The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-12-03
Epening Story
Looking Like a Million.
BY Will T. AMES.

produced exactly OppOSllS 41iPA SSSAoAio
in the minds OF Hugh Sllsby ana
Imogene Dart.
Imogene, tho she had but a fleeing
glimpse of Beth as the cit" from
Gilead snorted thru the village, ex-
uItantly reported to Amy Austin that
| Beth BedelI is home, wearing about 2.
dollar and a quarters worth of dress
and forty cents worth of haG!"
Hugh, however, experienced a sud
den sinking sensation around the hearc
when he made an errand over to the
Bedells that afternoon and found Beth
looking, as he told himself, like a
million dollars"
Beth's face lighted as the tall young
farmer came thru the gate, and if
Hugh had been less stunned by the
luxurious aspect of the homecomer he
might have noticed that the rose of
I her cheeks grew deeper as she shook
hands with him.
What really absorbed Hugh's mind
to most melancholy effect was the con-
viction that it had all worked out with
Beth precisely as it always did in the
Gilead theater movies-Beth had be-
come a regular fashionabl city girl,
quite unattainable for a plain fellow
like himself. Why, her clothes alone
must cost lot more in a year than he
could clear on his place even with the
best of luckl
Dispirited, vaguely but keenly dis
appointed-for he had been thinking
deal, and with secret hopefulness,
about Beth ever since he heard she
was coming home-Hugh- followed the
well-blazed trail of ingenious youth in
such case made and provided. He
sulked. And his sulks took the guise
of stiff Formally.
Glad to see you home, Miss Bedell."
he said solemnly.
IQaS I1lIVf
when? Don't be silly, Hugh. It's
awfully good to see you. why don't
you tell me I'm looking well?"
You look mighty nifty, if that's
what You mean" replied Hugh with
elaborate ungraciousness; but you
look like somebody else-somebody
that flies high. Guess you perch on a
9lIIerent tree from old friends nova
days, don't you? Your father in?"
For an instant Beth stared amazed.
Then the rose in her cheeks died till
In either only a tiny red spot remain
ed. He's out at the barn. she said.
and without further word walked
stralght into the house.
North Gilead was a very small place.
IL boosted of only one rich man, and
OF him it boosted not greatly. Mer-
ton Phelps at twenty-five was a shade
| stlngter than his father had been at
seventy-two, when after a lifetime OF
miserliness he left a trunkful of be-
loved mortgages and securities to his
only son.
Young Phelps dressed SLOWLY. if
with infinite regard for bargain, for
he was vain. He cultivated the man
ner of a village beau. for he had a
keen eye for feminine loneliness, but
! no North Gilead girl could truthflllly
maintain that Merton had ever spent
a nickel on her Still there is a GER
| tain glamour to a hundred and fifty
thousand dollars, and girls were not
wanting to welcome his insinuating
| batteries.
On the afternoon of Beth's home
coming, within an hour after Hugh's
brief visit, she met Phelps in the post
| office. And when, spurred by the
fascination of beauty exceptionally
groomed and fetchingly gowned, he
| asked if het might drop around and
set on the porch" with her that eve
ming, Beth granted him the privilege
with a condescension quite new to his
experiences.
Two evenings after that North
| Gilead was shaken to its foundations
by the news, spread like wildfire, thai
Merton Phelps had actually hired Ed
Godfrey's new roadster and taken Beth
Bedel1 to ride, leaving his own ole
second hand flivver idle in the garage
And when,s next day, it transpired that
he had taken her to Lake Chemune
1
eat at the Chemung pavilion, the COM
| munity almost became speeches..
That was the beginning. For two
weeks Merton Phelps belied his repu-
ltation and his antecedents at ruinous
lrate. The dark-green roadster was al
the Bedells' door daily. And when Il
wasn't carrying Beth off on sons
frightfully costly excursion or other
it was chasing into Gilead after chec9.
1ates and, finally, for a box of orchid:
especially ordered from the Gilead
florist.
Meantime Hugh Silsby had suffered
agonieS of remorse for his churlisf
behavior toward Beth-and continued
to sulk the deeper. Not again did ht
see Beth, save at a distance, excep
once when she waved at him from
the green car and was gone like
flash with that damned monkey o.
a Phelps grinning at her side.
1t was the morning after the or
chids. Hugh was disconsolately goinl
about his chores" in his big barr
when there came light step on thu
: floor and a laughing Good morning
Hugh" It was Beth.
Good morning. Isn't this queel
Now Hugh, you stop that" inter
, rupted Beth. Pm not going to let YOU
take that tone with me again. 1t ism
fair to me-nor to yourself. I've com
hear it?"
1t was the old Beth. He could SCI
it now, even if there was something
different about the clothes and tn
way her hair was done, and such small
matters. But it only made Hugh
ksense of loss the more acute.
I'm mighty sorry, Beth" he said
: that 1 was-well. downright mast
) the day you came home. But CUES
> it isn't going to be easy to hear wha
you have to tell. Maybe we'd bette
take it for granted. hope he'll max
z you happy. 1 honestly do"
Then Beth laughed "a very real
hearty laugh, but with a little catch a
the end.
Hugh" she said, INERT Phelps /
horrible little cad. wouldn't MARI
him if every dollar he had were
million and he'd spend it all as
wished. Listen to me, goose knel
in a minute, that day, what was tn
matter with you. You thought I ha
grown luxurious and extravagant an