Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1919-09-03


for thousand dollars. 1t meant
nothing more to her than abraca.
| dabra. The whole incredible altera-
ton was fairy story to her. She
made faint attempt to refuse the
gift, but Bayard forced it back into
her palm and closed her fingers on it.
She repaid Bayard with kisses till
she lost count and embraces till they
both lost breath. Then she borrowed
| from him enough cash to pay her
moss-grown bill with the Chivvises.
Daphne could not wait for the ele-
vator. She ran up several flights of
stairs, scratched the door with her
palsied latchkey and flung herself
into Mrs. Chivvis' arms and kissed
her-even Mrs. Chivvis. Her apology
was the money for the bill. She flaunt-
| ed before her the check bearing the
heavenly legend commanding the Fifth
Avenue bank to "pay to Daphne Kip
or order one thousand and no hun
dredths dollars" on penalty of incur
ing the displeasure of "Bayard Kip"
Mrs. Chivvis handled the parchment
with reverence, and permitted her
husband to touch it. 1t might have
been one Of the golden leaves Of the
sacred Book Of Mormon, and she q
sealed wife Of Brigham himself.
"What are you planning to do with
all this?" she said at length.
ct doptt kporu cold nopbDo etVUI, n =
would you suggest?"
"You were planning to go into bust
ness. Why not use this as capitalT"
"Finel What business ought I to
start-banking? or battleship build
ing, or what?"
"There's embroidery" said Mrs.
Chivvis.
Daphne had to gufraw at that. Mrs.
Chivvis did not laugh. II mean it,"
she urged; "think it over"
"All right, I'll think 1t over"
The novelty Of being rich lost its
SAVIOR with Leila, and the monotony
of being neglected began to prey upon
her damask soul. She and Daphne
forgot their mutual grievances for
their common grievance.
"That's the trouble with these hus-
bands" Leila grumbled. "When they're
in bad luck you can't lose 'em, and
when they're in good you can't find
'em."
"It's the same with fiances," said
Daphne.
Daphne had the worst Of It, for
Leila began to wander again, leaving
Daphne to the society Of Mrs. Chivvis,
who kept urging her to invest her
dwindling thousand before it was
gone. But In the environs Of noisy
riches the schemes Of Mrs. Chivvis de-
manded such prolonged labor for such
minute profit that Daphne remained
cold.
She began to resent Clay's neglect
morosely. The few attentions he paid
her only insulted her; his mind was so
far away and his heart was all for his
business. He was dazzled by the fierce
white light Of success, and he spoke
to Daphne in kind of drowsy hypno-
sis. And he spoke necessarily of the
details of his business, or his gam
blings. He could not see how deaf
she was to the very vulgar fractions
of his speculations, or the mad arith-
metic Of his commissions. She yawned
In his face when he grew eloquent
on the dynamics Of wealth, the higher
PHILOSOPHERS OF finance. And he
never knew. He kissed her good-by
as If he were kissing a government
bond, safe and quiet and all his own.
After one of Clay's visits Mrs. Chiv-
Wis found Daphne In a brown study.
Mrs. Chivvis explained her own af-
fairs; and Daphne was 80 exhausted
with the sultry problems of love that
Mrs. Chivvis' business gossip was COM
pletely refreshing.
"Tve been down to the Woman's ex-
change" she said, "trying to sell some
of my needlework. They were very
nice about 1t, but 1t means a terrible
amount of labor for a pittance Of
money. You have to pay them so
much a year for the privilege Of put
ting your things on sale there. Then
they don't guarantee to return 1t In
good condition, and they don't guaran-
tee to sell it; or If they do they charge
| you 20 per cent for their end Of it.
II couldn't see any profit in that, so
went to one Of the jobbers. He said
my style of work brought good prices
In the big stores. But they won't pay
him much and he'll pay me less.
II was thinking There's money
in these things and in all sorts of
needle things If you have little capt.
tal."
"That's different" said Daphne.
"And I've got some capital now. Do
you remember suggesting to me once
| that we might go into business to-
gether-you to furnish the brains and
the money!
"Oh, I didn't put It that wayw
Anyway, it's true. Well, would
you"
LANDS sakei If you're a mind to
furnish the money and the ideas and
let me count the pennies, I'd like moth
ing better"