Rich Man, Poor Man

had gone flying up the stairway to her room. There, half an hour later, tapping softly at her

he whispered-

dlady's little ward. The fact is the two had long lived together in the boarding house; for the year that Mr. Mapleson came to Mrs. Tilney's was th

en Mrs. Tilney's doorbell sounded. As the day happened to be a Sunday, and

ing sunshine, yet the man she found in the vestibule was clad in a winter suit not only sizes too large for him but suffocating

Tilney had in

the slight, pallid man from replying. "I-why, your sign outs

nces?" Mrs. Tiln

ut to shut the door when abruptly he threw out bot

e appealed. "I've come a g

n the wan wistfulness of his look, the s

and, standing aside, sh

oo, would be gone. But Mr. Mapleson showed no disposition to depart. There were, in fact, signs that he meant to remain indefinitely. At any rate, on entering his room one morning Mrs. Tilney found upon the wall three cheap little col

her boarders, a Mr. Agramonte. The gentleman, the manager of a vaudeville booking agency, having let his board bill run three weeks, decamped secretly in the middle of the night. This was the day before Thanksgi

ht you a flow

gasped M

er, his alarm as well, Mrs. Tilney emitted a laugh, or rather it

one of her boarders shown her such consider

Mapleson's advent, was one to be remembered. A raw wind from the eastward had risen with the morning, and well on in the afternoon rain began. Presently, as if to show w

rl entered the kitchen where Mrs. Tiln

n the parlor, mum

ly misused in Mrs. Tilney's c

you know?" deman

th convincing frankness, "she do

dripping skirts clung an equally rain-soaked child; and that they were persons of distinction not even their appear

or rooms-a room

gesture of uncontrollable languor she held

However, after some misgivings she showed her visitor the one vacancy. It was a top-floor bedr

sitor. "I'll have my

er, could utter that shibboleth of her calling, "You have references?" the chi

ne's hungry

ontraction of her mouth th

r, in just a li

still confident, told her the visitor hadn't it. And to have turned that woman and

ther?" asked the

lney had grim

she demanded, with a directnes

Then with a quiet dignity she slipped off her gl

widow,"

y had aske

hild with me. Tonight's no night for her to be traipsing th

Barbara Wynne had c

s. Tilney's door. That night Mrs. Wynne came down to her dinner; but after that, of Mrs. Tilney's guests none but Mr. Map

p," he said; "some

me. He gave one look at the woman moaning on her pillow-in her nightdress, her hair in

-going fas

darkness; yet before its light failed altogether it flickered once, gleaming momentarily. Then the

earie?" whispe

came, but of a part of it Mrs.

Wynne!" the lip

or was ajar, and there on the floor sat the little man and the

rs. Tilne

ily wrung back the passing spirit to its shell had yet not been able to hold

d her. Never had she looked so grim, so sharp-faced, so unlovely. Never had her bony, an

most part, and none of any value. All were addressed "Dearest D," and signed either "B," "H" or "V." However, from a remark let fall by Mrs. Wynne it was inferred that she had neither friends nor family in New York. It also was inferred that she had

ther's funeral Mr. Mapleson slipped down the hall toward Mrs. Tiln

sked Mr.

tight to her flat, unlovely breast was Bab's r

trade. Then, too, the snubs he received were, to a man of his shy nature, each a crucifixion. Eventually,

ch of bubbling exultation. Pic

amonds and pearls! You'l

of a far more prac

my licorice stic

was Mr. Mapleson who always heard her lessons. "Spell cat," Mr. Mapleson would say; and when Bab, after deep thought, announced that c-a-t spelled cat, Mr. Mapleson would exclaim: "Very good! Very good!" and, laying down the spelling book, would pick up the reader.

n would be

ls!" he'd say. "Di

ens the dawning of a character, was not just so earnest, so tractable. Pouting

would slowly

Bab," he'd say, "how can you hope

e a fine lady!"

silence. Then Mr. Mapleson would

reak Mr. Mapy's

t turned twenty, and Mr. Mapleson's promise had come true. "Diamonds and pearls! Diamonds a

d Mr. Mapleson, his eyes gleaming like a bird's, bent above he

, Ba

suddenly, her

e whispered. "Is i

have been seen in the light from outside that Mr. Mapleson st

from the pillow Bab bent closer to him, her

! Last night you were talking and I heard-I couldn't help listening! You wer

g too. Then he spoke, and his voice when she heard it was thi

n Beeston's granddaughter. Your father was his son." And then Mr.

uite alone-the white-faced, white-haired, faded little old man; the girl, youthful, lovely, alluring. But alone thou

esentl

ering-"you mean that I'm theirs?

eson sai

g?" she asked. "You mean I'm to have pretty cloth

th working queerly, Mr. Mapleson fell to n

es-ever

s expression once more rap

you?" said Mr. Mapleson, his voice eager, clear

e arms; and Bab, her face suffused, crept into them. For a

appy, then

! Mr. Mapy!"