Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1910-05-19

her station. my dear"-was only q
remove from being a working woman
herself. and had no foolish or unprac
teal longings. AS bousekeeper Tor
her stepfatber, John ~Trevecca-her
mother she could not remember-she
was beyond the necessity OF earning
her own living; but Trevecca himself
was but n foreman in some iron works
up on Tenth avenue. So to Eunice
the prospect of marrying so present
able a young fellow as Wilfrid Sten'
mis-, both of them being very much
in love with each other, seemed the
acme of good fortune. leaving moth
ing to be desired OF the Fates.
And though WIFI was her senior by
some four y%ears-he was twenty eight
the girl was really the elder in point
Of steady principle and cool. sober
judgment. In fact, WIFI, as she often
acknowledged to herself, was rather
boyish, %sanguinc, mercurial, easily led
But she loved him for these very quail
tiles; some women mother their nus
bands before the children arrive to
keep their affections busy.
When old John Trevecca came In.
coatless and bringing with him a
strong aroma Of cut Cavendish. for he
had been smoking his pipe with some
cronies on the front porch" as they
still call the house entrance up Green
witch way, the light OF Wllfrid's rosy
visions had not yet died out OF his
eyes. There Was even an atmosphere
of suppressed excitement In the home
ly room which caused the old man to
look shrcwdly at Eunice. II there
were anything amiss between the
lovers Trevccca knew he would find II
in the girls face. But apparently all
was serene.
"Wilf has been telling me what he
intends to do with all his money
when he gets to be very rich," she
said smilingly
That's easy spending" said Ire.
vccca. sinking heavily into a chair.
There's more money got rid of that
way In a year than'd pave ;" York wi
dollars! But let's hear abart II. lad
he added.
ooh, It was Just foolish talk said
Wilfrid. on whose late enthusiasm
the blunt words of his prospective ia
thcr.in-law were like a bucket OF cold
water on a bonfire.
Nevertheless, as he walked home to
his lodgings on Washington square
the exaltation OF the earlier evening
still chung to him, and as he swung
along in the clear. crisp autumn night
his step was jaunty, his head held
high. and he vas potentially AZ rich
as he vas actually poor.
TO such a man az Wilfrid Stcnnis.
uncdncatcd as the college world
counts learning. but eager. receptive.
possessing an eye for beauty and for
color. with a love for music. an un
formed. omnivOrOus appetite for
books. and an instructive shrinking
from the sOrdld and the mean. the
bonds of even respectable poverty are
apt to prove especially calling. Like
Bella Wilfcr, he realized to the full
what It meant to be "bcastly poor. mis-
crably poor"
wat "'llN'i '''" 'ha NO i''S
inGs, his aspirations. his day dreams,
were conferred about that wealth he
so often saw others abusing. or mis-
using. or keeping napkin.tied? Not
for the miscr's greed OF possession,
but for the qualification OF the best
that was in him, did he long for money
heaps and heaps of IL.
Overnight day dreams, fortunately,
come cheap, and they leave no dark
brown taste in the mouth. The next
| morning, when Wilfrid Stennis went
downtown to the Front street store.
he was again the prosaic and method
zeal young entry clerk. No Il would
have suspected him of secret ycarn
ings for fast horses, q faster yacht,
and "A little nutter around the tables
go hospitality maintained by the
prince Of Monaco.
. nr. rAru,tkvTrI,r