The Debtor | Page 4

sat on the new and faced the old. Mrs. Morris began absently
calculating, while the conversation went on to other topics, if she could
possibly manage a new sofa before summer.
Mrs. Lee asked if she knew if the new people in the Ranger place,
"Willow Lake," were very rich? She said she had heard they were
almost millionaires.
"Yes," said Mrs. Morris, "very rich indeed. Mr. Morris says he thinks
they must be, from everything he hears."
"Of course it does not matter in one way or another whether they are
rich or not," said Mrs. Lee.
"Well, I don't know," said Mrs. Van Dorn. "Of course nobody is going
to say that money is everything, and of course everybody knows that
good character is worth more than anything else, and yet I do feel as if
folks with money can do so much if they have the will."
"I think that these new people are very generous with their money,"
said Mrs. Morris. "I heard they about supported the church in Hillfield,
New York, where they used to live, and Captain Carroll has joined the
Village Improvement Society, and he says he is very much averse to
trading with any but the local tradesmen."
"What is he captain of?" inquired Mrs. Lee, who had at times a fashion
of putting a question in a most fatuously simple and childish manner.
"Oh, I don't suppose he is really captain of anything now," replied Mrs.
Morris. "I don't know how he happened to be captain, but I suppose he
must have been a captain in the regular army."
"I suppose he hasn't any business, he is so very rich?"

"Oh yes; he has something in the City. I dare say he does not do very
much at it, but I presume he is an active man and does not want to be
idle."
"Why didn't he stay in the army, then?" asked Mrs. Lee, clasping her
small white kid hands and puckering her face inquiringly.
"I don't know. Perhaps that was too hard, or took him away too far. I
suppose some of those army posts are pretty desolate places to live in,
and perhaps his wife was afraid of the Indians."
"He's got a wife and family, I hear," said Mrs. Van Dorn.
Both calling ladies were leaning farther and farther towards Mrs.
Morris with an absorption of delight. It was as if the three had their
heads together over a honey-pot.
"Mr. Lee said he heard they had a fine turnout," said Mrs. Lee.
"Mrs. Peel told me that Mr. Peel said the horses never cost less than a
thousand," said Mrs. Van Dorn.
"A thousand!" repeated Mrs. Morris. "Mr. Morris said horses like those
were never bought under twenty-five hundred, and Mr. Morris is a
pretty good judge of horse-flesh."
"Mr. Van Dorn said Dr. Jerrolds told him that Captain Carroll told him
he expected to keep an automobile, and was afraid the Ranger stable
wouldn't be large enough," said Mrs. Van Dorn.
"So I heard," said Mrs. Lee.
"I hear he pays a very large rent to Mr. Ranger--the largest rent he has
ever got for that house," said Mrs. Morris.
"Well, I hear he pays fifty dollars a month."
"Why, he never got more than forty before!" said Mrs. Lee. "That is, I
don't believe he ever did."

"I know he didn't," said Mrs. Morris, positively.
"Well, it is a handsome place," said Mrs. Lee.
"Yes, it is, but these new people aren't satisfied. They must have been
used to pretty grand things where they came from. They want the stable
enlarged, as I said before, and a box-stall. Mr. Carroll owns a famous
trotter that he hasn't brought here yet, because he is afraid the stable
isn't warm enough. I heard he wanted steam-heat out there, and a room
finished for the coachman, and hard-wood floors all over the house.
They say he has two five-thousand-dollar rugs."
"The house is let furnished, I thought," said Mrs. Van Dorn.
"Yes, it is, and the furniture is still there. The Carrolls don't want to
bring on many of their own things till they are sure the house is in
better order. I heard they talk of buying it."
"Do you know how much--" inquired Mrs. Van Dorn, breathlessly,
while Mrs. Lee leaned nearer, her eyes protruding, her small thin mouth
open, and her white kid fingers interlacing.
"Well, I heard fifteen thousand."
Both callers gasped.
"Well, it is a great thing for Banbridge to have such people come here
and buy real estate and settle, if they are the right sort," said Mrs. Van
Dorn, rising to go; and Mrs. Lee followed her example, with a murmur
of assent to the remark.
"Must you go?" said Mrs. Morris,