Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-10-25
HER MONEY
BY CAROLYN BEECHER


in bonds to her orphaned niece and
namesake whom she has never seen.
The $4,000 bequest is willed to be-
come the girls the day she weds. with
the provision she must marry before
she is thirty-five. The young heiress
finds her aunt's diary, which discloses
that the peculiar condition was due to
her aunt's loneliness in her loveless old
age Althea rents the home at Holden
to widow for $40 month and returns
to New York to resume her work as
clerk in a department store, and her
room mate, Holly, tells her friends
about Altheas good lucknow go on
with the story.
CHAPTER TX
THO have something you feverishly desire;
something you feel belongs to you al
most within your reach and not be
able to grasp it is almost maddening. Althea
felt that money belonged to her. was hers
by right, yet she constantly visioned it as
escaping her
The house shat had so delighted her grew
distasteful. That small rent check sent'upon
the first of each month was a reminder OF
the other larger check She might have had
but for her Aunt Althea's unfair will often
she figured the income on $4,000 at five
at six, even at seven per cent. And each
time she did so she grew more bitter to-
ward the lonely woman who, missing love-
marriage, children, had thought she missed
everything worth while and had attempted
to force her to marry.
Althea had changed good deal-or de-
veloped. A new seriousness, almost mood
iness had taken the place of the careless ac-
ceptance of life she had shown before her
aunt died; before she realized she had an
aunt. In imagination she saw herself as a
wealthy woman, able to indulge her fancies
In reality she an ordinary salesgirl
slave, working day after day just as if those
bonds weren't waiting for her.
She had spells of accepting the attentions
of any and every young man who, proffered
them. At other times she would refuse to
have anything to do with them, sitting mood
lily in her room thinking of what she might
have and do had Aunt Althea been normal
woman and not been obsessed by such
crazy idea of what she needed to make her
happy.
"Forget it, Akhea, until that old lawyer
hands it over" Mollie, not understanding
her moods, advised.
II can't" Althea replied. cit belongs to
"Why don't you tell me how long you
have to w@t? What's the niger in the
woodpile,' anyway"
"No-I can't tell" She conveyed the
idea that she wasn't allowed to tell. tHN
"Must be something mighty queer if you
can't tell me-" Mollie returned. But you've
got that ducky house and twenty dollars a
month more to spend until you get it.
What's the use of grouching about. the 9TH
er? You're getting to be a regular Miss
Gloom and you used to be good fun. If
having money left them makes people act as
you do, thank heaven l haven't any rich
aunts to leave me ANY,"
Althea never had been particularly mer-
cenary, was not now. 1t was not the mon
ey it was what it would do for her she
thought Of. She had fair education, longed
to travel, and mapped out tour after tour
she would take were the money hers. She
would take gay little Mollie with her and
they would explore foreign places, go where
they liked, bound only by their own sweet
will, instead of living in one ugly little room
in a cheap boarding house. .-,,-
Mollie was not well. A hard cold had
hung on until she was feverish, but she con-
tinued to work. One morning she could not
get up and after doing all She could for her
Althea left her, making her promise she
would remain in bed all day.
When she returned from the store in the
late afternoon she found Mollie very Ill and
Immediately told her she must have a doc
tor a She consulted the landlady who told
her there was one only few doors away. :
When the doctor arrived she was rather
surprised to find him young and attractive.
His manner was wholly professional and IN
spired confidence, although 'at first she had
doubted his ability.
Mollie was i'll for some time. Young Dr..
Graham came often at first, then more sell
dom, but he usually called during the
evening Althea saw him frequently.
81 think it better to call when you are
here" he explained. 81 can then be sure
you understand my directions"
He often Remained to chat few moments
as MoIie grew better, then after she was
sitting up he surprised Althea one night by
asking her to take a walk with him.
"I'll have you i'll on my hands" he said,
eff you stay in so closely after working all.
day"
Althea enjoyed her walk which was fol-
lowed by others and an occasional ride in
the doctors inexpensive when he was
not too busy BY the time Mollie was able
to return to- work Peter Graham made no
excuses for his invitations. He ambi
tious he let nothing interfere with his work.
but all his leisure evenings and Sundays
were devoted to Althea who had almost for
gotten to grumble to Mollie about her Leg
acy Her fits of moodiness had taken wings.
The fact of the matter was Althea had
fallen in love. And with man who did
not know she an hetress-so she
thought until one day Mollie confessed that
she had told him one day when he called
during Althea's absence. 1t was great
blow to Althea's pride She had thought his
attentions sprang from real liking for her.
Now she felt sure he like the rest, cared
only because of the money Yet she liked
him too well to give him up, to say any
thing.
Continued Saturday. Renew your subscrip-
ton now so as not to miss chapter of this,
splendid story. o.,
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