| Show HW N h 41 fw D L h fly by mae mac foster jay copyright Copy richt by W A wild do service PREFACE I 1 once upon a time there was a little pine tree which did not like its green q needles ledl 1 1 I I wish ish I 1 had bad gold leaves I 1 it cried jr that night a fairy passed through f the forest and in the morning the lit tie pine tree had leaves all of shining gol goldt 6 A it was very beautiful and it was very happy until a robber cane came by and stole every leaf then the little pine tree cried 1 I wish I 1 had glass leaves leav esl 1 again that night the fairy passed through the forest and in the morning the little tree had leaves of sparkling glass it was very beautiful and again it was very happy until a storm passed by and left every leaf shattered upon the ground 1 I wish I 1 had big green leaves like those of the other trees 1 the little pine tree cried then once onca more the fairy passed through the forest in the night and in the morning the little tree had broad green leaves like those of its neighbor trees once more it was very beautiful and once more it was very happy until a goat and tier her kids came by and ate every leaf on the low little pine tree and then the little pine tree cried 1 I wish I 1 had my own long green needles again I 1 that night the fairy passed through the forest again and in the morning the little pine tree once again was covered with long green needles it was very beautiful and it was very happy for tile birds alighted upon it joyously crying now we can build our nests here you will hide them in summer and in tile the winter you will keep us snug and warm carml P after all said the little pine tree no other leaves are so good for me ss as my own long green needles adapted from an old german legend CHAPTER I 1 the gold ball and chain mary brown selected one of tile the silver forks beside tier her plate and deftly speared a slice of bread from the tray across the table david brown president of the peerless copper company stood the shock rather well having had considerable experience in confronting the unexpected in big bustness business and in his youngest child calmly choosing a bit of red tomato from his salad lie he commented you turn the trick rattler rather neatly for a novice thanks father mary lifted truculent blue eyes to ills his amused but questioning ones 1 I wanted to see if I 1 had forgotten but I 1 think exactly the way I 1 have seen it done in your mining camps however I 1 must acquire ease youre expecting to need outpost etiquette 1 I might she told him meagerly but david dald brown very well knew that this was just a dramatic forerunner to an outburst that would come later mary always intense eager determined was especially surcharged today for some reason she had a grievance against life he smiled ruefully as lie he followed her to the drawing room later late she was a tall girl straight as a mast wiry hard and firm of muscle yet very feminine in general appearance unusually dark brows and lashes added character to the delicately chiseled features of her face today she had been graduated from a large eastern university in that profession which overcomes natures forces with a slide rule and a table of logarithms mary brown had been the only girl graduate from the school of civil engineering and she had received highest honors in her class and still something was seriously wrong with her world the butler served the coffee hardly had he withdrawn when the predicted outburst came money I 1 she cried what Is I 1 it and scornfully she answered her own question shackles 1 david brown seated himself narrowing friendly brown eyes as he smiled money shackles with one hundred aad and twenty millions of pe people ople in our country scrambling over each other to get it because they dont know its just a ball and chain I 1 but I 1 dol I 1 im in through with it dad I 1 wash my hands of it all my life ive been hurt by it hurt daughter a little incredulously ile he had striven to make his money furnish bis big children an ideal background for happiness mary moved restlessly toward the fire and stood there a moment fair head defensively when I 1 was wag in second grade she wheeled suddenly to say 1 I won a prize for keeping the tiniest tidiest desk for a semester ee the girl behind me cried because she win it so I 1 gave it to her and at recess I 1 beard one teacher remark to another sweet of mary it but of course it was no sacrifice for her her father can buy her anything she wants but dad t I 1 would rather have had that particular copy of sara crewe than a whole library aryl I 1 earned I 1 of course ball all through elementary school ll it was the same I 1 worked hard I 1 excelled in my classes I 1 skipped two grades what credit did I 1 get this sho she ought to do well her fathers the rich david brown you know my fathers money has haa been given credit tor for every meritorious thing I 1 ever did probably people said I 1 cut my first tooth early because my male parent was the rich david brownl brown 1 today and her lips were not steady today as I 1 moved in line with the rest of my class to receive our diplomas I 1 overheard a comment the daughter of the rich david brown she received first honors money talks all right it I 1 saw an answering shrug what people think I 1 that ive got my honors through pull 1 through moneal money 1 and dad 1 you know ive worked for them like a slave 1 1 I know I 1 know daughter ills his hand patted tier her restless one reminiscently lie ile could see her a andle of energy accomplishing a four year course in three in khaki shirt and corduroy breeches and putts out in the field a transit flung across tier her shoulder arising at two in the morning to shoot polaris Polar ls or in the language of the layman to establish true north and south by the position of the stars lie ile could see her during summer vacations a member of survey parties on his own mining properties out tor for experience under the scorching southwest sun of course there had been no royal road to these achievements but the general public did not recognize that why bump your pretty head against the stone wall of tradition girl popular opinion always has had us always will have us the idle rich popular opinion I 1 why my own sisters think my ambition Is just a pose which ill soon toss up eve and dlane diane are leading the conventional OINK fir money shackles lives of what we call our set happily but daal I 1 be satis fled with bridge and teas clubs and clothes and charities I 1 was born different why argue about it her father laughed that was obvious even in your cradle cradie we call you plain mary while we gave the other girls the more decorative names of eve and diane but let us get back to the point where we started just what of anything has the spearing of bread to do with your having been hurt by money all your life mutiny grew in marys eyes 1 I charge money with making success on ones own merits almost impossible A rich person never Is taken seriously I 1 dont believe the poor girl or boy has halt half the obstacles to overcome that a rich one has every one Is for the poor one but the ambitious rich one is simply amusing so with an eloquent gesture 1 I wash my hands of the money dad the spearing act he reasoned was a declaration of independence of sorts yes I 1 even wash my hands of the breeding if that Is necessary and it may be an uncouth person learning manners Is hero stuff you know but a cultured person coming into an outpost Is a laugh a tenderfoot a victim for blanket tossing what im trying to get over to you dad Is that im starting a at t the bottom on my own and working my way up starting with just enough money in my pock pockets eta to last until my first pay day has it occurred to you thoughtfully that with the sizable fortune your mother left you you could develop a project of your own an engineer Is rated by the projects upon which he has been chief they are his stepping stones one by one to prominence the point what credit would I 1 get for success if I 1 used mothers money for backing and what will you do with your negligible million she shrugged 1 I cant be bothered by it youre my guardian dispose of it for me suddenly her eyes softened and she leaned lean ed over to rest tier her hands on her fathers shoulders there a day dad that you dont have hundreds of requests for money the world never dreams that the greatest kick you get out of being a multimillionaire multi millionaire Is that you can afford to be an idealist well be an idealist with my moneal money I 1 be an idealist extraordinary I 1 choose the person with the wildest dream imaginable and g give ive him the money to try to make it come true TO BID CONTINUED |
