The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1927-02-04
Dreams of Wealth
and Luxury
BY H. IRVING KING

. OSA GLADDING was beautiful
IN and she knew It. But a knoWl-
edge of her beauty. added to her
unhappiness. If she could only
have snapped off considerable
portion of her good looks-some-
times she told herself all Of them
for wealth, she would have been
contented. For Rosa longed for
the good things of this world, was
deprived of them. and was COR
WINGED that she could never obtain
them. it took money. lots of it..
20 compass the Injuries with which
Rose felt she ought to be surround
ed and she had no money. her par
ents had none and nobody in her
little circle of life had any amount
to speak OF.
SO. as she declared she would
not marry for money. she just re-
signed herself to fate and made
herself as unhappy as she could
over it by way of revenge.
Her parents. while they were in
ordinately proud of their daugh-
ter's beauty, did wish she were
more like other girls. and quarreled
with her over her scruples about
marrying for money.
Rosa's parents had managed 10
give her fair education: she had
taken MP stenography and type
writing and she was going to get
a Job and stick to it. And" said
she. IF I get job with an aged
millionaire I am not going TO yamp
him and marry him for his money
She did get a job: but IL was not
the secretary of an aged plutocrat:
II was in a public typewrlting office
where about thirty girls were en-
ployed Had she lived in Russia
she might have turned Bolshevist
and helped sack a palace. As 1t
was her happiest moments were
when she was alone by herself aft
or work hours and LET her mag
nation loose, dreaming Of what
she would buy, what she would
eat and wear. and where she would
90 if she had wealth.
Carter Banding came into the Of
fee one day and wanted to dictate
some letters. Rosa was assigned
to him. Carter looked at her, real
lied in a vague way that she was
unusually good looking. and pro
ceeded to business. Some little sug
gestions which Rosa made about
the wording of the letters he was
debating seemed so Intelligent that
he became interested in her-was
quite chatty. in fact. before he left.
After that he came again. several
times. and Rosa found herself be-
ing really agreeable TO Carter
Blanding. They became great
friends. SO much so that Rosa. al
last, told him of her suburban
home and said thar he might como
out and take her for motor ride
the ensuing holiday
He is poor. Of course thought
Rosa: but what Of it: I might as
we'll be resigned to fate, Poverty
with--with him wouldn't be so
bad after all" There was every
reason why Rosa should consider
Carter TO be poor: or at least very
moderately off There was nothing
in what he dictated TO indicate his
possession Of wealth, and he even
went so far as to say that the only
reason he dictated his letters in,
stead Of writing them himself was
because OF sprained finger of his
! right hand. When he came to take
Rosa to ride he came in q filvver.
driving himself. Rosa had often
lopged for town cars and limou-
sines but the fiivver seemed a
| limousine to her-she thoroughly
enjoyed the ride. Carter was ten
years older than Rosa, that is, IN
| be exact. thirty-five. He seemed
much older to her Somehow she
! felt as if she had known him for
years and. becoming quite confden-
| tisl, told him of her dreams OF
wealth and luxury; that they had
embittered her life. and that she
was determined TO let such phan.
tastes bother her no more They
had known each other three months
by this time.
$50 you would not marry rich
man, even if he asked your COM
I mented Carter.
No" replied Rosa. unless we
happened to be in love with each
other, and even then should hest
tate. fearing &c was his money and
| mot hirnsalf I Iayad -