The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1912-12-13

PEARL s

was not as ven established aS Henry ,
The very idea that the purchase Of the
Wiuoughby pearls might wreck the
house of BudIogg & Co. was ridiculous
She dismissed the unpIeasantDesS
from her mind and dwelt only on the
anticipated bliss OF possessing the "a
nous pearls. They we're at once the
admiration OF her set. and half the wo-
men had envied pretty Molly WillouSh-
by their possession
But now WtIloughby had failed, and
the pearls, together with the other jew
els. pictures. houses. horses and mo
tors. were up at auction. for Molly VIII
loughby had insisted that everything
should be sacrificed to save her hus-
bands honor. and they were going
west to begin life anew And Molly
had bravely declared she was happier
than she had ever been since Bob had
married her.
Laura took the train for the twenty
mile run into the city. It was local
and well dIIed with passengers. but she
found an empty seat and sank into it
The train creaked into activity and
then settled into a steady rumblinS
roar. Two men in the seat behind
were speaking. and their voices were
plainly heard above the roar of the
wheels.
yes. said one of them. .'pOOr old
RudIow is about all In this time.
reckon
But ezpostuiated another voice.
my wife says she heard he was going
to buy the WflIouShby pearls They'll
fetch Il cool fifty thousand at least"
..The bigger fool he.' rejoined the
other s,rimly. "a man in Budlow's po-
sition has no business doing stunts
like that He needs every cent be can
scrape together to keep his head above
water these umcS-"
II thought he was pretty well backed
had plenty of it,
so he was. but you know it takes
IA pretty biz b:lrrelful to supply the
wants of one of the Ainslee girls
BudIow married one OF them"
The Ai2siees were not richF
Poor as Jobs turkey. Dur the girls
we're all handsome and married
money. This one looks on poor old
Bud as n walking gold mine Hes :"
harassed that he can't exercise proper
Judgment in conducting his affairs
Some day my lady will ask for one
thing too many. and BudlOw will be
found with Il bullet in his brain"
And the WilIoughby pearls VIII
come under the hammer again.
laughed the other as the train drew
into the Central station.
Laura BudIow walked through the
station ike one in a dream She was
about to enter a waiting taxicab when
she drew back sharply. Ell will Walk
she said and turned toward Broadway
It was a long journey afoot down TO
Wall street. but in a burst OF self re-
proach Laura Budlow determined that
her feet should tread every inch OF the
way. Besides. she must have time to
think over many matters which had
presented themselves in a new light
that morning-since she had entered
the train.
AS she pIodded along. her high heeled
shoes quickly firing her feet. she
thought OF the painful poverty OF her
glrlhood-the constant struggle to Keep
up appearances. the overworked IA
Their and overanxious mother. then the
marriage of first one beautiful sister
after another into the rich set and
finally her own wooinG and wedding
to Henry Budiow-
OF course she had loved him in
way. but she had been so dazzled by
the prospect or an opulent future.
where there would be no weighing OF
dollars and cents. that she accepted it
as n fact that she was marrying Henry
BudIow for his money and nothing
else Since their marriage he had been
very good to her. and there was no
whfm that he had declined to crafty.
but his town office demanded much Of
his attention. and Laura had plunged
into the maeIstrom Of society. and
gradually all her tenderness for her
husband had been releGated to the
background. There only remained for
her the restless fever of coming and
going. OF spending lavishiy. until she
had grown to look upon her husband
merely as a mine of inexhauSrible
riches upon which She could draw In
definitely to supply all her needs.
whether real or ima=in!Iry.
With eyes fixed ahead and thought
concentrated on these painful mem,
orIes. Laura trudGed down the street
almost unconscious OF her utter N:eari-
ness. When she neared Wall street
there came the apprehension that Hen
" might have thought the matter over
IN his way to the city that morning
might have considered the purchase
Of the pearls as the last straw upou
his overburdened business and IN ut
Ter diScouragement might have ended
ms life as the man on the train had
predicted.
Even now be might be lying in his ]
splendid Offices with 4 small blne mark T,
ON his temple n pool of blood on the