Gilpin observer. (Central City, Colo.) 1897-1921, 1910-06-23

men do not get half as much out of
life as they might"
"Of course they don't!" assented
Wilfrid dogmatically. why, look at
me-" he rambled on; I'm only half
baked; never had any education to
speak of; had to keep my nose to the
grindstone all my life; as you know,
there were always two ways for every
dollar to go as long as mother was
alive, on account of her many years
of hopeless illness; but, in spite of my
few opportunities, I'll bet could show
some of those fellows how to anjcy
their wealth."
"Of course you could" Eunice
agreed, with loving woman's fatu-
GUS fondness and indulgence for the
man she has promised to marry. "But
we'll be just as happy without the
money, won't we. Wifi"
mot a doubt of it," he exclaimed,
starting to her side. bending over her
and pressing his lips to her shining
coils Of hair. why, possessing you
and your love, dearest, I'm the richest
fellow in New York today"
She tilted back her head to look
into his eyes as he gazed fondly down
into hers.
That's the way l love to hear you
speak," she murmured. Money can
not buy some things in this world,
Wilf," truism which was sealed in
very expressive and satisfactory
manner by the naturally ardent Viii.
frid.
Eunice, though very well educated
and refined-in England she would
have been described as quite above
her station, my dear"-was only one
remove from being working woman
herself and had no foolish or unprac.
tical longings. AS housekeeper for
her stepfather, John Trevecca-her
mother she could not remember-she
was beyond the necessity of earning
her own living; but Trevecca himself
was but foreman in some iron works
up on Tenth avenue. So to Eunice
the prospect of marrying so present
able young fellow as Wilfrid STEM
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 years-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, sanguine, mercurial. easily led.
But she loved him for these very quail
tiles; some women mother their hus-
| no cbi1dran arriv fn
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 Wilfrid'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 shrewdly at Eunice. If there
were anything amiss between the
lovers Trevecca knew he would find it
in the girls face. But apparently all
was serene.
wifi has been telling me what he
!
when he gets to be very rich" she
said smilingly.
That's easy spending" said Ire
vecca, sinking heavily into a chair.
There's more money got rid of that
way in a year than'd pave r York WI
dollars! But let's hear abart it, lad"
he added.
"Oh, it was just foolish talk" said
Wilfrid, on whose late enthusiasm
the blunt words of his prospective IA
ther-in-law were like bucket of cold
water on 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 was potentially as rich
as he was actually poor.
To such a man as Wilfrid Stennis.
uneducated as the college world
counts learning, but eager. receptive.
possessing an eye for beauty and for
color, with a love for music, an I'M
formed. omnivorous appetite for
books, and an instructive shrinking
from the sordid and the mean, the
bonds of even respectable poverty are
apt to prove especially CALLING Like
Bella Wilfer, he realized to the full
what it meant to be "beastly poor. mis-
erably poor"
What wonder, then, that his long
ings, his aspirations, his day dreams.
were centered about that wealth he
so often saw others abusing, or mis-
using, or keeping napkin-tied? Not
for the miser's greed of possession.
but for the qualification of the best
that was in him, did he long for money
-heaps and heaps of It.