Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1917-01-12
The Vices
Z Might Haze Been
By JANE M'LEAN.

Once, long ago, had an idea that
it might be thrilling to marry wealth.
] was young, you see, and | looked at
the thing from just one ANGLE could
buy as many suits as | liked season.
It's queer the way girls family likes
that idea OF money, too. After ! had
annexed Ray, as it were, mother
would carefully remark:
"You might have Ray in to dinner
on Sunday, Anne" and the first Sun
day Raymond's mother asked me TO
dinncr--it was quite an event-every
one was ready with little advice.
Raymond had skinny little car that
looked too small for him to drive. |
used to tease him about it lot, and
one day he arrived at the house to
take me out for drive in new gray
racer.
Of course, that helped, too, to daz-
gle me with his possible opulence un-
til discovered that it was his fathers
car, and Raymond had only borrowed
it for the OCCASION began to sus-
pect that things were strange when !
discovered that he asked me to many
entertainments that didn't cost him
anything, such as club dances that he
would have to pay dues for anyway,
or auto parties. But when it came to
first nights, or luxurious boxes of
candy in special wrappings, Raymond
was always conspicuous by his alb
scnce.
would never repeat this incident
at all il / were the kind of girl who
can't get along without things of this
kind But | can. | can have just as
good a time on a sandwich and cup
OF coffee as | can at the very stun
ningest dinner, il | know the man
who is with me is giving me the best
he can afford. But despise stingy
man. 1t always seems TO me to be
sordid to bubble about spending
money that one can afford to spend.
And then right in the middle Of
my affair with Raymond was stupid
enough to get the grippe. Anyone
who has ever had the grippe knows
that it is anything but pleasant, | was
awfully sick, and as cross as two
sticks. People were SO kind to me.
Everyone sent me flowers and jelly,
and fruit, and although | was too ill
to enjoy anything, | knew what peo-
pie thought OF me and it helped to
make me feel little better.
When mother brought up box of
flowers from Raymond, | actually sat
up in bed to unite the strings my
self. I'm sure don't know what !
expected to find, but what | did find
were six straggly carnations, and |
looked at them, and then looked at
mother, and then'l just put my head
down in the pillow and laughed and
laughed
Its hard 10 explain how | felt, but
Terry Walsh had sent me perfectly
huge bunch Of violcts, and knew it
was cxtravagant Of him to do it, while
Raymond. who was so able, sent me
six carnations at a time when one
just throws caution to the winds to
express sympathy for a person one
cares about 1t was terribly funny.
And so when got quite well, re-
fused Raymond, quite definitely and
quite firmly.
% But Anne" he protested, you led
me to expect that you cared. Why,
had the ground all selected where
| would build our house. | don't I'M
derstand you at all"
81 don't understand myself, either,
| said quite simply. But you sec
we're just not suited to each other;
you ought to be glad we discovered
it in time.
That's just one of your whims, -"
Raymond said furiously. "A girl
never cares how much money man
spends on her, these days. she just
takes it all and doesn't think he's
serious"
81 honestly believe you mean what
you say" | said laughingly, and &C
tually he did think that he had vast
ed all kinds of money on me all for
nothing.