Show 1 I 1 t T t i n A a F gal L S TOR Y u r k can heir to fr t 1 I 1 JA S f by frederick author cauther er V the other can etc ba f W illustrations by ray walters wal ter copyright by J B co 6 SYNOPSIS 1 l A andy meleen aged millionaire miner v Is dying and orders a wall wll drawn up leav ins ing all ills his property to the son of a ats ter of whom ho he has heard nothing for years land and whose married name lie ho does 1 not know meleen was married years be fore but left ills his wife after a quarrel in which he struck her he learned later sv that she and their daughter were dead f T the scene shifts to now new york cing wilfrid stennis Stenn ts who Is telling ills his fl fiancee ancee eunice Tre what he would do if lie he were the possessor of wealth in the law office of carboy passavant i cozine attorneys for the estate of met leen roger hoger hews reports the result resul of his search for heirs of meleen ho he conceals the fact that lie he has discovered that meleena Me leens daughter Is living wilfrid stennis replies to an advertisement for in formation concerning ills his dead mother martha artha meleen and Is told that he Is the heir to andy meleena Me leens millions CHAPTER V continued y jn t you see you were right after all i dearest said wilf allf to eunice after imparting to her in detail his wonderful news it was uncle andrew he had gone to tier her at once feeling that he must confide in somebody or r his brain would burst and who so Nv Willin Illing gr a listener as the girl of his f heart i the winter twilight was shutting ats in old Tre was not yet come M home the lamp was still unlighted and they twain had the shabby parlor to themselves eunice ignored the passing tribute ahe to her superior insight ier iier I womans comans r vision was leaping far ahead and at al though the aff affianced lanced couple sat hand 7 in hand and wilt wilf was the same dear unaffected follow fellow as of yore tenderly J affectionate and lover like eunice felt the intangible and impending shadow of a naw new element in their relations but I 1 she could not as yet define it or put her thoughts into words she must thresh it out by herself for neither had there as yet been chent time to fully adjust themselves t to the novel situation im in so glad for your sake wilt wilf she answered it is what you have y always wished do you remember our r talk in this very room a little while ago and the wonderful air castles you planned wilf chuckled boyishly now you can go ahead and build them all rather say that well build them f together he exclaimed loyally mine is yours you know ile he meant every word ho be said but eunice shook tier her head j what does that mean inquired wilt drawing tier her to him so that tier her s head nestled on ills his shoulder do you imagine that any amount of mcney can make any difference in my love for you why my eunice E unice is worth a dozen fortunes the girl suffered his caresses and it was inexpressibly sweet to hear him talk in that atrain but there was an ominous tugging at her heartstrings heart strings however Jo wever sho she would not play the part of a killjoy kill joy at such a time thank you wilt she said simply 1 I know you meath it and it Is very dear ana and lovely of you to come to me first of all with the good news I 1 want you always to remember this wilt wilf that whatever happens my love for you can never never change nothings going to come between us anyway affirmed wilt wilf confidently sealing his words with a kiss and stifling her negative before eunice could make soy any further reply john Tre crame came in and the wonderful tale had to b be e gone over again for his especial benefit eli eh lad ind but its a mort ol 01 0 money I 1 whatever What Wha lver will ee ce do wl wi it wilf laughed gayly why eunice and I 1 are going to build castles with some of it and which one will ae ee live in queried the old man taking him literally let me tell you one thing said the impulsive wilt wilf wherever we are you are going to be with us and share our good fortune i inay nay nay lad its kindly meant and I 1 thank ye but a million a year I 1 live up to it at my age I 1 ill just bide here it was characteristic of the simple nature of young stennis that lie he went to his desk downtown the next morning as though nothing had happened overnight in fact on waking waiting he found it almost impossible to fo real realize ize his changed position to his board ing house the news had not yet penetrated but when he arrived at the store he found the tidings ahead of him most of the morning dallies dailies had 0 adhe he will do thought clara passa dagsa vant more or less lengthy accounts for horatio Passa passavant vait hit had sent bent for the re porters apparently creating the impression that the newly fledged millionaire lion lio airo was under his protecting wing the head of stennis firm arm came to ills his desk at the instant lie he was opening the big ledger as usual we certainly did not expect to sea you here this morning mr stennis lot let me congratulate you most heartily of course be leaving us soon yes I 1 suppose so answered wilfrid blushing and embarrassed but you see sir I 1 had time to got used to the thing yet and if you dont mind I 1 should like to hang on hero for aw awhile lille anyhow certainly just as you please the elder man could appreciate the lads feelings not so his fellow employed emp loyes who all that day and for the few days that wilfrid did remain at his old post seemed lost in amazement that any fellow a million dollars a year coming coining in want to work at all but naturally the hour came around when wilfrid stennis balanced ills his final column of figures and hung up ills his threadbare office coat for the last time gradually ills his mind adjusted itself to the now new state of affairs but the circumstance that helped most to bring him to his bearings was the announcement by mr carboy that alii r s li f I 1 s I 1 there stood to his credit in the chemical bank a deposit of half a million dollars just for present needs the lawyer at the same time handing him a bankbook bank book and a checkbook check book then and then only wilfrid stennis felt that he had really come into his kingdom at once lie he did something for which lie he always thanked ills his good angel in after years ile ho rode uptown to Tiff anys and selecting fo forEt rEunice inice a marquise ring composed of opals and diamonds drew his first check to pay for it a check that ran into four fat figures Vs its the first of the money ive touched dearest he said as he placed the ring oi ori tier her finger above the little engagement token she already wore all tears and happy smiles the girl throw threw her arms about his neck exclaiming nothing you bouldi could have done would have pleased me more you dear thoughtful fellow it is far too handsome for me but I 1 shall always love it and wear it in the ensuing early days wilfrid I 1 was more than a little perplexed as to what changes he should make in his mode of life he soon discovered what was evidently expected of him through an avalanche of circulars from house agents tailors haberdash ers florists cigar and wine merchants picture dealers horse marts and carriage manufacturers all speaking bespeaking be his custom and patronage to say nothing of begging letters by the 9 gross ross even a so called college of heraldry offered to furnish a crest and a coat of arms for a stiff consideration in cash his boardinghouse boarding house became simply unendurable on oil this account and because of the notoriety lie he had already gained so by eunicee Eu nices advice he went vent to a good hotel 41 until he could settle himself in a suitable suite of bachelor apartments she added but what do I 1 want with a bachelor apartment he asked in wonder won der what I 1 would like to do is to get married marr e at once and then we can look about f for or a proper house to this proposition she demurred resolutely nor could he dislodge tier her the ti utmost concession he found it ft possible to extort was that she would marry him in a year from that time if he asked tier her pressed for a reason she at first sheltered herself behind the feminine because bt but it driven into a corner at last said that she wished him to enjoy his freedom under the now new conditions that he must go into gay society and see the world she would not think of tying him down and much more to the same saffie effect finding the girl immovable and moreover tacitly confirmed in her decision by wise old john treve Tre ca wilfrid rather ruefully took tier her counsel as to the bachelor suite in the selection of this and many other necessary adjuncts to ills his now new environment lie he found mr Pass avants advice of great assist assistance anee phineas carboy having returned to san francisco everything depends u on the manner in which you start out my dear deaf boy said his portly mentor with a return to the paternal manner in your position you cannot afford to ally yourself with anything but the very best from your shoemaker to your visiting list you must have a man of course and a secretary send the applicants to me I 1 will sift them for you you should have at least two equipages equi pages for town use usa a hansom soni and a brougham with suitable horses for saddle and harness do you ride or drive mr stennis no mr stennis neither rode nor drove in fact lie he knew or cared very little about hot horses ses ali ah then thero there my daughter can be of service she Is accounted a very fine horsewoman and one of the best judges of horseflesh in the city rut BU you young people can c an talk that over together you will naturally take an interest in all gentlemanly sports every man of means and leisure does but it will do no harm if you are positively identified with some particular pastime even to the extent V of making it a fad may al ay iy I 1 what 19 1 your favorite diversion yachting by all means said wll f rid frid excellent could not be betted better 1 exclaimed mr passavant none but a man of large reso resources es can ah indulge in yachting to any extent 1 I am thinking of building a boat said wilfrid diffidently what would you advise the very thing my boy engage the most expensive designer and the most famous builder and your reau tation is made an excellent notion ah really my dear said the lawyer in narrating this little episode to clara 1 I begin to have hopes of young stennis he is most tractable and receptive to ah sensible ideas so it came about that the rather blase clara anticipated with no little interest her first meeting with the now new man stennis nad never before owned a visiting card or donned a dress coat but when he stepped forward to greet tier her in response to her fathers intro as he entered the drawing room she decided in one sweeping glance that he was irreproachable at least in costume and man manners fiers even if the latter were a trifle nervous at the proper moment he offered his arm e to take her in to dinner inwardly he was greatly perturbed for he realized that he was on view but clara passavant excelled in social tact and taking a liking to him from the start bhore the soup was removed he was chatting with her completely at his ease the dinner passed off quite successfully ce cess fully on the whole for by dint of keeping a careful watch on what the others did he was able to avoid any glaring blunders albeit rather be mildered wil dered at the e multiplicity of glasses and wondering at the possible correct uses of the different styles and sizes of knives and forks and spoons but he committed no solecisms he took wine sparingly his little errors might even have been ascribed to a some what different geographical environ t ment by those not cognizant of his social pedigree he will do thought clara passavant and put forth all her mature 4 powers to fascinate and dazzle her fathers guest in which aim she corn com plemely succeeded for there is s nothing in more ore dangerous to a young mans 4 peace of mind than a beautiful well gowned and well mannered woman of the world in full evening attire and j clara was all of these things more over she could bo be engagingly gracious when she chose and from this night on she did choose she found wilfrid quickly and ev even e n r cleverly responsive to the touch and go topics of current conversation and remarkably well informed as to general eral knowledge in truth he was a better educated man than her father so far asaide and desultory reading was concerned lie he harl been nicknamed the walking e in the old days of office and boardinghouse life yet ills his mental bill of faro fare was like a picked up dinner it contained a little of everything but if lie he had only known it in those early days as lie he dame dame to know it later socially this was rather in ills his favor than otherwise society with a capital prefix prefers to be amused rather than instructed and barely tolerates the man who knows enough to see its blunders and not enough to keep still about them TO BE CONTINUED |