Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1909-09-25

the description.
Like Jimsy." assented Emma en-
phatically.
But he's SO ungrammatical. so-er-
shy on education. besides which he
hasn't any money" objected Mrs. Har-
Z ris.
None TO speak Of" seconded Beth.
pursuing her lips deprecatingly.
Aside from that. though conceded
Mrs Harris. Il must say Jimsys a
real good man aud most obliging. He
can't help his upbringing"
How about Captain Williams p
questioned Emma How would you
class bimT
My dear" answered her mother,
you wouldn't put him in the same
class with JImsy-I mean socially.
He's 50 rich. 1 wouldn't be surprised
II he were several times millionaire.
Remember. he has two automobiles.
And the handsome way he treated you,
Why, hc crossed out the $4,000 that
abominauon stole as though IT were a
matter of rs cents"
a maB's true wealth is the good he
does in this world. mother. according
90 Mohammed."
THAT is how It may have appeared
TO that foreign prophet i'm the year
/ j, retortcd Mrs. Harris with n tone
] Of finality. but in this age Of horse
! sense Ina the United States a million
! dollars in the bank is the real standard
/ OF wealth. With money YOU can do
/ everything " you have plenty OF il
| you can do-plcnty OF good. and every
I body else viii sit ON the fence and
| clap. but if YOU haven't any YOU are
! no good 10 yourself. can DO no good TO
others. ami everybody else viii get
down from the fence to kick YOU"
Left TO his own devices. Brooks took
a survey Of the position I'm which ne
found himself. and his conclusion was
=ot without qualification TO him. The
clean "biIl OF health" she had been the
means OF Obtaining for him from Can
tain Williams had I'm fact left at hss free
disposal as bis own properly several
hundred dollars from his stealinCs and
from his last plunge" on tho horses
which had been a winning one. Then
there was the furniture. The piano
was supposed 90 Doe Emma's. and ne
felt sure she would send FOR Il. but
he had mo- intention Of surrenderinc Il.
Nos one stick. not one penny. would
she ever get out OF him after the way
tn which she had treated him. The
very day after her departure be sold
the Instrument TO the plano house
from which 10 had been purchased.
Within three days he had removed
from the hotel where they had lived
I'm state FOR such brief period and
transferred such furniture as he re-
Quircd 90 one room in a bachelor apart
ment house. The rest he disposed OF
FOR cash. He was a bachelor again 10
all intcnts and purposes. and he re-
solved TO enjoy his liberty to the fun.
He had had enough OF married life.
with It's cares and the discipline OF re
straint 70 Imposed once more be was
lone OF the boys" To make his posi-
ton unmistakable and discourage any
disposition on his wife's part TO return
20 him he forwarded. care OF her
mother. her portrait. that had been
conspicuous on the parlor mantel.
after taking il from the gilded frame
In which 20 had stood. On the back
OF 10 he wrote a verse Of an old song:
My vile she ran away from me
Some two or three weeks ago.
And now she wants 20 come back again,
But I tell her It's no 30.
"Once bit twice shy" IS my reply.
And N 10 was 20 rain
Cats and dogs and mussels and froga
I'd never have her back again.
There was nc word OF explanation
beyond this insulting dpggcrei. and he
was careful not 20 give his address.
He chuckled as he put it IN the letter
box. At times he was a little uneasy
lest she should seek 20 discover his
whereabouts Tor the purpose OF max
ing a claim FOR support, but as the
weeks wore on and nothing was heard
from her be became reassured.
he had had little difficulty In pro
curing work. thanks to Captain WI
liams' note accepting his resignation,
and soon was established as assistant
10 the receiving teller in bank with
q salary OF So a week. With this and
the money already In his possession
he deemed himself rich, and his ftful
optimism obtained the ascendency once
more IN its usual extravagant form.
But his escape from arrest had been a
lesson that had sunk In deeply. He
vowed never again under any circum-
stances 10 borrow from the funds
be handled In the course Of his duties.
He eschewed horse racing also, know
ing that II the bank officials became
aware that he was gambling he would
lose his place that very instant.
After awhile his fellow employees
noticed that Brooks. the spry, genial
Brooks. who had won the good Will OF
every body. as he had in the general
office OF the I.atin-American Steam
ship company, manifested a tendency
toward mOroseness; that his face at
times assumed an expression OF mel
anchOly. Despite his love OF self, he
was OF those natures which do not
| thrive In solitude.
He never had cared much for the
companiOnship OF men. His inclina-
i ton ALWAYS had hpqn TOWARD that Of