Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1915-01-15

Jane overhearing asks Bob to accept. His
refusal, In the face OF thier poverty. chills
her. Brand wiles Jane into a conspiracy |
to make Bob earn" the ~. 000 They go |
for automobile ride to discuss details. |
Mrs Collins playing chaperon. Dick sees
money" by mail from Brand.
CHAPTER vIII-continued.
She thought of Bob, too. 1t seemed
to Jane that he had worn that faded
tan suit ever since she could remem-
Der. Poor Bob! She wished she |
could hurry over to New York, tell |
him about their good fortune and d. |
vide the hundred with him. OF course. |
that was out of the question, but he
would come into his own in the end
and, in the meantime, he should share
her new found wealth to some extent
She would buy him something; hand
kerchiefs. hose and some neckwear.
Christmas and birthdays vera the
only time he boasted such lu uries
for he never bought them for h hself.
Before she had finished wiz, her
list Jane found she had far exceeded
the equivalent Of her yellowback. She
had thought it would be hard to plan
the expenditure of so much money at
one time but now, without even STEP
ping inside Of q store. she had thought
of a score Of purchases and she found
1t necessary to prune and strike on
half the articles she wanted.
She longed to 60 over and break
the news Of her good fortune to Mrs.
Nol1 hsvk nh0 thorp oh
would be unwise. Mrs. Collins was
SO plebeian and narrow-minded that
she misconstrued everything, includ-
ing Brands attentions and intentions.
Il guess you won't be needing me as
q chaperon much longer" she had
said q few days ago and Jane was so
enraged at the remark that she felt
as II she could chastise her. But Mrs.
Collins would have been fully able to
avert such q catastrophe No one had
ever found such a thought father to the
deed with her: not even dear James.
No, Jane was powerless. She had
to have a chaperon and her neighbor
was the only one she could trust. De-
spite Mrs Collins proclivities for gos-
sip, she felt that she could trust her.
for in such little intrigues as this the
good woman was exactly in her own
element. So James expression Of re-
sentiment had been confined to harsh
words that brought tears and apollo
gies and a reconciliation.
She dressed hurriedly now in the IT.
repressible blue serge and started for
New York alone. On her way to the
car she stopped suddenly in front Of
her grocers. The monthly account
there remained unsettled. An idea oc-
CURED to her. Perhaps her plan for
revenging herself on the butcher
hadn't been 30 visionary after all. Why
not awe the grocer by revealing the
prosperous state Of her finances and
forestall another scene with Bob. She
was sure the man could find no way
of telling her husband that she had
presented q hundred dollar bill. Be-
sides, Bob seldom went into the place
She entered with Q cheerful Good
morning" to which the merchant
responded with q salutation not quite
10 cordial. He was thinking Of $17.4a
and of the fact that 1t was seven days
past the first of the month. But hel
next words brought such q metamor
phosis of manner that Jane smiled IL
spite Of herself.
Il want to pay the bill. Mr.. Nolte.
she informed him. Il neglected te
bring 1t with me. Would you MIND
looking 1t up?"
He wouldn't mind at all and al
though the figures were quite vividly
impressed ON his mind he wen
through the pretense Of examining hi
books and presently told her tn
amount. She held out the yellowback
at which Mr.. Notes best store smile
broadened, then waned and finally van
fshed into q blank stare Of hopeless
disappointment. He didn't have thu
change. Il was so early in the day
he told her. but II she didn't min'
waiting for q minute or so he woul'
have Frits mind the store while b.
tried to break the bill at Mr. Hoffen
bach's across the way But she di,
mind. She was In an awful hurry. Sh
had an appointment In the city an
was late now. OF course, tomorrow
would do. he reluctantly admitted an
he proceeded with much alacrity an
renewed amiability to take a substar
tial order that she found time to give.
Jane left the store In high spirit,
Money was indeed power. She opene
her purse and looked at the bill agai
while she waited for the car. The sigh
OF II thrilled her. Oh, why was ther
any such thing a. poverty Here l
this little strip of crisp paper was tn
key to lifee real joys; 1t pointed tn
route and paved the way to escap
from the bitter confines Of her imp
cunious past. She had never though
that II was not ightfully hers; tbs
she had not earned It. She knew onl
that she had 1t. So the gambler. whe
he nas won another mans none.
revels in thoughts OF how he wi
sQuander It and II buoyed up to th
heights Of all moral oblivion and fire.
dom from care.
CHAPTER TX.
asn> In Mar Own E1euna1t