The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1909-08-03
THE PROD|GAL
BUTTERFLY,
She Played Her Part to Good
Purpose, as 1t Proved.
BY MARIE DENsMoRE.

stock of herself, her requirements and
her future. The money her father had
left her, which she had foolishly be-
lieved would last forever, was gone,
with the exception of few hundred
dollars.
She had had good time with It. As
she looked back over recent years
and considered how she had spent it
she had to admit that she had had a
very good time with 1t. First she
had had four years in the best college
In the country; she had had year Of
foreign travel; she had been much
about her own country; she had had
seasons In the mountains, seasons at
the seashore, seasons In the city; she
had heard the best music, seen the
best plays and studied the best pic
lures In the world And, as for clothes,
she had worn right and left the finest
productions of the shops and expert
enced modistes.
Now all Of this was at an end sud
denly. She had had last interview
with her fathers old attorney, and he
had told her the truth. She had used
up her means. The past summer had
written fms to the story Of her prodi-
gality. Only few hundred remained.
What was she to dor
OF course there was Aunt Bess, for
whom she had been named-Aunt Bess,
under whose wing she had gayiy
squandered her substance in riotous
living
She knew very well why Aunt Bess
had allowed her to go on as she had
She had expected her to make nota-
BILE match. But fate would have it
otherwise. There had been men
enough, but only one for whom she
had cared, and he would have none of
her. And SO she had come to twenty
nine and at the end Of her fortune
without the slightest claim upon her
freedom.
She could live with Aunt Bess, but
Aunt Bess had girls of her own, who
were just coming out, one after the
other, at enormous expense And
Uncle Ed wasn't the richest man in
the world.
81 can't live on Them" the girl
thought. They'd take me in and do
their best by me, but I'd be burden.
Alas and alack. If only l had learned
some useful craft And only $700 re-
manning. T. appears the only thing
left for me is to be vender Of old
clothes. I've got enough Of them.
goodness knowsw
She laughed a little TREMENDOUSLY.
sBut, dear me, i can't sell my clothes.
shall have to wear them. Well, it
stands like this: can't live with Aunt
Bess-pride forbids." She checked of
one finger II can't teach; can't
sew; / can't can't do anything"
She dropped her head In her hands
an instant, then raised it resolutely.
'sBess Pryor, you're chicken hearted
thingl Put on your things and take
a walk. You will be crying next thing
you know"
She sprang up, donned hat and furs
and a few moments later was leaving
the house of the elderly friend with
whom she was stopping during this
urgent business quest of hers to the
city.
At the very first corner, as she was
walking briskly along trying to get
the better of her feelings. she met
plainly dressed girl who was walking
Just as briskly.
4Why, Madge Whitep Bess ex-
claimed. holding out her hand eagerly.
II haven't seen you in years. Where
In the world do you come from?"
The other girl laughed
"Why. don't you know? I'm here
taking course In the business col
lege I'm learning shorthand and type
writing. You see"-her voice dropped
there's been hard times at home, and
Pm getting out by myself to ease the
burden If can. I always did love to
tinker with a typewriter, even when
l didn't have to, and hope l shan't
like it any the less now that / shall
have to look to it as a means Of sup
port"
"Typewriting and shorthand" Bess
unused. "Madge," she spoke earnestly,
''do you suppose know enough to
manipulate the keys and make those
pothook things with a pencilY
do you? And you a college girl!
You certainly know slough. Bess. The
trouble is you don't have to learn"
"Ah, but l do" Bess said soberly.
LET me walk with you and tell you
all about It."
And as they went slowly up the
street together she told her story. She
had not cared much for Madge in col
1ege, for Madge was In a different set
from her own, but she saw now that
she had missed a good deal by not
making friends with this very sensible.
capable, warm hearted girl.
When at last they parted Madge had
helped her to make a plan for the
present. She was to enter the business
school, board where Madge did and
share her room, and she was to tell
the friend with whom she was stay
ing and Aunt Bess and her fathers old
attorney that she had started out to
earn living for herself.
At the end of six months Of the hard
est mental work she had ever under
taken Bess was declared finished pu-
pil Of more than ordinary excellence,
and q position was obtained for her at
a fair salary at pl,,,e where many
other girls we're at the same work as
herself
Six months more passed. She and
Madge White still chung together.
Madge was her closest. almost her only
friend, for the rest seemed to have
forgotten her or at least to overlook
her
Even Aunt Bess seemed to have no
time for her. She wrote that she was
worn to a fragile between Marjorie's
debut and Elinor's engagement. Well,
1t did not matter. of course, but had
it not been for Madge Bess could hard
ly have endured her life sometimes.
At tn end of six months Homer
Baird, her fathers old attorney, sought
her out and asked her to accept a posi-
ton as his secretary.
'sMiss Page is going to be married"
he said "She leaves the first Of the
month. She is an expert, and l gave
her SIS a week, but you may have the
same If you viii come"
"Oh, Mr.. Baird, how good you are!'
Bess cried Fifteen dollars a week
meant as much to her as $500 had
once upon time.
Two weeks later she was installed In
his office and was making herself as
invaluable to him as his former secre-
tary had done. Clad simply in blue,
her hair very smooth, not a CLEAN Of
gold, not streak Of ribbon about her
she sat each day before the massive
office typewriter playing the keys with
nuu4AA r,roninion nr mailing r,ofhoolzs