The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-03-07
By TEMPLE BAILEY.
Copyright. 1al1. by Associated
fAterarv press


Literary Press-)
Willis Lamphear had been slow
boy at school. and his young man
hocd had not seemed to bring a
Sharpening of his wits. He had thus
become In sense a. butt for the jokes
or the community. amart young men
laughed at him when they talked to
their sweethearts. They made fun OF
his deliberate ways. his stammering
speech; and at church gatherings and
AZ country dances he was left to him
self by the girls. Their eyes and
ears we're for the more alert young
men who knew how 10 attract and
hold their attention.
so IL happened that Willis when he
Mas thirty was not married. He
knew little Of the pursuit OF women;
somewhat ~istfully he wished for
wife. bur none Of the girls had seemed
" care for hts attentions. and SO he
had withdrawn more and moro into
himself.
He lived with his father and mother
In a square house at the edge of the
village. He was not stingy. but he
was not extrsyagant. and so he built
up gradually little fortune. An in
heritance from sn uncle added to his
nestegg. increasing 1t to a sum OF
Willis went to the city and consulted
n shrewd friend as to Investments. 1t
seemed that there was a wonderful
opening in oil lands. and Willis
bought. A year later he was a rich
man. but so gradually had he acquired
his fortune that no one In his native
village or in the surrounding country
dreamed that SLOW Coach Willis" as
they called him, could buy out any
farmer or merchant I'm the commu-
nifty.
The old folks died and Willis. now
n man OF forty. looked around for a
honseseeper, Some few Of the girls
who had fiouted him in the days of
their youth were now willing to over
look his deficiencies for the sake of
a comfortable homo. But he would
have none OF them. He chose In
stead an ancient dame whose reputa-
tion for cooking was unimpeach-
able. But he did not marry
4 81 in his slow way he was always
looking for romance. lie loved the
flowers in the spring, the song of the
birds in the siili woods, the whistle
or the wind on hlustery nights. And
he would have loved the romance OF
the hesrthstone as we'll.
He had no desire to be accepted
for his possessions. He knew what
the village girls had thought OF him.
and In his duh way he had resented
II.
As he grew older his mind dweit
often on the home that he might have
fitted up for wife. lie took trips
now and then to the city and grad
uaily began TO acquire belongings such
as no woman in that village had
seen.
Not trusting his own taste, he con-
suited his shrewd lawyer friend as
10 the best shops. and there he went
to- be shown exquisite wares from all
parts OF the world.
Gradually 1t began to he whispered
that Willis was rich man.
You should see the front bed
room" said the gossips. cit la all in
pink with white lace covers tor tn,
windows. and theSfurniture is old ma
hogang. and there are silver thing,
ON the dresser"
II was said that there were won,
derful pictures in the big, square par.
Tor and strange rugs from Eastern
countries.
And what can he do with it all.
should like To know" said the womer
who had seorned him when the,
were girls. ut is a sin and sham,
for 1t TO be wasted"
But IL was not to he wasted One
winter day romance came suddenl,
into the life OF Willis Lamphear. IL,
had been making purchases ar a Rrea
shop in the city, ii was :H the bus,
holiday season. and nj one Of tn,
counters girl tainted. She was
little slip Of thing with a whit,