New-York tribune., 1912-02-18

ring her doorbell all day long, she'll never
open it enough for me tot put my nose IN And
she'll stick to it. Ah!' he sighed heavily and
attacked the pressed duck on his plate.
"Then Victor" | whispered, "since Fay
is such noble girl, pure as she IS beautiful,
and since you love her 50, why don't you 60
straight to your mother and say to her
frankly. I'm a free American citizen
claim the right to choose my wife for my
self"
"To Mother" he replied in whitening
tones. "You'd 60 to Mother and tax Ike
that. would YOU? If you think it'd be 50
easy, then try it for yourSelt-only recon-
mend YOU to get a rubber coat and HE IN
surance policy before you spring your little
spiel! Watch me try it! I'd get rushed out
the front door, and not another nickel would
| get from her while she lives and when she
dies her money goes to a lot OF meaSIy char,
ties Her money? Fathers money-and
his only son a beggar" He applied himself
again TO the champagne, and his eyes seemed
to take on a fearful look. "For that's what
I'd be. Lii! What could do to earn my
living? | haven't been brought up to earn
il, | can't start out all over again like
Father. Hang it, he wasn't gentleman,
and am. | dress in a sweater sometimes to
tease Mother; but, hang it! I've been 10
Harvard, and I've got expensive tastes.
can't live in a beastly Harlem boarding
house and swing to strap every morning.
I'd rather be dead-or marry you. 80 here
goes" And he put down his champagne
glass with deep sigh.
ECHOED the sigh with full sincerity
AS had feared, Victor was but broken
reed on which to lean. After ALL could not
blame him. What else could his father
foolish will and his mothers tyrannical
treatment make of him but this surly, grown
M child, without character or individuality
of his own except to reach out IN dcSpcf-
ate lunge toward the fortune that should be
his2 And. after all, couldn't blame MIS-.
Cobb, either: she thought she was acting lor
his good as her own. Who knows! Perhaps
She was. And. in anv case, | couldn' reason
ah1v cxDect either Of them TO think OF me-
Nevertheless. my case was too desperate
to he dropped without one more little at
tempt "Victor," | whispered, "ot course
see that if YOU broke up this marriage. your
mothcrwould never forgive you. But II i
"If YOU broke it off, YOU mean!' SAID
Victor sharply. Suddenly his face changed,
the blurred eyes, the puffy, indeterminate
features lit with sharp look OF HE, drew
themselves TO keen point OF concentration,
the same look that | remember to have
seen on 50 many peoples faces, on Aunt
ETzabeth's for instance. or the rector az
Brent when they speak Of "moncy And
ali in a flash. beneath the Victor Of moment
ago. whom | had thought to understand
there existed another, however obScured by
habits of self indulgence and Of dependence.
The Victor on whom looked now was the
rightful son OF the father who had battered
that colossal fortune out of the world, ana
the mother whose single handed ambition
had placed her where | saw her tonight.
Look here, Lii." he said determincdly.
"Therc's twenty-five million dollars, more
or less. in qucStion-do YOU understand
that? Because it suits her purposes that l
marry YOU. that's the sum that mother has
Dromiscd TO hand over TO me on our wedding
dav.-half Of Fathers fortune that ought to
have been mine when | came Of age. The
deeds are all preparcd-to be signed and
sealed on the morning of the tenth before
we drive to the church. Do YOU know what
that means. Lii? 1t means III be man at
last" and he brought his fist down on the
table so that the people on each side OF us
smiled discreetlv as at a lovers quarrel.
80 there YOU have it, Lii, he concluded.
AT the beginning perhaps it wouldn't have
mattcred; but now that things have gone