, 1922-08-17
Lucy Varney
Decides
By MARTHA M. WILLIAMS
70. 1919, by Mcclure Newspaper syndlcate.l

what the fellow writing in the Dis
patch calls him. l don't know who
Midas was. | CUES | don't read the
Bible as close as | should. But l
should judge hat he must have been
pretty well off If he was anything
like this George Varney."
1t was John Varney who spoke, a
third or fourth cousin of the Varney
who had Midas touch of gold. John
had moi prospered so. The varney
industry he had inherited as gener-
ously as George Varney, but with it a
combination of shortslghtedness and
over-confidence hat resulted in what
John called plumb bad luck Now
at fifty a seasons bad crops had
brought him face to face with the grim
fact that after he had paid interest
on his mortgage he would have to ap-
proach the winter and It's needs with
exactly $50 ahead.
Undoubtedly something had to be
don and that without delay.
"If 1 was a mite younger I'd go up
to the city and see this cousin
George" John Varney old his daugh-
ter Lucy. Seems as If any one that
can make money so fast as he can
ought to be able to show me how to
get a little, too. If | had a son. now,
I'd send him up there and get him to
introduce himself as n kin of his and
learn the game. I'd
I'm sorry" said Lucy. as If she
felt somehow her father blamed her
for being n girl. I'm sorry that 1
didn't go to normal and get a teach
er's license so I should have been
able to bring in real money. But
somehow 1t always seemed l was
needed mt home"
Don't fret about that" broke in
the father. ut wasn't your fault.
you wanted to bad enough. But your
mother and | always thought it was
nice to see n girl kept at home, learn
ing how to keep house, helping her
w mother. That was my idea and
I wouldn't have II otherwise
The next day Lucy Varney sur
prised her father and mother into
speechlessness when she appeared Mt
breakfast in her blue serge suit and
her neat best" hat. She was ready.
she said, to go up to the city. She
was going to see George Varney-not
to beg money. but to get him to show
her how to earn 1t. The city lay 200
miles away n Lucy intended defray-
Ing the expenses by money she had
earned and saved from. taking maya
zine subscriptions among he farmers
in the county. This would only be
enough to take her to the city. She
wouldn't come home until she had
earned enough to pay her trip back
and to tide owe for the winter. So
positive was she that this was the
only thing to do hat her parents ac-
qulesced before they had had time TO
take In the situation completely.
Neither father nor mother nor Lucy
had ever been 10 the city. If Lucy
had announced her intention Of going
TO China or the South Sea isles they
could hardly have been more sur
prised.
Lucy waited at the office of the
great money maker. George varney.
for two hours. and It was finally only
the magic name of Varney on her
printed card that she presented to the
receiving clerk that secured for her
an interview with Mr.. Varney's pri-
vate secretary. Three days later, after
considerable insisting and promises
not TO keep Mr.. Varney more thar five
minutes at the most. Lucy was grant
ed an Interview. She was mnde to
understand that It was only because
of her claim to relationship that such
n privilege had been awarded.
Varney of the Midas touch rather
enjoyed having his employees regard
him as slightly eccentrIc-eccentrlc in
n distinguished way. This reputation
gave him privileges as to a%bruptness
and unexpected decisions that might
have been disputed In n man not so
generally expected to act In an orig
lnal name
"You mustn't he offended" warned
the private secretary. ushering Lucy
Into Mr.. Varney's room, 'if he is ali
rupt with you. Remember you have
asked for this Interview, and you
must take the consequences"
So Lucy was In "A measure prepared.
She told her story simply and direct
ly TO Narney, so much Interested In
making II quite clear that neither she
nor her father was asking for n gift
or a loan. but only for an opportunity
to earn the money needed, that she
did not notice how closely the eccen.
trio man scrutinized her, drawing his
conclusions with the analysis OF a de-
t~ective.
"What are You trained to do7'
asked Narney.
Nothing" said Lrcy.
"Thnt Is bad. Isn't there anything
YOU do well?'
81 can cool and keep house; I he
lleve I can make as good cake and pie
and hrend ms any one In the country.
! have taken first prizes at county
fairs. You see. | never had n chance