But she could have written a large Book on how it feels to get up in
the Morning and stir a little Oatmeal.
Pa and Ma saved and skimped and held out and trimmed and maneuvered for
Years.
They had been brought up in the School of Hard Knocks, but they wanted
Bertrand and Isabel to go through Life on Ball Bearings.
Pa finally went to his Reward, according to the Local Paper, and then
it came out that Bertrand and Isabel had $400,000 each, which was more
than Pa had ever turned in to the Assessor.
These two Children had been sheltered from the Great World, although
never stinted in the matter of Sassafras Tea or the Privilege of
reading Books written by Josephus and others.
As soon as he came into his inheritance, Bertrand looked about in a
startled Manner and then bought himself a Plush Hat and began to
cultivate Pimples.
A few Days later he might have been seen riding in a Demonstrating Car
with a Salesman who wore Goggles and who told him that all the Swell
Guys were putting in Orders for the $6,200 Type with the jeweled Mud-
Guards. And next Morning the Sexton observed that Father, by turning
over in the Grave, had somewhat loosened the fresh Earth.
Bertrand had Modern Plumbing put into the Old House and built a Porte
Cochere on the Side and moved a lot of Red Velvet Furniture into the
Parlor. Some said that the Moaning Sound heard at Night was only the
Wind in the Evergreens, but others allowed that it was the returned
Spirit of the Loan Agent checking over the Expenses.
Isabel stopped wearing Things that scratched her and began ordering
from a Catalogue, because the Local Dealers didn't carry anything but
Common Stuff. Also she began to Entertain, and the first time she
served Hot-House Asparagus in January, the House rocked on its
Foundations.
Bertrand soon knew the Difference between a Rickey and a Sour and was
trying to pretend to let on to be fond of the Smoky Taste in that
Imported Article which has done so much to mitigate the Horrors of Golf.
In the meantime, Isabel had got so far along that she could tell by the
Feel whether the Goods were real or only Mercerized, and each Setting
Sun saw a new crimp in the Bank Account.
All Statisticians agree that a couple of Heirs can spend Much Money and
yet besides if they do not work at anything else. Especially when
every Pearl in the Rope represents a Chattel Mortgage and a fancy
Weskit is a stand-off for One Month's Rent of a good piece of Town
Property.
Bertrand married a tall Blonde who knew that Columbus discovered
America, and which kind of Massage Cream to buy, and let it go at that.
They went abroad and began to Ritz themselves. Every time Madam walked
into one of those places marked "English Spoken while you Wait"--Zing!
The Letter of Credit resembled a piece of Apple Pie just after the
willing Farm Hand has taken a Hack at it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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