For Money.—Chapters I-IV [pp. 25-39]

For MJoney.
vorite excuse being that he knew no young
girls, and he did not want to marry a
widow.
"Now, listen to me," began Mrs. Valentine, before he had actually drawn a long
breath after their walk; "do you think it is
fair for you to live in that big house all
alone? When are you going to show us
Mrs. Waring? Because everybody expects
it of you, and you had no right to buy that
place unless you meant to do it."
"Well, to tell the truth, Mrs. Valentine,
"I didn't know that one involved the other,
or else I shouldn't have made such a reck less plunge into real estate. Can't you make
my excuses?"
"Come, now, why don't you confide your
engagement to me? I think I am entitled
to know before any body else," was Mrs.
Valentine's reply.
"So you are," he answered, quietly.
"What an accomplished girl Lily Swift is,"
she began, after a short silence.
"They say she is," he replied absently.
"I understand that she speaks French and
German like a native. She has told me sev eral times that she was educated in France
and Germany both."
"It is a great advantage to a girl," said
Mrs Valentine, tentatively.
"I'm not so sure of that," returned Mr.
Waring, thoughtfully pulling his grizzled
moustache. "I like an American bringing
up for an American girl."
Was Mrs. Valentine's castle beginning to
totter?
"What a handsome queen she will make
over some man's establishment," she began
afresh.
"H'm, yes, for a man who wants a figure head and nothing more. Some men like
that sort of thing; but most of us who have
any fancy for a home-and more men have
than you are apt to give us credit for-want
more of a wife than that. Then Lily snubs
her mother, and that is a bad sign for a hus band; and I've seen her trample on that lit tle Lennard girl once or twice in a way I
didn't like at all. The little thing doesn't
know how to defend herself. Can't you show
her how?"
Mrs. Valentine's castle lay flat with the
ground.
IV.
THAT same Sunday a jubilate was being
sung in the Lennard household. The day
before, Harry had called by appointment on
Mr. Waring at the bank, and although he
knew that his family's curiosity was strung
up to concert pitch, he stayed in town all
night on the strength of the interview. The
brothers came over together on the morning boat, and were found in possession of
the house on the return of the others from
church.
"Gilbert, you have some good news to tell
us, I can see by your eyes," said Louise,
who always thought of him before any one
but Frances, and held the first place, she
knew, in his affections, thanks to Mrs. Len nard's successful education of her flock.
"What do you think of this man being
in Waring's bank? Starts in tomorrow,"
said Gilbert, lifting his sister off her feet with
a hearty hug.
" Was that it? No! It's too good to be
true! " cried Mrs. Lennard, dropping into a
chair, pale with agitation.
"It is true," said Harry, who felt as if
this was his reward for his superhuman pa tience during all those weeks of waiting, when
nobody else could see that he exercised any
patience whatever. "He said he had a va cancy, and had been thinking a good deal
about me, and took a great interest in me.
Of course, he was overrun with applications
from people he knew, but he had decided
to give me a trial."
"Harry, you work yourself to skin and
bone to please that man!" cried Frances.
"It is almost unheard of, for he scarcely
knows you. It seems like a special dispen sation of Providence. Rosie, you can set
up housekeeping for yourself wi'h a clear
conscience," said her father affectionately.
"You needn't take the school now, Du du," said Rose, hastily, the pretty color flut tering up in her cheeks.
"But I shall, though," said Louise with
decision.
"Waring says there are plenty of chances
34
[Jani.