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Show 1 ' 'I 1 J 1 1 T" r-v- r wZXZX C A . m -Well. 1 suppose thU U the end of It." John parter heaved a beayy B'ix and strode along- moodily. Helen looked et him curiously and then asked: "The end cf what?" . . "You know as well a I do to what I refer. To be perfectly plain, I hear It reported on very good, a'uthority $hat you are to marry this Mont CrUto, and that la what Z mean when I say that I suppose w will not take any more walks together. And he looked at her keenly. "I suppose K Is but further exempli, fi cation f the doctrine . announced by the Bible, where It says. To him who hath. It shall be glren, and to htm who hath not, it shan be taken away,' and I want to add that, 'even that which he may seem to have.' " - There was silence for a- few moments. Helen reached out and plucked a- fox glove. She did not look at him. After a few momenta she said in a low voice: You are getting hitter, John. Don't do It. It does not help you." "Don't1 you think I have cause to be bitter? A man can smile and stand a great deal more without giving evidence of his suffering, and there is still another an-other decree of pain, which turns everything every-thing to gall. I' have suffered that" 'You are, very wrong to look at things that way," replied the woman. "What have you to be bitter over? You possess youth, and health, and strength, and ability ail those are priceless girts. Tou are well thought of by every one, and I see no cause for you to think your lot is hard." . . 'Yes, what you say to true but I have not the great essential money. I might b a paralytic and Just havs enough sense to keep out of a lunatic asylum, and enough morals to keep from being locked up as a menace to society, but if I had money, all that would be overlooked, over-looked, and I would be better thought of than I am now. As it Is, I am not considered at alL" , "Not considered by whom?" 4 ""Everybody. And some one In partlc- t'x. t.'.r.i iu i . It : it (v: ' - e-oi: :? ,Mt 1 t3 M v..--(' f i L.t'es; ,!''! 1 I iv t. .: ' ' "X ou-t to bavrry. ar--y with you, Jhn..'- lou hive tc ' I ' ? ft .a wrf :chel U.lr.- t:..Ht . 1 v, . sell i y X.', my love, my ecu, r.erf:y to rrov..e mjTvif mi. a creature comforts. I don't know, wty I don't make you leave me, and. never permit you to eeek. to rr.e again, except that I re."V.ze that your aeffer ha carried you o.t your feet. I reaiii wtat you say, that euch a state of thing la an awful blow to a man. l.ut I do not grant that any ruch state exist ex-ist that ia I rneen" "You mean what; that you are not going go-ing to marry hlmT There was light and life and hope in the Questioner's eyes now. 'Yes, I mean that; and that I bave not Intended to do so. And now let me do a little preaching to you you have had your say, and you have saii Things you cught not to have said. "It is a mistaken notion men have, that a woman wants to receive all and give nothing. True lore is self-effacement, and bearing th burdens of those whom ws da love, and nothing give a woman so much pleasure as to suffer for the man she really cares for." "Do yeu really , mean that?" There was wonderment upon th face of the questioner. . . "Yes. And there would be mors women wo-men wnd would be glad to accept even the little 'In the way of wealth their sweethearts possess If they were given the chance. Instead of going bravely to her and saying, 1 have litUe or nothing, but I love you. I can provide enough to furnish- us with clothes. More than that I do not care for. with, you at my aide. WiU you accept that?' The men .stand oft and snivel about women wanting wealth. ' It makes me weary. It's weakness. There was a long pause! The sun had sunk below the horizon, and the West was gorgeous with the opaline tints of the dying day. Th couple stood a moment mo-ment looking at the sunifct. Perhaps It was the glory of the ruddy raya upon her face, or the reflection f rdm the golden gold-en gates of the west that shone In her eyes. He paused, for a moment irresolute, irreso-lute, and then taking ber hand, looked her full in the eyes. Bhe looked down and her face flushed. ' , "Helen,- he said, very gently. "I have almost nothing in the way of goods or wealth, but I have a Jove for you that the wealth of Midas could hot buy. Will you accept what I haver She looked up and smiled softly. "Why didn't you say that a year or so ago? Yea, I will." uiar whom I wish to consider me, and who ha refused. I have tried everything every-thing else; I have placed myself at her .feet. Love dees not count." . Her face was crimson. She looked far away over the sere brown fields, and at last said: . "Then what am I to deduce from that assertion it Isn't clear." "Tou are not to deduce anythlng-4 state It as my positive conviction that, given on the on hand a man with everything to make him desirable in the eyes of a woman, but with no money, and on the other hand, a man with nothing to recommend hlra but money, a woman will choose the man with the money in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred. That's what I mean." "Why. John! Whf. Johnr There was an infinity of reproach in those words. ; "Tes, I mean it!" he added. ,"I mean every word of ft. Women are essentially selfish, and they love the soft side of life. They know that money will make a soft side to anything, and therefore they are on the side of money." ' am "orry for you." efce said simply. I thought that you had a higher idea of women." "Haven't I a right ,to be bitter?" he continued. "Haven't I every right to such ideas? lf.lt has not been demonstrated demon-strated to me, nothing has. There is nothing so convincing as personal experience, ex-perience, and It is from that I speak." "I have known you a long time, John, and I know ef no such Instance in your career that you speak of. When was; ltT , 'You know very well to what I allude. You know that I have loved you for aU these years since we wer little more than children. You know that my highest high-est dream of earthly happiness was to some day make a home for you. where I could have you with me always. There has not been an ambition In my 'brain that was not caused by my wish to excel ex-cel and make you proud of roe "The rest of the world can go hang-. I you are my world, the all and aU for i me. And now. after all these years, all that counts for naught. . There comes into your life a great big. beefy man you know little about- him except that be is very wealthy, and ln the course of two months he undoes what I hare done, or rather ln that time accom-pltehes accom-pltehes what I could not aocompllnh in |