The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-09-29

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cious driveway that ctrcied around
the house.
Bob entered and took his seat at
a small table,. Presently a white
clad waitress approached him with
a list OF dishes offered for that
days dinner. Bob took It with a
queer thrill-it was Enthusiastically
written by Jane Romily. The soil.
tary meal followed, but Jane Rom.
lily did not appear. After It was
over Bob offered his card to the
maid, and asked her to take It to
Miss Romilly. He wished to see
her.
The answer was that Miss Rom.
lily would see him in the old din.
Ing room across the hall. She new.
err appeared before the regular
diners. said the maid. and her aunt
remained In her room. This,
though Bob, was quite in keeping
with the proud spirit Of the Rom.
tllys even in the hour Of their mis-.
fortune.
Jane was alone In the old dining
room, and she rose from her desk
at one side OF the room and came
swiftly to him with outstretched
hand.
How amazingly well you are
looking" Bob could not refrain
from saying.
eyes" laughed lana THE wor,,
seems to agree with me, doesn't
it?"
But why didn't you tell me?i
| might have helped you. You
know l once got you to promise
that II you ever needed help you'd
forget old prejudices and send for
me.
"ob. but IT was TOO late by the
time ! found out" said Jane quite
cheerfully. The harm was done
and the only thing l could do was
to face the music. Besides, IT'S
been wonderful experience. Aunt
is very feeble, now. She keeps to
her room with her attendant and
| really doesn't know. And the work i
and the people keep me from lone.
Illness. ! really don't know how 1t
will all end"
Bod Thorold shuddered. II was
outrageous to think OF Jane Rom. i
lily spending the years Of her life
feeding hungry motorists.
He sat beside her in the dusk !
and while she talked cheerrully OF |
the weather and garden crops, Bob
sat with his head bowed.
Don't talk about such things"
he burst out, Jane, Jane-If this
had only come sooner. / was In
love with you'll always have been,
but never dared to ask you, be.
cause--well, because I did not
think that a poor boy like me had
any right to ask Jane Romilly to
marry him. | was afraid OF your
money and your pride l know you
are still proud"
mo, Bob, confess the Romilly
pride is slipping away. I've learned
lot in ten years. and this little
business venture, which really has
been absurdly profitable, has
taught me that people are pretty |
much the same wherever you find
them. No, Bob, the Roinilly for.
tune has remained and I'm adding !
to It, but the old Romilly pride |
has spent ITSELF"
Then you didn't lose your mon.
egg gasped Bob Thorold, But !
why did you start all this?"
why. that's the joke. People
don't think l lost my money, do
they? Well, that makes It all the |
more interesting. No, some one,
of the editors Of the Guide Book |
just made a funny mistake. Prob.
ably thought our house looked like |
a roadhouse and assumed It was. |
Aud 1t does rather. So the people
began to come, and they were hun.
cry and 1t was such fun feeding |
them and so hard to explain the
mistake every time, that | tust
started In. I wanted to see II |
had any Of the Romilly bump for
business. Imagine those inquisi.
tive old Brompton natives Just
making it up out Of whole cloth
that I'd lost my money"
II never would have come to see
you II had not believed them"
said Bob. "For my own part I'm
sorry that they were wrong"
Jane Romilly leaned forward and |
placed a fair, capable hand owe,
one Of Bob's resting on the arm Of
his chair.
PERHAPS could manage to lose
it-if-"
"You really will marry me-
them" stsmmered Bob
And Jane said that she really
would.