Los Angeles herald., 1909-02-07

ENNHSA you have to marry man you We never
ENEkN< seen before in order to get it.
kzzz7z&I Eleanor Floyd a normal, healthy
girl who had never known nerves; now
here she was the verge OF collapse with every
newspaper man in New Orleans banging the front
door.
Her mother was quite helpless, plunged as they were
into this astounding condition of affairs She
invalid and received the news as she did everything
else in her life-patienty and sweetly. But Eleanor
had been too wholly alive, desperately trying for four
wears to pluck from a perverse fate enough golden
sheaves to support her double burden Now when the
burden was astonishngly lifted she staggered and
went down
The bobshell came in the guise of long and formal
document from Mrs. Mary Hinghams lawyers in New
York Mrs Mary bingham was dead and had left her
fortune of five million dollars Eleanor the daughter
of her old friend Sarah Floyd, and to John H Morton,
nephew of her deceased husband with the condition that
they were to marry within three months. If they did
not the money to go to an orphan asylum She
gave as her reason for desiring this that John and
Eleanor were the whom she most loved-therefore
she wanted them to love each other Just like All old
woman!
The lawyers letter explained that both were ex-
peced to be in New York two weeks after the filing
of the will There they were to be introduced, and
three months allowed for them to decide their fate,
and the fate of the five millions. Enclosed with sub
stantial check for expenses
Eleanor made a determined effort to bring her
thoughts into normal channel, but they were racing
in such mad tangle that she felt if she had been
taken up in balloon and pushed out into space. She
had known that Aunt Mary rich, buthve millions
And she had never dreamed of anything like gilt
coming to her, even with condition
Aunt Mary had been liberal to the Floyds IN some
respects She paid for Eleanors education in school
so superior that thrown in contact with wealthy girls,
the economies she had to practise were maddening.
Pin-money was not supplied
So when Eleanor came out of school she put her
hand to the pow and for four years had taught little
fingers to tinke out melodies the piano. to the ac-
compartment of "One two, three, one, two, three oc-
casionally varied BY Wrong finger, dear" At home
she practsed hour after hour and dreamed OF Europe
and a career Sometimes she did concert for friend
on newspaper then went back to teaching those wrong
little fingers with lighter heart But she had had no
time to think of men except in abstract friendly
sort of way, and to be thrown at the head OF MI John
H. Morton in this off-iand manner startled her.
She knew absolutely nothing about the man. Aunt
Mary often said John Morton likes this or John
Morton once did that" but the words had especial
meaning for her. She knew he civil engineer,
off down in Mexico somewhere, trying to put through
a canal in some absurd little place 1t would be
marvellous achievement-if he did it. but of his looks
and personality she had a hint She had been
twice to New York to visit Aunt Mary, and Aunt
Mary had been innumerable times to New Orleans 20
visit them but John Morton had appeared the
horizon.
But the awful, Overwhelmingly immediate problem
was the clamorou insistent mob of newspaper to
be disposed Of Mrs. Floyd, patiently and sweetly,
refused to see them. Eleanor simply couldn't. Finally
she had an inspiration
She had heard Billy White of the Lexicon tell of the
way reporters sometimes ceverly managed people
who didn't want to be Billy always the per-
son he was sent to sce-he told her so hmse-so she
would send for Billy and let him cope with his kind
He wouldn't mix up professional conscience and friend
ship and she needed advice If he real good she
would let him print in his paper thoroughly dignfed
interview with her, in which he could say: Il go
ing to New York at the request of my dear deceased
adopted aunt. Good-by."
At Bily's suggestion, and with Biy's help, she was
sneaSing out of New Orleans like a criminal at night
She had so far euded reporters for Billy managed to
convey the impression to his rivals that Miss Floyd
had already gone to New York. His paper was the
only in town that didn't say So but somehow that
passed unnotced No doubt he did tall lying and
although to Eleanor "all for friendships sake"
she couldn't but believe that he saw beat for his
paper at the end of his pencil.
Fair exchange and all that you know, Billy" she
said while they waiting for the train I'm not
going to be ridiculous. so you may call this an ine-
view. But do make it dignihed. Don't say I've gone
to marry the man-you see, I don't know whether
shall not. Those five millions are awfully tempting
but Oh he's got to suit me, and starting in to
get acquainted under such awful conditions I'm sorry
can't give you his picture but I've never seen one ex
cept painting in Aunt Mary's drawing room in New
York of fat, very fat baby, with his chubby cheek
on his chubby hand. There's of me there ditto,
and you see how sinly am now so you can't risk a
description Look after nv raother>and when decid
the fate of those millions I'll telegraph you'
Thanks" said Billy "rd just like to add BIT Of
advice If any one asks you who you are give wrong
name, you'll get interviewed in spite of yourself If
any one corners you say you are Eleanor's Floyd's
best friend Hope you get through all right Goodby
She awoke the next morning and sat up in her berth