Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1921-01-25
Looking Like a
Million
By WILL 7. AMEs

t@. 1890. By Mcclure Nswspspsr syndieats.)
| When Beth Bedell came back to
North Gilead. after two years' abb
sence In the metropolis, the clothes she
wore produced exactly opposite Inn
pressions in the minds Of Hugh Silsby
and Imogene Dart.
Imogene, though she had but fleet
ing glimpse of Beth as the "jit" from
Gilead snorted through the village, ex-
ultantly reported to Amy Austin that
Beth Bedell Is home, wearing about q
dollar and a quarters worth Of dress
and forty cents worth Of haiti"
Hugh, however, experienced sud-
den sinking sensation around the heart
when he made an errand over to the
Bedells that afternoon and found Beth
looking, as he told himself, "like 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 1t had all worked out with
Beth precisely as 1t always did in the
Gilead theater movies-Beth had be-
come a regular fashionable city girl,
quite unattainable for plain fellow
like himself. Why, her clothes alone
must cost lot more in 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
a 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. BE
sulked, and his sulks took the guise Of
stiff formality.
"Glad to see you home. Miss Bedell."
he said solemnly.
"Miss Bedelll" laughed Beth. "Since
when7 Don't be silly, Hugh. It's aw-
fully 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
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 a tiny red spot remained.
Hes out at the barn." she said, and
without further word walked straight
into the house.
North Gilead was very small place.
It boasted of only one rich man, and
of him 1t boasted not greatly. Merton
Phelps at twenty-five was q shade
stingier than his father had been at
seventy-two, when after lifetime OF
miserliness he left a trunkful Of be-
loved mortgages and securities to his
only son.
Young Phelps dressed showily, If
with infinite regard for bargain. for
he was vain. he cultivated the man.
ner of village beau. for he had a
keen eye for feminine loveliness. but
no North Gilead girl could truthfully
maintain that Merton had ever spent
q nickel on her. Still there is certain
glamour to q 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 Gil
cad was shaken to Its foundations by
the news, spread like wildfire, that
Merton Phelps had actually hired Ed
Godfrey's new roadster and taken Beth
Bedell to ride, leaving his own second
had flivver idle In the garage. And
when, next day, 1t transpired that he
had taken her to Lake Chemung and
paid four dollars for something to 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
II wasn't carrying Beth off on some
frightfully costly excursion or other 1t
was chasing into Gilead after choco-
lates and, finally, for box Of orchids
especially ordered from the Gilead
florist.
Meantime Hugh Silsby had suffered
agonies Of remorse for his churlish be-
havior toward Beth-and continued to
sulk the deeper. Not again did he see
! Beth, save at distance, except once
when she waved at him from the green
car and was gone like flash with
"that id monkey Of Phelps" grin
ming at her side.
1t was the morning after the orchids
Hugh was disconsolately going about
his "chores' In his big barn when
there came light step on the floor
and laughing "Good morning, Hugh"
It was Beth.
"Good morning. Isn't this a queer
place for a city" ..
"Now Hugh. you stop that" inter
rupted Beth. "I'm not going to let you
take that tone with me again. 1t isn't
fair to me-nor to yourself. I've come
to tell you something. Do You want to
hear itr'
Il was the old Beth. He could see
It now. even If there was something
different about the clothes and the
way her hair was done, and such small
matters. But It only made Hughs