The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1911-11-09

family down the dangerous current
of family finance. and many rock
she avoided by her management one
day when she was trying to make the
balance In her check book and pass
book agree she came upon an item OF
f200 to the family credit that she
could not account for. Her mother
should have provided some means OF
concealing Toppington's cheek Out
had failed to do SO. Gladys demand
ed to know what the check was TOT.
There was family jar, at the END or
which Lady Poindexter confessed
that the money had come indirectly
from the American.
Had Gladys been Indifferent to
Springer the discovery would have
been extremely painful, but since she
had been, to say the least, much
pleased with him the incident plunged
her into the depths Of modification.
Filial consideration prevented her
venting her feelings upon her poor OLD
parents. Toppington was beneath her
contempt Springer was the only one
fit to be made to feel her Indignation.
The next time she met him socially
at a ball given by the Marchioness or
Bladesby-she turned her back upon
him. He at once OWNED the cause.
For the first time since bis arrival
In London Springer felt that he nao
encountered something that his mil
smooth
Here was a girl striving to maintain
for her family-contrary to her own
iudgment-the social standing they
had always enjoyed, maintaining for
herself rather the substance than the
shadow of that position. for whose
acquaintance, unbeknown to her, ne
had paid out money from his newly
acquired millions 1t was doubtful to
which of the two the situation was
more painful. the American or the
English girl His having purchased
an entire from the others gave him no
qualms of conscience or self contempt;
his purchase from Gladys Poindexter
he regarded brutal use Of his money.
He did not know how to go about
making reparation. He had no right
to enter her house and had not had
any such right from the first, since
had she known the terms on which
the acquaintance had been made she
would not have consented to them.
To write an excuse would be only to
add to the insult he had offered. 1t
seemed to him that he could do moth
ing but grin and bear the position he
occupied toward her.
Toppington, who was very adroit,
very tactful, felt 1t to his interest to
smooth the matter over. The Poin-
dexters were among those whom he
considered his stock In trade, and any
break between him and them would be
to his injury. After giving Gladys
time to cool he went to her and exon
Grated Springer from all blame, assur-
Ing her that he had known nothing OF
those who were to be approached with
a view to buying his way into society.
She averred that no man with the In
stincts of a gentleman would buy his
way into any society.
However, the more she thought OF
the matter the more she blamed every
one connected with it more than she
blamed the fountainhead. Indeed,
she came to feel secret admiration
! for this man who had so profound a
contempt for the effete social distinc-
lions of the old world that he set about
/ its purchase in the same way he would
buy a country place. She had always
heard America and Americans decrled,
but the incident had brought out, as
she had never felt 1t before. the prac-
teal status of America In contrast
with the decay of social grandeur In
Europe. The result Of all this was
that she wrote Springer note apollo
giving for cutting him, combining her
self to the apology. ignoring any blame
or excuse for his own part in the mat
ter of buying his way into society.
This gave him an opportunity which
he was not slow to improve. With
his usual direct action he invited her
to farewell dinner he was to give be-
fore leaving London, mentioning that.
though q valuable favor" would ap-
pear on every plate. in her case the
gift would be worth not over a few
shillings. Gladys debated for some
time whether to accept or decline the
invitation. Her own parents had been
bought. On their account would it not
be better to ignore openly a matter
which she would bury down in her
own heart. She wrote an acceptance.
At the dinner where the guests open
ed packages containing their favors
they were found to be very costly
Gladys Poindexter found upon her
plate a sealed envelope which contain
ed, judging from its want Of pliability,
cardboard. Her host admonished her
to refrain from opening 1t before her
return home, and she needed the ad-
monition. A natural curiosity induced
her as soon as she had retired to her
room to open her favor. She found
only a photograph of the host of the
evening.
There seemed to be no special apt
tude to the gift. The girl was sur
prised, for she had expected that
Springer would by II make some deli
cate reparation for having paid money
for his acquaintance. His photograph
meant nothing. Indeed, since cordial
ty had not been re-established between
them, there was a positive indelicacy