The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1921-02-02
The Wretched
Deceiver
BY r. RAY BAKER

the cares Of social life" murmured |
Winnie Atom, as the cool breeze OF |
Little Traverse bay caressed her brow. |
She was speaking to Leonard Brock |
WELL who sat on the hotel veranda be-
side her, striking imaginary flies on
the railing with his dainty cane.
Leonard was not dainty. He was
more than six feet tall and the muscles
Of a perfect physique rippled under his
Palm Beach suit. He was a cookbook
Ing blond young man.
Winnie was the dainty one being
fashionably slim and only five feet
three in height. She was pro-
nounced brunette, and sumner-white
frock with a tilted pink hat made her
look exquisite.
"Yes, tits So" replied Leonard, sti-
fling yawn and watching lake
steamer loaf into Petoskey harbOr.
"But, do you know, what appeals to me
most is to get away from driving the
everlasting motorcars. I've had SO
much of it l was glad to leave the
cars in the garage and be able to
stretch my legs without depending on
gasoline"
you're right" Winnie agreed.
"Driving motors bores me to DEATH"
Poor. pretending Winnie! Her So
cial obligations consisted Of an occa-
sional visit to a dancing assembly back
in Chicago, when she was not too tired
from her activities behind the SILK
counter. And all the motor she had
ever driven was the relic that did
service on Aunt Marthas farm in CEN
trail Ohio, where she spent last years
vacation.
For four years Winnie had saved
money, and 1t would have remained
in the bank where it was put if it had
not been for Phoebe Williams.
All Phoebe had done was to go and
get married. In some manner she had
caught a rich man, and now when she
strutted into the store she left an cleo
trio out in front.
That had set Winnie thinking. and
she had come to the conclusion the
only way TO enjoy life was TO have all
the money one wanted; and it seemed
the only way to such an attainment
was bv means of the matrimonial knot.
Her roommate had agreed, in so far
as the latter part of Winnie's philos-
ophy was concerned.
ITS done lots and lots of times
the chum declared, land the rich men
are hooked the easiest at summer re-
sorts. All you need is enough dough
one of those places, and the mrs
thing you know some son of the ldi'
rich is proposing TO you. It's easy
they say, but for me, I'll stick to jim
Wilson, even if he Is just trucI
driver"
That looked good-not the rruc'
driver. but the summer resort idea
so when vacation time came Winni
drew her seven hundred dollars fror
the bank, invested a considerable POI
ton of it in clothing and took steam
or for northern Michigan. At Petoske
she took a room in hotel close TO tn
shore of the bay and began her cam
paign.
Winnie had the looks and persona
ity to win. and at the start the youn
men staying at the hotel paid homag
to her. One of them, frail anemi
youth who never drew breath ur
favored with cigarette smoke, prC
nosed the second night she was there
bur somehow, for all of his eviden
wealth. Winnie could not bring hel
self 10 accept. She still retained Cir
hood ideas in which marriage mimi
love did not fit.
In tbe first week Winnie had thre
PROPOSALS to her credit and five hui
dred dollars on the other side of tn
ledger. She was progressing famousl
hut she was not satisfied. All the me
who had placed themselves in her ma
ket were wealthy. no doubt; but the
were insipid parasites clinging Tor III
m the riches their more ambitious fl
theirs had accumulated.
Then along came Leonard Brocl
we'll. and she fell in love with Mn
To be sure the wealth that was ev
don't in his dress and bearing attrac
Oh her rs much as his handsome a
ne,ronce. but before she had know
him twenty-four hours the mont
question faded into insigniticance b
fore the mans wonderful personalit
She feared she would lose him,
she felt obliged to continue the pr
tense she had begun. which account'
for her reference now and then to n
social sphere back home
On the fourth night the clim'
came. They walked along the beac
in the light of a full moon WIFI
turned the blue Of the water to bur
ished silver. They sat in an arhor
trees and there he proposed. and s
accepted.
"The only girl ever could begin
love" he breathed, and she told HI
similar things; and they were I
truth.
But Winnie had conscience. and
began to intrude itself. She tossed
night in bed. unable to reconcile III
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