An Ambitious Man

"Oh, that is Miss Dumont--Berene Dumont--she is not an absolute

servant," the Baroness replied; "she is a most unfortunate young

woman to whom my heart went out in pity, and I have given her a home.

She is really a widow, though she refuses to use her dead husband's

name."

"A widow?" repeated Preston with surprise and a queer sensation of

annoyance at his heart; "why, from the glimpse I had of her I thought

her a young girl."

"So she is, not over twenty-one at most, and woefully ignorant for

that age," the Baroness said, and then she proceeded to outline

Berene's history, laying a good deal of stress upon her own

charitable act in giving the girl a home.

"She is so ignorant of life, despite the fact that she has been

married, and she is so uneducated and helpless, I could not bear to

see her cast into the path of designing people," the Baroness said.

"She has a strong craving for an education, and I give her good books

to read, and good advice to ponder over, and I hope in time to come

she will marry some honest fellow and settle down to a quiet, happy

home life. The man who brings us butter and eggs from the country is

quite fascinated with her, but she does not deign him a glance." And

then the Baroness talked of other things.

But the history he had heard remained in Preston Cheney's mind and he

could not drive the thought of this girl away. No wonder her eyes

were sad! Better blood ran in her veins than coursed under the pink

flesh of the Baroness, he would wager; she was the unfortunate victim

of a combination of circumstances, which had defrauded her of the

advantages of youth.

He spoke with her in the hall one morning not long after that; and

then it grew to be a daily occurrence that he talked with her a few

moments, and before many weeks had passed the young man approached

the Baroness with a request.

"I have become interested in your protegee Miss Dumont," he said.

"You have done so much for her that you have stirred my better nature

and made me anxious to emulate your example. In talking with her in

the hall one day I learned her great desire for a better education,

and her anxiety to earn money. Now it has occurred to me that I

might aid her in both ways. We need two or three more girls in our

office. We need one more in the type-setting department. As The

Clarion is a morning paper, and you never need Miss Dumont's services

after five o'clock, she could work a few hours in the office, earn a

small salary, and gain something in the way of an education also, if

she were ambitious enough to do so. Nearly all my early education

was gained as a printer. She tells me she is faulty in the matter of

spelling, and this would be excellent training for her. You have,

dear madam, inspired the girl with a desire for more knowledge, and I

hope you will let me carry on the good work you have begun."