Gresham outlook., August 14, 1914, Page 19, Image 19

TTO^rK AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION
HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION SERIAL.
By
Oeo. Barr
McCutcheon
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15
A Fool and His Money
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‘ ‘ I have hopes that they w o n ’t be
able to stand the workmen banging
around all d a y ,” I confessed, somewhat
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♦
guiltily.
* ‘ Women in the party I
>
"T w o, I believe. Both married and
qualified to express opinions.”
“ They will be sure to nose me o u t,”
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she said ruefully. "W om en are dread
...
ful nosers.”
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‘ ‘ Don't w orry,” I »aid. " W e ’ll get
a lot o f new padlocks for the doors
downstairs and y o u ’ll be as safe as can
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be, if you'll only keep q u iet.”
‘ ‘ But 1 d o n ’t see why I should be
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made to mope here all «lav and all night
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like a sick cat, holdiag my hand over
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Rosemary's month when she wants to
cry, and muzzling poor Jinko so that
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he— ”
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" M y dear C ountess,” I interrupted
...
sternly, " v o n should not forget that
-
these other guests o f mine are invited
here. ’ ’
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" R u t I was here fir st,” she argued.
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‘ ‘ It is most annoying,”
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" I believe you said yesterday that
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you are in the habit of having your
♦
I
She nodded her head.
•4- own m oney.”
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♦ ‘ ‘ Well, 1 im afraid you'll have to come
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<S down from your high hors«-— at least
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tem porarily.”
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"O h. 1 see. You— -yru mean to be
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♦ very firm and domineering with tne. ”
V
■ • *
“ Yon must try to s, e things from my
k A
<s> r
l LAID awake b tjf th e n ig h t m orbidly point of— ”
‘ ‘ Please d o n ’t sav th n t!” she flared.
[ b e r a tin g th e A.-us-rieim f a th e r who it
so a f ra id cf Ins t r fe th n t he lets her " I ’m so tired o f hearing those words.
b u lly him in to sa c rific in g th e ir j o in t i F
r o " r r the . last three
. . vears I ’ve *cen com-
fle s h a n d flo o d upon th e a lt a r o f social H
t0 Bee ‘ ’""«C*. from Mme <‘b e ■
Copyright, 1913,
By Oeo. Barr
McCutcheon.
borhood of the church and w ouldn’t I my view s are absolutely righ t.”
let people spoil everything by going! " T h ey are righ t,” she raid, simply,
about their business as they were iu the ‘‘ Still you aro pretty much of a bruta
habit of doing! Some of the shops sold to insult me with them .”
window space to sight seers, just as
*<j most sincerely crave ybur par-
they do at a coronation.”
L,on> i f it
i a te , ” I 'cried, ab-
" I dare say all this should let in ject once more. (I don't know what
light, but it d o esn 't.”
itets into me once in a while.)
" D o n ’t' von read the new spapers!”
"Tho safest way, I should say, is for
she eried im patiently. She actually re- ueither of us to express an opinion no
sented iny ignorance.
long as we are thrown into contact with
" R eligiously,” I said, stung to re each other. If you choose to tell the
volt. " B u t I make it a point never to world what you think of me, all well
read the criminal n ew s.”
and good. But please d on ’t tell m e.”
"Crim inal n e w s!” she gasped, a spot
" I ca n ’t convince the world what I
of red leaping to her cheek. " U h a t think of you for the simple reason that
do you m ea n !”
I'd be speaking at random. I don't
‘ ‘ It is merely mv way o f saying that know who you are.”
I pnt marriages of that character in
"O hk you will know seme d a y ,” she
the category of erim e.”
said, and her shoulders drooped a little.
‘ ‘O h !” she cried, stalin g at me with
" I ’ve— I'v e done a most cowardly,
unbelieving eyes.
despicable thing in hunting you— ”
" E v ery time a sweet, lovely Amer-
" P lease! Please d o n ’t say anything
ican girl is delivered into the hands o f more about it. 1 dare say y o u ’ve done
a foreign bounder who happens to pos- me a lot of good. Perhaps I shall see
s ir s a title that needs fixing, I call the things a little more clearly.
To be per-
trausaction a crime that puts white fectly honest with you, I went into this
slavery iu a class with the most trifling marriage with my eyes wide open, but
misdemeanors. You did not lovo this I was only one fool among many. Dox-
pusillanimous Count, nor did he cure a ens of other girls in my set were crazy
hang for von. You were too young in to marry him.
I— I haven’t told you
the ways of the world to have any feel that he is extremely good looking. And
ing for him, and he was too old to have he was— was adorable in those d ays.”
any for you. The whole hateful bust-
A far away, dreamy look came into
ness therefore resolved itself into a her eyes. She was staring at me, but
case o f give and take— and he took ev- 1 felt myself quite outside the range of
erything. tie took you and your fa- her vision.
tlier's millions and now you are both
1 ventured a shrewd conjecture, con-
back where you began. Borne ore de sidering tho obvious character of her
liberately committed a crime, and as it abstraction.
a m b itio n . -She Im I sa id th a t ber f a th e r P'’, n t o f vi' w ’ a l" ’ 1
sick o f th e ”
wasn't you or the Count,— who levied
"Stranger things have happened
Ol’f-OBC t , li.e r..,tc h from th e Im l r' " Bn ° n v ’
,
,
» ,
his legitim ate toll,—it must have been than that you should patch up your
ginning. 1 fcm w hv m tli- nam e o f
‘ I ' or heaven s sake, don’t put me in the person who planned the conspiracy. I difficulties and go back to live with
h e a v e n , w trr. 't he man e-io igh to p u t t ” ’* f a ' ne
w ith -v o ,,r b ’” ,b an ’1! ”
I take it, o f course, that the whole af I your hu-tband.”
a sto p t i I t ; V. hy— Put wh. t use
I Rhe
nie ">Tcwhat frigidly fair was arranged behind youi back, so
She uttered a little cry of revulsion,
there in applying v.-hvs to a r a n i r h i ' f l,r a n,onM?Dt lonl f r. »"<> »be., a slow, to spenk. To make it a perfectly fash The dreamy light died in her eyes and
d o e s n 't k n o w 'w ..a God m ea n t w hen H e | ’r i t i h i “ * K,nile l' r e p t ' nt0 b e r eve9'
ionable nnd up-to-date delivery it would he transfixed me with a look of la-
fashioned twn set.eaf I put him down'
sh a n 't,”
she promised, and have been entirely ont of place to con jdignation.
as neutral and tried tnv best to forget 1•'luP'lr,i outright. “ Do orgive me, Mr. suit, the unsophisticated girl who was! " H ow dare you suggest such a thing,
him.
,Smart. 1 am such a piggy thing. I l l thrown in to make the title good. Yov How dare yon speak to me in that wayl
B ut 1 ce I d , ' fo rg e t th e d a u g h te r
‘" h*1 " ,oc
sen sib le, anil 1 will were not sold to this bounder. It was I You-—I ought to order you out of this
o f this hrow-brate., American father Ibc ”* »till as a mouse all the time the other way round. By the gods, ¡room and never—never— ”
J here was something singularly familiar they're here. But you mss' promise to madam, he was actually paid to tak e! My luminous smile checked the out-
about her euq-,.,iie fac-, a conviction com e up every day and g iv e me the gos y o u !”
I burst.
on mv per tb s ’, is easily accounted for sip. You can steal np, can't you ! 8ur
Her face was quite pale. Her eyes] " S p len d id !” I cried. " Y ou convince
Her portrait, c f course, had been pub rept itiously ! ”
did not leave mine during the long and I me that it can never happen.”
" C lan d estin ely,” I said, pravcly.
lished far nnd wide at the time of the
crazy diatribe,—o f which 1 was already! She smiled doubtfully, quite uneer-
" I really ought to warn you once beginning to feel heartily ashamed,— I tain how to take my humor,
wedding; she must have been pictured
from every coueeivablo angle, with more about getting y* urself in volved ,” and there was a dark, ominons fire in
"O h, dear m e,” she sighed, " I d on ’t
lllimitnbio gowns, hats, veils and para she said pointedly.
them that should have warned me.
believe we shall ever get on at all well
"O h, I ’m quite a safe old p arty,” I
sols, and 1 certainly could not have
She arose from her chair. It seemed togther, Mr. Kmart. You are such a
mis-sed seeing her, even with half an assured her. " T h ey couldn’t make to me she was taller than before.
whimsical person.”
eye. But for the life o f me I couldn 't capital of me. ’
" I f nothing else came to me ont of
" 131 try to do b etter,” I cried,
"
T
h
e
grouse
was
delicious,”
she
said,
connect her with any of the much
this transaction,” she said levelly, " a t (frankly pleased with tho situation,
talked o f international marriages that deliber itely changing the subject. N ice least a eertair amount of dignity was " G ive me a chance."
came to mind as 1 lay there going over divorcees are always icin g that.
acquired. Pray remember that I am
"Y ou spoke of him as my husband,"
the meagre assortment I was able to re
We fell into a discussion of present no longer the unsophisticated girl yon she said, going back to my remark,
call. I went to sleep wondering whether and future needs; o f w ays and im-aae so graciously describe I am a woman. " H e is not my husband. I3eaM be good
Poopendyke's memory was any better for keeping my friends utterly in the
" T r u e ,” said I, senselessly dogged; I enough to remember th n t.”
than mine. He is tremendously inter dark concerning her
resence in the
a woman with the power to think fo ri " I t will be easy, I assure you. May
•»ted in the financial doings o f our abandoned east wing; and of what we yourself. That is mv point. If the I therefore venture the hope that if you
country, being the possessor of a flour were pleased to allude to as "separate same situation arose at your present ever decide to marry again y o u ’ll give
ishing Ravings’ account, and as he also m aintenance,” employing a phrase that age I fancy you'd be ablo to select a some deserving American a chance to
possesses a lively sense o f the ridicu might hav been considered distasteful husband without assistance, and I vent- make you his queen! Y ou ’ll find it
lous it was not unreasonable to sus and even banal nnder o rd in a y condi-; ure to say you wouldn’t pick up the better than being a countess, believe
pc-ct that he might remember all the tions.
first dissolute noblemar. that came me. ”
details o f this particular transaction
“ I ’ve be-.a trying to recall all o f the your way. No, my dear countess, you
" I shall never marry, Mr. Sm art,”
stocks and bonds.
notable marriages we hao in New York were not to blame. Yon thought, as she said with decision. " N ev er, never
The next morning I set mv laborers three years a g o ,” said I, after she had vour parents did, that marriage with a ¡again will 1 get into a mess that is so
to work putting guest rooms into shape most engagingly reduced me to a state count would make a real countess ef hard to get out of. I enn say this to
for the eoming of the Hazzards and o f subjection in the matter of three or you. What rot!
You are a simple, you because I ’ve heard you are a bach-
the four friends who were to be with four moot questions that came up for lovable Americau girl and th a t’s all elor. You ca n ’t take o ffen ce.”
them for the week as my gnests. Th -y settlem ent. "Y ou d on ’t seem to fit in there ever ean be to it. To the end
" I fondly hope to die a bachelor,’’
were to arrive on the next day but one, with any o f the international a ffairs I o f your days yon will bo an American, [said I with humility.
which gave me ample time to consult a can bring to mind.”
It is not within the powers of a scape-
"God bless y o u l" she cried, bursting
furniture dealer. I would have to buy
You promised yon wonldn t bother grace count to put you or any other [into a merry laugh, and I knew that a
at least six new beds and everything about that, Mr. Sm art,” «bo said se American girl on a plane with the truce had been declared for the time be-
else with which to comfortably equip verely.
wnmen who are born countesses, or I mg at least. " A n d now let us talk
as many bed chambers, it being a fore
Of course you were married in New duchesses, or anything of the sort. I sense. Have you carefully considered
gone conclusion that not even the bus Y o rk !”
d o n ’t sny that you suffer by eompari-[the consequences if you are found out,
bands and w ives would condescend to
In a very niee church just o ff Fifth son with these noble ladies. As a mat-[M r. S m art!”
"double o p ” to oblige me. The ex- Avenue, if that will help ycu a n y ,” she ter o f fact you are surpassingly finer
"F ound o u t!”
pensiveness o f thin ill timed v isit had said. " T h e usual e’owd inside the in every way than ninety nine per cent.
“ I t you are found shielding a
not occurred to me at the outset. Still church, and the usual n-ob outside, all of thpm—poor things! Marrying an fu gitive from justice. I couldn’t go to
there was some prospect o f getting the fighting for a glimpse o f me in my English dnke doesn't make a genuine [sleep for 'our* last night thinking o f
wholesale price. On ene point I was wedding shroud, and for a chance to see duchess out of an American girl, not what might happen to you i f — ’ ’
determined; the workmen should not be a real Hungarian nobleman. It really by a long shot. She merely becomes a
" N o n sen se!” I eried, but for the life
laid o ff for a single hour, not even if was a very m agnificent wedding, Mr. figure of speech. Your own experience [of mo I couldn't help feeling elated,
my gnests went o ff in a huff.
Smart. ”
She seemed to be unduly should tell you that. Well, it's the Bhe bad a soul above self, after alii
A t tw elve I climbed the tortuous proud of C’e spectacular sacrifice.
same with ail o f them. They acquire [ "Y ou see, I am a thief and a robber
stairs leading to the Countess’ apart­
A knitted brow revealed the obfus­ a title, but not the homage that should and a very terrible malefactor, accord-
ment«. 8he opened the door herself in cated condition of my brain. I was go with i t . ”
[ing to the reports Max brings over from
response to my tapping.
We were both standing now. She was [the city.
The fight for poor little
thinking very intently, not to say re­
" I negleeted to mention yesterday motely.
still measuring me with somewhat in [Rosemary is destined to fill columns
" T h e whole world talked about i t , ” eredulous eyes, rather mors tolerant and columns ia the newspaper» of tho
that I am expecting a houseful of
guests m a day or tw o ," I said, after she went on dreamily. " W o had a real that resentful.
tw o continents for months to come. Yoa,
Do you expect me to agree with [Mr. Smart, may find yourself ir tho
she bad given me a very cordial greet prince for the best man, and two of the
ing.
ushers couldn't speak a word of Eng yon, Mr. S m a rt!” the asked.
thick of it. If 1 were ia your place, 1
D on't you remember that the
" I d o ,” »aid I, promptly. "Y on, of should keep ont of it .”
‘ ‘ G u ests!’ ' she cried in dismay. "Oh lish.
(To Be Continaed.)
police eloeed the strecta in the neigh nil people, should be able to testify that I
dear! Can't you put them o f f ! ”
S Y N O P S IS
o r
P R E V IO U S
IN S T A L L M E N T S .
I n t h e o p e n in g in s ta lm e n ts o f " A
F o n l a n d H i * M o n e y ,” Oeo. B a r r M e
( .n te h e o n ’ s
c h a r m in g
n o v e l,
s e r ia l
r i g h t , f > r w h ic h h a v e been s p e c ia lly
o b ta in e d f o r th e F lum e a n d
F a rm
M a g a z in e S e c tio n , w e le a rn o f J o h n
B e lla m y S m a r t, th e y o u n g m a n w h o
is t e ll in g t h is s to r y .
H e ha s ju s t
w r i t t e n h is f i r s t n o v e l, a n d a t th e
sam e t im e has fa lle n h e ir to a n im
m tu s e f o r t u a e le f t h im b y h is un c le .
A f t e r a v is i t to L o n d o n , S m a rt
ta k e * » t r i p ou th e R iv e r D a n u b e .
A t e r f in d in g an o ld - w o r ld to w n , he
c i e ^ v e r s an a n c ie n t c a s tle , w h ic h - e
p u rc h a s e s fro«B it s o w r-e r, th e C o u n t.
»1« h is s e c r e ta ry , P od pen d y k e , ho
akes
p o s s e s s io n
of
th e
im m e n s e
s t r u c t u r e . n k ir f a is K u p p tm rd to be
ti-ria n fe d o n ly l, y i h , r a r e t i k e r Bud
” *■ f s i n d r , ih c S .-b m ic k e . le t t e r S m a r t
f i n d , n w o m a n u h > ta in p o a M s a in n
o f a w i , e o f th e c a t t le th a t ia b a rre d
In h im . She g r a n t s a b r ie f I n te r v ie w ,
h u t r r f u i I . le a»«.
T h e s e rv a n t»
a p p e a - tn h e in le a g u e w it h h e r. and
' m an
in » c n a o d a r r
l. a t c r be is
. f a p t i r a ! . I b y th e w it a r.d h e a r t,- o f
th e m y , . r i >ua la d y a n d no | ;u,g ( r
h r d e p a r tu r e ,
lb - fin d s th a t
t-iie I , iT iv ir r e d f n m a w . ir t h lv a , and
n e h e m in g A u s tr ia n C o u n t, w h o w a ,
a w a rd e d th e c u s to d y » f th e la d y 's
e lU d
i l i - C o u n t d e n m n d s a m illio n
d - li a r s f.-vm b is r u b A m e r ic e n f a th e r
in Jaw . w h e n be w o u ld g iv e i t o p T h e
m t h e r ( ih d u e t, th e < h iid a n d s d e e t»
fh- e a r - ! - a , > h id in g p la c e
S m a rt
ft n m
tr .title
w it h
th e a u t h o r it ie s ,
hut
f-nr.aenta
to
asa.at
th e
f a ir
d iv c .r.u e.
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