
"Come in"'
John Ryder entered He smiled cor
daily and, as if apologizing for the
Intrusion, said amiably:
81 thought I'd run up to see how you
were getting along"
His coming was so unexpected that
for a moment Shirley was startled, but
she quickly regained her cOmposure
and asked him to take a seat. He
seemed pleased to find her making such
good progress, and he stopped to an
Swer a number If questions she put to
him. Shirley tried to be cordial, but
when she looked well at him and noted
the keen, hawk-like eyes, the cruel,
vindictive lines about the mouth, the
rquare set, relentless jaw-Wall street
had gone wrong with the Colossus that
Cay, and he was still wearing his war
paint-she recalled the wrong this man
had done her father. and she felt how
bitterly she hated him. The more her
mind dwelt upon it the more eXasper-
ated she was to think she should be
there, a guest under his roof, and it
was only with the greatest difficulty
that she remained civil.
What is the moral of your lifeT
she demanded bluntly
He was quick to note the contemptu-
Gus tone in her voice, and he gave her
a keen, searching look as il he were
trying to read her thoughts and fathom
the reason for her very evident hostil-
ity toward him.
What do you mean?" he asked
Il mean what can you show as your
life work? Most men whose lives are
big enough to call fer biographies have
done something useful. They have
been famous statesmen, eminent scien-
lists, celebrated authors, great invent
ers. What have you done?"
The question appeared to stagger
him. The audacity of any one putting
such a question to a man in his own
house was incredible. He squared his
jaws, and his clinched fist descended
heavily on the table.
What have 1 done?" he cried. 'T
have built up the greatest fortune ever
accumulated by one man. My fabu-