Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1919-07-05


nothing more to her than abraca-
dabra. The whole incredible altera.
ton was a fairy story to her. She
made q 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 1aunt-
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
sealed wife of Brigham himself.
"What are you planning to do with
all thisY she said at length.
81 don't know" said Daphne. "What
would you suggest"
''You were planning to go into bust
| - nSr 81
"Fine! What business ought 1 to
start-banking? or battleship build
ing, or what?"
| "There's embroidery" said Mrs.
Chivvis.
Daphne had to guffaw at that. Mrs.
Chivvis did not laugh. II mean it,"
she urged; 'think it over"
Gan right, I'll think it 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."
''IPs 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-
handed 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-
I AuGLlC u Ills COlllul0S1Ot4Ss b9uC yuWhON
in his face when he grew eloquent
on the dynamics of wealth, the higher
philosophers or 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 brown study
! LOT of
fairs; and Daphne was so exhausted
with the sultry problems of love thai
Mrs. Chivvis' business gossip was com
pletely refreshing.
''I've been down to the Woman's ex
change" she said, "trying to sell some
Of my needlework. They were very
nice about it, but it means terrible
money. You have to pay them s.
much a year for the privilege of put
ting your things on sale there. TheI
they don't guarantee to return it il
good condition, and they don't guaran
tee to sell it; or if they do they charg'
you 20 per cent for their end Of it.
ST couldn't see any profit in that, 81
L went " OuC VI TIC JODbGlSs LIZ SoAN
my style of work brought good prices
in the big stores. But they won't pa!
him much and he'll pay me less.
81 was thinking Thieves none.
in these things and in all sorts O
n needle things if you have little CAPT
tai"
"That's different" said Daphne
e "And I've got some capital now. d.
Il you remember suggesting to me ono
d that we might go into business to
s gether-you to furnish the brains ant
9 1 the money!"
n "oh, didn't put it that wayl"
IS anyway, it's true. Well, would
+. your"
e Lands sakel If you're a mind t
h furnish the money ard the ideas ant
n let me count the pennies, I'd like moth
d ing better"