Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1920-12-29
Looking Like a
Million
By WILL T. AMEs

49, LEV 81 13cC4gFe Newspaper Sy1dlcate.j
When Beth Bedell came back TO
NortA Ghead, after two years all
selSce in the metropolis, the clothes She
were produced exactly opposite inn
pressioas Ia The minds of Hugh Snsby
and lmogene Dart.
llHoseae. though she had but fleet
as glimpse OF Beth as the ''jit" from
Glead snorted through the village. ex-
uliantly reported 10 Amy Austin that
Beth Bedel is home, wearing about a
dollar and quarters worth of dress
and forty cents worth OF hatI'
Hugh, however, experienced sud
den sinking sensation around the heart
| when lie made an errand over TO the
Bedells' that afternoon and found Beth
looking, as he told himself, like a mil
lion dollars
Beth's face lighted as the tall young
farmer came through the gate, and if
Hugh had been less stunned by the
luxurious aspect of the homecomer he
might have noticed that the rose of
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 ii had all worked out with
Beth precisely as it always did in the
Gilead theater movies-Beth had be-
come a regular fashionable city girl,
quite unattainable>for a plain fellow
like himself. Why, her clothes alone
must cost a lot more in year than he
could clear on his place even with the
best of luck
Dispirited, vaguely but keenly dis
appointed-fort 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
suIked, and his sulks took the guise of
stiff formality.
Glad to see you home, Miss Bedell,"
he said solemnly.
Miss Bedell!" laughed Beth. "Since
when? Don't be silly. Hugh. It's aw-
fully good to see you. Why don't you
tell me I'm looking we.ll"
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
different tree from old friends nova
days. don't you? Your father in?"
For al instant Beth stared amazed
Then the rose in her cheeks died till
in either tiny red spot remained.
Hes out at the barn." she said. and
without further word walked straight
into the house
North Gilead was a very small place.
1t boosted of only one rich man, and
of him it boosted not greatly. Merton
Phelps at twenty-five was a shade
stingier than his father had been at
seveniy-two. when after lifetime of
miserliness he left a trunkful of be-
loved mortgages and securities to his
only son.
Young Phelps dressed showily, II
with infinite regard for a bargain, for
he was vain. He cultivated the man.
ner of village beau. for he had a
keen eye for feminine Ioveliness. but
no North Gilead girl could truthfully
maintain that Merton had ever spent
nickel on her. Still there is a certain
glamour to a hundred and fifty thou
sand dollars, and girls were not want
ing to welcome his inexpensive and In
sinuating 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 fas-
cination of beauty exceptionally
groomed and fetchingly gowned, he
asked If he might drop around and
set on the porch" with her that eve
ming, Beth granted him the privilege
with condescension quite new to his
experiences.
Two evenings after that North Gill
cad was shaken to its foundations by
the news, spread like wildhre, that
Merton Phelps had actually hired Ed
| Godfrey's new roadster and taken Beth
| Bedeli to ride, leaving his own secondA
had flvver idle in the garage. And
| 1851 AtN-ht WY ~ iAhbHlifANG lAliA wv
had taken her TO Lake Chemung and
| paid four dollars for something 10 eat
| at the Chemung pavilion. the com
| munity almost became speechless.
That was the beginning. For two
| weeks Merton Phelps belied his repu-
| tation and his antecedents at ruin
| Gus rate. The dark-green roadster was
| at the Bedells' door daily. And when
| il wasn't carrying Beth off on some
frightfully costly excursion or other ii
was chasing into Gilead after choco-
| lates and, finally. for box of orchids
especially ordered from the Gilead
| iOrist
Meantime Hugh Silsby had suffered
| ngonies of remorse for his churlish be-
havior toward Beth--and continued to
Sulk the deeper. Not again did he see
| Beth, save ar distance, except once