Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 56, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 March 1916 — Riches With Wings [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Riches With Wings

By Frances E. Lanyon

(Copyright, 1916, by 1%. O. Chapman.) . "My daughter shall never marry out of her class!” vociferated self-opinion-ated old Joel Clarke. "Well. I’m not in her class. I’ll admit,” spoke Percy Lane, lugubriously. "She’s a princess, a queen, 1 know that.” "You mistake my meaning,” retorted Clarke, incisively. "Blanche is a poor man's daughter. You have become a scion of wealth. You’ll never have an opportunity to throw your wealth in her face.” “Oh!” drawled out honest, wellmeaning and madly-in-love Percy, “it’s the money? Why, first thing I got it, and all so unexpectedly, my thought was of Blanche, dear girl! and how delighted I’d be to be able to give her all the luxuries she deserves." “Wrong pew!” observed Clarke, Bententiously. “You’ve got my ultimatum. Go away.” “All right, sir.” "And stay away.” "Very well.” “And don’t ever come back again, for it will be no use.” ’T won’t, until I’m poor as a church mouse.” “You can't be that, with a big business block all your own, and all kinds of stocks and bonds and bank accounts, they tell me. No, go and marry a millionaire’s daughter. She’s the sort for you. You shan’t, Blanche. I’m a consistent man. Go away! ” this time thundered the old man. Percy Lane departed dolorously. It -was “hard luck!" He had always loved Blanche and she loved him in return. He was sure of that. So sure, he ruminated as he took the train back for his home town, "that I’ll write her my sentiments.” His “sentiments” were forthwith enunciated Jjl a brief-note, whieh he

Indited on the train and mailed that very evening. It ran: "Dear Blanche: Your father objects to a rich son-in-law. Watch me make ducks and dresses of the fortune Uncle Allen so kindly left me!” Poor, worrying Blanche received the note and proceeded to expect some terrible news from down Rushville way. She knew that it would be useless to appeal to or remonstrate with her resolute father. She forthwith wrote to a cousin in Rushville, asking her to keep her fully posted as to everything going on in general and about the man she loved in particular. Percy Lane started out to cut a wide swath. First and foremast, he sent for -all the poor relatives that Uncle Allen had forgotten in his will. He distributed the year’s income from the big business block among them. Then he went the rounds of the churcheß and local charity societies. His donations were princely. By this time his actual cash holdings had got pretty . low. ~ - -— —- — "I’ll make a thorough job of it.” decided Percy grimly, and the august conservative president of the local bank looked positively aghast one morning when Rercy entered the ,institution with the announcement: "There’s some stocks and bonds of mine here. P want them.” "My dear sir,” expostulated the old banker, "I hope you are not going to change the form of security; Those you now have are seasoned guaranteed investments.” “I know, I know,” responded Percy, lightly. “Well, I’m going to the city to try a scurry on the market.” “You’ll regret it, sir, let me assure you," prophesied the bapker. “If, however, you are bent on your own “I am,” asserted Percy stubbornly. “Any advice I can give you—” ‘Thanks, no," dissented Percy. "I want experience and I’m willing to pay for it." .. Percy Tjuie got the "experience right enough. That he paid for it, and dearly, top Jv was..kaftWn..AU-n : ver^tha town when he returned. It looked as though he had employed some secret pres* agent to spread the details of his “flurry on the market.” “Wildcat stocks,” Percy was charged with having' remarked—-

“they’re just what I want, fne name suggests fighting, and that will give some vim to the occasion. "And the gold mine in Alaska. Percy?” a friend insinuated. . “Oh, the first funds, helped the promoters along. They sloped, leaving the investors to hold thfe bag; but that's one of the risks of the game, see?” Very soon the town "saw” * that Percy had got rid of about all he had. Blanche heard of it and really sorrowed, for money was money. Still, she fathomed the reckless procedure of her lover as the only means of finally winning her. Percy met Blanche’s father on a country road one day. Percy assumed the reckless air of a man of the world arrived at the end of his rope. "Oh, you ain’t so poor!" remarked Mr. Clarke. “There's that big business block left yet.” “I’ll trade it off for a horse with a spavin, or a second-hand tin-Lizzie, but I’ll get rid of it,” vaunted Percy. And then, one morning, as he started downtown, & neighbor made a somewhat startling announcement. “I suppose you know about it,” were his words, "but your business block burned to the ground last night.” “That so?” observed Percy. "Anybody hurt?” “Not a soul.”

“Then —hurrah! ” Percy Lane packed up his belongings. He was at the home town of his fiancee by noon; he was in consultation with her father an hour later. “I’ve made it!” he announced Jubilantly to the old man. “Made what?” questioned Mr. Clarke suspiciously. “Poverty—humble life. ahead —one of your class. Liquid assets all speculated away. Last remnant of former prosperity; the business block, went up in smoke laßt night.” “Surely poor, are you?" queried Clarke. “I surely am!” asserted Percy, proudly. “Then what are you going to get married on?” demanded the practical old man. “Oho! shifting winds when the situation changes?” railed Percy. “Well, I have made arrangements for a living position down at the telegraph office.” Percy insisted upon an immediate marriage. He was through with wealth and was .ready to settle down 'to a humble, honest career. His sacrifice and pertinacity staggered the old man. Blanche seconded the proposition. It was an economical wedding. The honeymoon meant a gay day of strolling in the woods amid the beauties of nature. Then Percy went to work. Then Blanche settled down to happy, contented housekeeping in two rooms. “This is real life!” exulted Percy. “Oh, what bliss after the cankering cares of wealth!”

Three days later old Clarke burst in upon the loving pair. His face showed intense excitement, his manner was wroth. “Baffled! derided! tricked!” he spluttered, and glared at the astounded Percy. “What now, father?” intimated the latter, softly. “Bah! traitor! avaunt! base deceiver!” “Bah and avaunt?” repeated Percy, reflectively. “What’s the answer?” “This is the answer!” shouted Blanche’s father, and he ripped open a newspaper in his Band: “We are advised that Mr. Percy Lane, our young esteemed townsman, will receive sixty thousand dollars insurance on the hotel block recently destroyed by fire,” read the old man. “Aha!” cried Percy. "I never thought of that.” “Oh, Percy!” prattled Blanche, delightedly. “Now we can buy that new parlor set—”. - - - - “Rich!" howled old ’ Clarke. “A Croesus!” “Father,” said Percy, soothingly, “can I help it? I thought I was poor, you accepted me as poor. Money shan’t take me from honest work and honest love, so be sensible and join us in sunning ourselves under this unexpected shower of gold!” »

“I'll Trade It Off for a Horse With a Spavin.”