Catoctin clarion., 1921-10-13
Mollie Reveals
Her Secret
70. 1921. Western Newspaper Union.)
BY NATALIE F. PETERS

their marriage. All the arrangements
had been completed and for BRIEF
hour the lovers were alone together ut
the home of the bride-tO-be.
"Are you quite reconciled to marry
ing the daughter of a rich man, dear
est?" asked Mollie Greaves, nesting
up against Walter Barrett, her fiance.
"Just think! If you hadn't been so
proud, Walter, we could have been
married two years by now."
"And where would my self-respect
be, Mollie?' asked Walter. l love
you with all my heart, but l could
hardly live as pensioner upon my
wife, could II"
"But, dearest, surely your love for
me is stronger than your pride" urged
Mollie.
"Well, but now l shall have you
and keep my pride too he answered.
81 always knew that some day my
pictures would be snapped up. wal
lis. the dealer on the avenue, has been
offered thousand dollars for that
seascape of mine and"
He broke off suddenly, for there
were tears in his brides eyes.
"What is It, dearest" he pleaded.
"Have l said something to hurt your!
"No," she sobbed. But, Walter,
have been deceiving you these two
years"
"Come, out with it," said Walter;
but he was smiling no longer What
could it be? Something dreadful, no
doubt, and something by which he
was to prove the sincerity of his love
for her.
"Then listen, Walter, and let me
finish before you say a word.' said
Mollie, sitting up primly and stifilI
before him. "It's about your pictures.
During the last year you have beer
getting better and better prices for
them from Enoch. haven't your"
"Well, ! should say l have"
"Then listen, Walter" said Mollie
quickly. ",rhat Is all trick of mine
and fathers. When you asked me to
wait until you had made name for
yourself father thought you foolish.
He had money enough for both of us,
he said, and nothing would have
pleased him better than that you
should continue painting all your life
and let the future take care of itself.
But when you refused-well, you know
that Moonlight Over Brooklyn Bridge
of yours?
"Well, | should guess so. Enoch
gave me $3.50 for that and ii was
my first success"
"Enoch didn't buy It," sobbed Mol
lie AT least, didn't buy 1t on chance,
as you suppose. Father went to him
and told him he would pay $3.50 for
that when you took it to Enoch and
$40 extra for each picture you painted
until you reached thousand dollars.
And those customers of Enoch's who
you thought bought all your pictures
they were just father and me, Walter.
And every picture that he has bought
he has given away. And now | know
that things are back just where they
were two years ago, and ! oughtn't
to have told you, but couldn't marry
d
So kiss me once and then l will leave
YOU and not see you again until--why,
Walter"
lie was bending over her and laugh
ing, and the kiss that he gave her
did not seem in the least like fare
well kiss, but rather harbinger OF
many kisses to come.
"Walter! You aren't going to leave
me? You are going to forgive meT
Mollie whispered increduously.
Walter sat down in his chair again
and drew her on his knees and kissed
the last of the tears away.
"NoW you listen to me, Mollie, ana
don't you interrupt me until l am
through" he began. "Of course II
had known of that little trick / should
have been extremely angry. But 1t
has helped me in more ways than you
imagine. In the first place, this Civ
ing away of my paintings to hospitals
and schools has advertised me and ere
ated a demand for my work"
Yes" breathed Mollie.
And only last Friday was in at
Wallis and he said to me: wish you
wouldn't give all your work to Enoch,
Mr.. Barrett Why don't you let me
have some of itT So l told him that
| had made years contract with
Enoch to give him so many pictures
and that | couldn't break 1t. And
what do you think? Well, If / hadn't
entered into that arrangement l should
have been able to dispose of my work
at Just about twice as much again,
and if my pictures hadn't been dis
persed throughout the city could
have a collected exhibit this winter
as Wallis wants. SO that you and my
reNpected father-in-law to be have de-
prived me of just about half years
income"
Walter"
Five thousand dollars, and I'm go
ing to get it back from YOU"
"How?' asked Mollie, smiling.
lone dollar apiece" answered Wal
ter. give thousand kisses ut COM
pound interest, doubling themselves in
five and twenty years."
Cast Iron Research Association,