The Press., 1914-09-16

had been used to CG~.11nG on her at least once or twice during each month. They seldom met except when he call ed upon her, for she seldom came to the city, and when she did there was very slight probability of their pass ing each other. However, a couple of months after Ned had written his pro- pOsal they did meet in a crowded street. Marcia passed him with a con- strained bow.
 One day Ned's father fell and was picked up unconscious. He never spoke again and died within two days. Ned now became the head of Ferguson & Go. and began his administration of its affHirs by making a thorough in- vestigntion as to its finances. One req son for his overhauIing its accounts was that he had noticed shortly before his fathers death that he had appear ed worried, and 1t was suspected that the cause had brought on the stroke that had resulted in his death. What was Edward Ferguson's surprise to find that his father had been engaged in speculatiOns that had caused an enormous gap in the firms finances, Had he lived he would have been obliged to fa"e failure within a very short time.
 There was nothing to do but for Ned to wind up the affairs of the concern. Fortunately he was not a member of the firm and was not loaded with it's debts. But now, instead of thirsting for the power that wealth gives. his only ambition was to pay the debts left by his father
 While Ned was awakening from a dream of wealth, Marcia Fosdick was awakening from a dream of poverty Her father had at last struck scheme that paid him very largely. He had invented an attachment for an auto mobile whi n sooner or later all such machines m"st have. He was selling the right to use 1t to all manufactur- CTS, and his royalties were already considerable
 Ned Ferr! on saw in the newspapers an account of the invention and the change Ii T!ade in Marcia's affairs. When he Il | written that condescend- ing letter h was rich and she was poor. Now ilH conditions were revers- ed. He haG lost his fortune and the girl he love 1. He did not expect a continuance of the favors he had re- ceived frOrN my of the wealthy girls he might h rc married. They were quite sym'H !Ctic. but none of them gave him an" further encouragement.
 One mo nir= Marcia Fosdick reoeiv- ed a lette" ppstmarked San Francisco. Withdrawin it from the envelope, she found two letters. One was from a lady whom she had met several times socially. who said: 'The inclOSed has been going the rounds of this state for a long while and has finally come un- der my notice. 1 think it must be in tended for you. At any rate, send it to you"
 The moment Marcia saw the address on the inclosure, covered with stamped finger pointers. 'try this'' and ''try that place" she recognized Ned Fer guson's handwriting.
 Ferguson came home one evening with heavy heart. He had placed the affairs of Ferguson & Go. in Hqui- dation and had offered the family home for sale. He found letter in the hall awaiting him and, taking it up, saw at once that 1t was from Marcia. He opened it and read it:
 Your lovely letter was only received this morning after having travelled all over the state of California. I regret that it did mt fn ma in fiY1on fn chaV hnNH deeply I have felt for you from the mo- ment I heard of your aff1iction and mis- fortune. I give you all the consolation I can-my own unworthy self.
 Ferguson stood daZed. In an instant the fabric he had built up about his relations with Marcia Fosdick had col lapsed. He had nothing to fear from her on account of his condescension in offering to marry her. But the fact that he had so considered 1t came down upon him with sledgehammer force. Singular it is that. while he had then considered her poverty bar rier between them, he now considered her affiuence in the same light.
 However, Marcia Fosdick had no de- sire for anything more than the con- fort and comparative independence that wealth can give. She loved Ned Ferguson with her whole heart, and she would accept no withdrawal of his proposal.
 Ferguson often thinks of the day that he wrote his proposal and was cOrre- spending with parties in California at the same time. He blesses the fact that the two fell together and an interval elapsed between the writing of the note and its reply. What occurred during that interval doubtless gave him an acceptance instead of a refusal