The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1918-12-19
When Money
Talks
~1
BY BERTHA R. MCDONALD
Copyright. 1918. by Mcclure Newspaper
Syndicate.)


Copyright, 1918. by Mcclure Newspaper
Syndicate)
The little music teacher ran up the
steps of the boarding house with flut-
tering heart, for she had seen the gray
coat of the postman disappearing
around the corner. The flutterlng
quickened into brisk tattoo like the
beating of tiny hammers, and by the
time she reached the hall table where
the letters were always laid 1t was like
the pulsation of mighty engine.
Yes, there was letter but the writ
Ing was not familiar. When she
reached the sacred precincts Of her
own room she read It and had just cast
IL aside with Il most contemptuous
sniff when there came tlmid knock
at the door, When she called "Come
in" the maid brought another letter
which In her haste she had overlooked.
Again her hope beat high, but this was
a wore bitter disappointment than the
erst.
"Slckening-both of them ~ she NUT
tered "Why must / be made the tar
get for such piffleW
Angrly she thrust them inside her
desk, closed It with bang and went
down to dinner. That evening, after q
brisk walk through little park near
by, the keen October air having
soOthed her rufIled spirits, she donned
comfortable dressing gown and wrote
to her old friend, Mrs. De Voss:
Dear M0llykins: 1t rests me just
to write your name. II carries me back
to the days when you were my sympa
thetic mother confessOr, and, Molly
kins, I've got to talk to you now, fol
you are the only one who will under
stand. I've worked so hard this past
year to build up my class and you've
heard how I've succeeded even beyond
my widest dreams. But success ISM
everything. Even here seem destined
to be nauseated with impossible things
I've Just had two of the most sickenini
proposals by letter that any girl evel
received. Possibly | might have reat
one or the other second time had
not been sure that each man Is counting
on my income to help support him
Peace TO the ashes of their unsolicited
alteration / tell you, dear | shal
marry for money. I've seen the foil!
of not preparing for a rainy day and I
has colored everything in the worlt
for me. When put my head into thu
matrimonial moose II will be when th'
future Mr.. Bess Courtland Is ready {,
hand me n checkbook on a nice, ia
bank account. AS 1t is, eplstolary ef
forts such as reached me today onl!
serve to frazzle my disposition. Buck
cts of slush,' Billy would call them. |
is needless for me to tell you wher'
my heart lies, and he has nevei writ
ten me line In all this long year.
thought, of. course, when our crasl
came and father died that Billy woult
be the first to come to me, and whel
he left for Colorado without so mucl
as good-by | was broken-hearted
Now I've joined the ranks of thOs
who believe that money talks. | cal
hear you call me ilinty of heart, bu
so will you be, Molly, If ever you COM
to feel the dull, sickening thud of tn
fall from the lap of luxury to the cold
stone floor of poverty. | hope yo,
never may. Write me soon-yOur let
ters are such comforts. Lovingly
"BESS."
That night the little music teache
cried herself to sleep and the mex
morning she said TO herself as sh
surveyed the pale face which looked Il
her with weary eyes from her mirror
Don't you let me catch you weer
Ing again over Billy Dempster, II
doesn't care iig about you and h
wouldn't weep over anybody"
BY the time she reached the stud
she had fully made up her mind tha
she hated Billy cordially and that If h
should ever see fit to write her lette
she would return 1t to him unopened
1t was several days later that speci0
delivery letter, bearing a COlorad
postmark reached Miss COurtlant
and after the messenger had gone, sh
stood gazing at the envelope, scarcel
able to believe her eyes, while tn
waiting pupil at the piano wondere
what was about to be disclosed.
"Billy's writingw gasped the teacl
er. "No-no-Im getting foolish O
course-it can't be-he doesn't kno,
my address, and yet J"
"Why don't you open it?' sliggeste
her pupil, and forgetting her late dt
termination to put Billy Dempster ou
of her life forever, Bess tore open hi
letter with fingers that trembled n
though she might have the palsy.
"Dear Bess," she read 81 wrote {
Molly De Voss two weeks ago for you
address and just got it today. HOY
are you, anyway? 1t seems a llfetlm
since | saw you. What are you doin
and how do you like living in CHI
cago? Molly didn't answer slngl
question | asked, so / shall wait anA
iously to hear direct from you abou
your work, your husband-if you hav