Page 20 - Fairbrass

affairs ; but that since he loved his wife

dearly, and she was absolutely devoted to
him, he had, if he only knew it, far more,

and a far better thing than money could buy.

The whole trouble, it seemed, had been
brought about by the Money Fiend. The

mother was beautiful but penniless ; the
father had laughed at this, and, in spite of

warnings and consequences, had married her;
the mother looked upon the father as a hero,

but the grandfather was right when he said
that he knew the power of wealth ; and now

that the children had come, and continued
to come, the father and mother, though

they never told each other so, saw that the
old man might have been very useful to

them all.
* It was an odd part of the business, too,'

said the Poplars, ‘ that the grandfather was

iea!ly as unhappy about the whole affair as
the lather, but both were so proud that

neither would make any advance towards
a reconciliation, and, without saying a word

to each other, the Little House at the foot