Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-02-06
Moonlight and
Money

BY Marion Rubincam

Had Louisa followed certain Of the
scfivities of her fathers friend,
Murray Butler, she would nave peeII
very much surprised. FOR during
the time that she was at the sItoIe
resting over a period of hot weather
Murrev Rutler laid out a certain
plan. and In his usual calm ana
m~ethodical manner, started to WORK
1t out. or,o,
After q few paragraphs @pouL d
business venture in Whlch ne HS9
''Since you are Louise's father anu
since YOU have appointed me a sort
az guardian over tnat
Young lady's interests, l suppose Ia
better tell you that ! intend to inter-
fere q little In concerns that, proper
ly, I nav nothing TO DO WITH;
you could do this better than L,
ainee Won have a more intimate in
terest In. and knowledge Of, her at.
rairs She has told me a little OF
why she broke with her husband. L
can see In them excellent reasons
for not having married as hastily as
she did, and for leaving him, for a
time. But 1 don't think they apply
now.
II tried to show her this, but she
would not listen. She Is making a
fair little income herself now,
enough to be independent in a mod
est way-and what l want to Know
is, have you any knowledge as TO
how the chap-Henry Morton-ls
getting on? Nv tried to look him
ITp casually, but find no less than
three Henry Morton's in the direc-
tory, all in one way or another con
nected with the same sort or buSl-
ness. And / dom like to seem to in
trude too much in his affairs or hers
so thought you might nave the
facts l want.
For If he isn't getting on fairly
we'll himself, I shan't even try to
bring about q reconciliation-tn fact
I wouldn't let Louise go back to him,
for 1t would be to the same problem
she had before, but with less pa
tlence than she had then.
Your old friend, =.
Murray"
While he was waiting for an an
swer to this letter he was not idle.
He tried in various ways to draw
Louise out, but he never managed to
find her In n confidential mood. AT
least, she would never tell him
whether she would consent to go
back to Harry, or what the circum-
stances might be hat would induce
her to try 1t again.
One day he tried a new plan. DO
you think you are q success?" he
asked her.
She had returned from the shore
and was established again In her
studio" In her summary smock,
and a daring colored sport skirt, with
her skin tanned a healthy shade, she
was looking unusually well.
She considered the matter serious
", tracing out the design of the rug
with the toe of a perfect little buck
skin pump.
'I'm making about fifty q week."
she answered finally.
Il didn't ask that" Butler said
calmly. huntAg about In one pocket
after another for his match box.
II haven't been doing this sort Of
work so long" Louise answered,
pushing some matches toward him.
No, 1 don't think I'm a success, but
[ do think I'm a successful beginner.
Annabelle has been working four
years and doesn't make any more
than /, and the little artist above me
who does advertising illustrations
lives on barely twenty-five"
do you measure success by
money!" Butler asked, looking over
at her. Louise met his quiet, keen
glance, and suspected then that all
this conversation had an underlying
purpose. Usually when Butler tried
to be serious with her, she took up
a frivolous attitude, but today She
NAa NV VOL ~ oOASS 49,
"You do think I'm mercenary,
don't you, Murray" she said.
You've said it once or twice. Per
haps I am, but you know for awhile
! had rather a hard time because OF
money or, rather, because I did not
have 1t. And all my troubles and
unhappiness really come just because
I didn't have enough-once, when
needed it."
"Iu other words, you are, or are
shortly to be, a success Murray
repeated his question i~nsistcntly.
'I'm beginning to be a fad
Louise answered. People are talk
ing about Louise Morton Nurseries
as though they were desirable ,anC
fashionable.
"And is that success" Batter in
sisted. This time Louise made nc
defense. She looked closely at him
then sat silent, staring without see
ing, at the toe of her liz shoes.
TomorrOw-Louise I'm. sJyes.