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The nerves of those people require more and more stimulants to give them
any sensation at all。 I believe that she sits in his private office and
watches the ticker。'〃
〃'Why not give her a ticker in her bedroom while you are about it；
Ethel？' I suggested。〃
〃But Ethel could not smile。 'I think that is perfectly probable；' she
answered。 And then； 'Oh； Richard； isn't it mean！' At this I took her
hand； and shebut again I abstain from dwelling upon those circumstances
of the engaged which are familiar to you all。〃
〃The change of May into June； and the change of June into July； did not
mellow Ethel's bitter feelings。 I remember the day after Petunias
defaulted on their interest that she exclaimed； 'I hope I shall never
meet her！' We always called Mr。 Beverly's mother 'she' now。 'For if I
were to meet her；' continued Ethel； 'I feel I should say something that I
should regret。 Oh； Richard； I suppose we shall have to give up that house
on Park Avenue！'〃
〃I put a cheerful and even insular face on the matter； for I could not
bear to see Ethel so depressed。 But it was hard work for me。 Some few of
my investments were evidently good； but it always seemed as if it was
into these that I had happened to put not much money； while the bulk of
my fortune was entangled in the others。 Besides the usual Midsummer
faintness that overtakes the stock market； my own specialties were a good
deal more than faint。 On the 20th of August I took the afternoon train to
spend my two weeks' holiday at Lenox； and during much of the journey I
gazed at the Wall Street edition of the afternoon paper that I had
purchased as I came through the Grand Central Station。 Ethel and I read
it in the evening。〃
〃'I wonder what she's buying now？' said Ethel； vindictively。〃
〃'Well； I can't help feeling sorry for her；' I answered； with as much of
a smile as I could produce。〃
〃'That is so unnecessary； Richard！ She can easily afford to gratify her
gambling instinct。'〃
〃'There you go； Ethel； inventing millions for her just as you invented
grandchildren。'〃
〃'Not at all。 Unless she constantly had money lying idle； she could not
take these continual plunges。 She is an old woman with few expenses； and
she lives well within her income。 You would hear of her entertaining if
it was otherwise。 So instead of conservatively investing her surplus； she
makes ducks and drakes of it in her son's office。 Is he at Hyde Park
now？' Hyde Park was where the old Beverly country seat had always been。〃
〃'No；' I answered。 'He went to Europe early last month。'〃
〃'Very likely he took her with him。 She is probably at Monte Carlo。'〃
〃'Scarcely in August； I fancy。 And I'll tell you what； Ethel。 I have been
counting it up。 She has lost twenty…four thousand dollars in the Standard
Egg alone。 It takes a good deal of surplus to stand that。'〃
〃'Serve her right；' said Ethel 'And I would say so to her face。'〃
〃September brought freshness to the stock market but not to me。 Mr。
Beverly； like the well…to…do man that he was； remained away in Europe
until October should require his presence as a guiding hand in the
office。 Thus was I left without his buoyant consolation in the face of my
investments。〃
〃Petunias were being adjusted on a four per cent basis； Dutchess and
Columbia Traction was holding its own； I could not complain of
Amalgamated Electric； though it was now lower than when I had bought it；
while had I sold it on that Wednesday in May when Ethel begged me； before
the increased dividend turned out a mistake； I should have made money。
But Philippi Sewers were threatened； Pasteurised Feeders had been numb
since June； Pollyopolis Heat； Light； Power； Paving； Pressing； and Packing
was going to pass its quarterly dividend； and Standard Egg had gone down
from 63 to 7 1/8。 My million dollars on paper now was worth in reality
less than a quarter of that sum； and although we could still make both
ends meet fairly well in some place where you wouldn't want to live； like
Philadelphia； in New York we should drop into a pinched and dwarfed
obscurity。〃
〃I must say now； and I shall never forget； that Ethel during these gloomy
weeks behaved much better than I did。 The grayer the outlook became； the
more words of hope and sense she seemed to find She reminded me that；
after all my Uncle Godfrey's legacy had been a thing unlooked for；
something out of my scheme of life that I had my youth； my salary and my
writing； and that she would wait till she was as old at Mr。 Beverly's
mother。〃
〃It was the thought of that lady which brought from Ethel the only note
of complaint she uttered in my presence during that whole dreary month。〃
〃We were spending Sunday with a house party at Hyde Park； and driving to
church； we passed an avenue gate with a lodge。 'Rockhurst； sir；' said the
coachman。 'Whose place？' I inquired。 'The old Beverly place； sir。' Ethel
heard him tell me this； and as we went on； we saw a carriage and pair
coming down the avenue toward the gate with that look which horses always
seem to have when they are taking the family to church on Sunday morning。〃
〃'If I see her；' said Ethel to me as we entered the door； 'I shall be
unable to say my prayers。'〃
〃But only young people came into the Beverly pew； and Ethel said her
prayers and also sang the hymn and chants very sweetly。〃
〃After the service； we strolled together in the old and lovely grave yard
before starting homeward。 We had told them that we should prefer to walk
back。 The day was beautiful； and one could see a little blue piece of the
river； sparkling。〃
〃'Here is where they are all buried；' said Ethel； and we paused before
brown old headstones with Beverly upon them。 'Died 1750； died 1767；'
continued Ethel； reading the names and inscriptions。 'I think one doesn't
mind the idea of lying in such a place as this。'〃
〃Some of the young people in the pew now came along the path。 'The
grandchildren；' said Ethel。 'She is probably too old to come to church。
Or she is in Europe。'〃
〃The young people had brought a basket with flowers from their place； and
now laid them over several of the grassy mounds。 'Give me some of yours；'
said one to the other； presently； 'I've not enough for grandmother's。'〃
〃Ethel took me rather sharply by the arm。 'Did you hear that？' she asked。〃
〃'It can't be she； you know；' said I。 'He would have come back from
Europe。'〃
〃But we found it out at lunch。 It was she； and she had been dead for
fifteen years。〃
〃Ethel and I talked it over in the train going up to town on Monday
morning。 We had by that time grown calmer。 'If it is not false
pretences；' said she； 'and you cannot sue him for damages； and if it is
not stealing or something； and you cannot put him in prison； what are you
going to do to him； Richard？'〃
〃As this was a question which I had frequently asked myself during the
night； having found no satisfactory answer to it； I