The Ordway new era., 1911-09-08
CHANGING
THE SUM

| are unwilling to give your consent to
my marriage. to Rose?"' demanded
Archer as he rose.-
Il have told you that l am deter
! mined tina: my daughter shall marry
one who is able to support her In the
style to which, she Is accustomed. You
have told me that you have an income
slightly less than my daughters dress
allowance. presume you are capable
OF making the simple arithmet!cal
computation that two and two make
four
| Il suppose could" assented Arch.
er. "The trouble Is that there Ia
another example on my mental slate.
That Is that one taken from one leaves
nothing"
II fail to see the application" was
the cold response.
Its this way" explained Archer.
taking his seat again. III you take
Rose from me you leave me nothing
to hope for. Now do you get the
ldea?"
| Mere romantic nonsense" was the
impatient reply. You will soon find
some young woman in your own sta.
ton OF life who will occupy your
thoughts to the exclusion Of my daugh.
ter
| Station In life." echoed Archer with
a laugh. 1T seems to me that your
| father and my grandfather were in the
same station Of life. You happened to
make money and my father didn't.
! That's all. Rose Is willing to get along
| On what I earn. We are not asking
you to support US. Her happiness
should mean something to you"
1T does" agreed Sidney Wright. 1T
is for that reason that | insist that she
shall not have to go through the in.
tcrno of economy that was necessary
| TO my own younger days" t,
II think that she'd rather have me
than red automobile and Paris
frocks." said Archer. rising again.
Just think over that example. Mr..
Wright. One minus one equals naught,
You cant forget It,"
| Archer slipped out Of the office and
Wright turned once more to his desk.
He was doing what was best for his
laughter. Rose would thank him some
day. when she knew life better.
| He picked up paper but he could
not concentrate his attention upon It
because that absurd example kept
ringing through his brain. 1t was later
than usual when he left the office. be.
cause the Jingle would cling to his
memory and keep him back in his
work. He thought the ride home in
the open air would drive 1t from his
brain. but the horses seemed to tread
out the sum with their hoof beats on
the mncadam. 1t was like the old
Punch. brothers. punch with care"
that he recalled back in the '70s.
Roses red eyes told that she had
seen or heard from Archer. but she
said nothing and Wright did not open
the subject. More than ever the girl
reminded him Of her mother and he
remembered how happy they had
been in those early days before the
sudden growth Of the city had taken
within its limits the Wright farm and
rendered building lots as valuable as
acres had been before. They had
been happy enough with each other
but the times were changing. Money
was necessary to comfort and he
would see that Rose married some one
who could support her in the style to
which she was accustomed. A four
room fiat was the best Archer could
Offer
Still the example kept flashing
through his mind. "One minus one
equals naught." 1t danced before his
eyes as he read the evening paper and
: the more he tried to put the memory
away the more insistent It became
1t was the last thing in his thoughts
that night and the first thing he re-
called the next morning. In his sleep
: he had dreamed Of gigantic figures,
, huge ones and monster ciphers
He took a trolley to the office but
the flatted wheels ground out the
, same monotonous refrain and when
he went to lunch he called first upon
Q his physician.
Q "Just little tired feeling" ex.
8 planned the doctor when the trouble
was explained with no reference to
the origin Of the sum. III I were you
!. I'd run out Of town for few days
I and forget business worries for a
while"
He pocketed the fee and escorted
Wright to the door. watching him 20
down the street with a heavy tread
B that was very unlike Sidney Wright.
some Duslness Worry, ne SAID to
himself as he turned back to his own
neglected lunch. Wright needs to be
}, careful or he will have breakdown" ="
}. Wright hailed the idea of trip
l with pleasure. 1t would take him out
of sight Of Roses reproachful eyes,
o but that night in the sleeper the
d grinding Of the wheels beat time to
y the incessant repetition of the one
minus one nor was 1t any better next
. day at the winter resort.
Wright was thoroughly scared.
| Nhanao Of acena hroupht hin, M xoli 81