The log cabin Democrat., 1921-07-01
Too Much in the
 Gaslight By DOROTHY WHITCOMB
g. Is-I. western Newspaper CnlonJ

ought to have been cheerful, for his father, old "Coloner' Alderson, had left him three million dollars in stocks and bonds and nothing to worry about.
 He became engaged to Miss liar greaveS. Louise Hargreaves was the belle of the season, as she had been that of the preceding two, and they had known each other for ages
 Once, when he had given her some gardeaiaS, he saw her an hour after ward, dancing, and she was wearing, not gardenias. but red roses. This did not pique William at all; it interested him.
 Why aren't you wearing those gar deniQs 1 gave you?' he asked her la ter.
 They faded" replied Miss liar greares. T think it must have been Inc bright light"
 "II give you some more,n said Bill, and turned away quite satisfied with his answer. But Louise Hargreaves laid her finger tips upon his arm.
 "Wait a minute" she said almost humbly. There's something I want to ask you. Why don't you like me, Bill?'
 Williams eyebrows went up with as tonishment
 Why, l do," he answered bluntly Il think the world of you, Louise. But l thought l hadn't a chance with so many other chaps around"
 Louise Hargreaves turned as red as her roses
 ''I didn't ask you that, Mr Alder son." she exclaimed angrily. You really are the most tactless man I know" she added
 I'm sorry Louise," said Bill, peni- tently. II wish you would marry me, though. Won't you?"
 And because he took her by surprise though the unconscious initiative had been hers-Miss Hargreaves ac- cepted him then and there. At the time she had not the slightest inten- tion of marrying him. She regretted her impulse all that night, and the next day she regretted it still more. She wished William Alderson were a thousand miles away. She told him so when he called to see her, carrying bouquet of-gardeniaS
 "Where do you want me to go, dear?" he asked.
 You sit right down in that chair" she answered, and blamed herself upon the arm. Now, Bill want to be very serious with you. You are very simple, straightforward person, and l am complex and-well. not seri- ous. Sometimes my heart seems quite withered."
 That's because you keep it in the bright light" answered Bill, not quite knowing that he was making mot.
 Bill" she said earnestly, \ don't want to ruin good mans life. And you are good. I want you to make me love you, I want you to dominate me, Bill"
 That afternoon he went round to see his lawyers. Sharp and Sharp were rogues.
 MT. Sharp" said William to the senior partner, respectfully, how luuCn Ilplley nave l SOl Icll.
 MT Sharp looked in his books and answered.: "A trife over two mil lions. Why?"
 Because I'm engaged to be married" William answered. My father used to tell me that some day he would show me how to double my capital any time l wanted to. Do you know how to do it, Mir. Sharp?" he asked look ing frankly at the senior partner.
 "Well-er-it can be done, of course" he answered.
 II guess l can trust you, Mir. Sharp" answered Bill, wringing his hand My father used to tell me always to be bull. Can't you be a bull for me1'
 Well" answered MT. Sharp, II hap pen to have good thing or two in mind"
 Alright, I leave 1t to you," said and went away.
 Three weeks later Sharp and Sharp shut up their offices for good.
 Bill walked round to see Miss liar greaveS.
 Louise, dear," he observed, I've lost every penny l had"
 "So Mir Sunderland was telling me yesterday" she answered. "What are you going to do, Bill?"
 I'm going Vest he answered. Will you wait dear?'
 She looked at him in amazement. She had long known that it would be impossible for her to marry Bill
 Tn write to you she gasped, and fed choking, mp the stairs That afternoon she wrote Bill a long letter. She told him that she could never marry him, Bill read 1t and stayed away, He had made all the prepara- tons for his departure when Sharp and Sharp were caught in Montreal, with one million, nine hundred and seventy-eight thousand dollars of BlIs money salted away. William unpacked hfS .uiiro-p and wont rouDd to caa