\"ThebasisofStandardEggwasnotonlyamonopolyofallthehensintheUnitedStates,butamachinecalledaSeparator,fortellingtheageandstateofaneggbymeansofimmersioninwater。Perfectlygoodeggssankfastandpassedoutthroughonedistributor;fairlyniceeggsdidnotreachthebottom,andweredrawnoffthroughanothersluice,andsoon。
Thissavedthewagesoftheeggtwirlers,whosemethodofcandlingeggs,asitwascalled,wasfarlessrapidthantheSeparator。AndwhenI
learnedthatonehouseinSt。Louisalonetwirled50,000eggsinaday,thepossibleprofitsoftheEggTrustbecamecleartome。ButtheywerenotsocleartoEthel。Shesaidthatyoucouldnotmonopolisehens。Thattheywouldalwaysbelayingeggsandputtingitinthepowerofcompetitorstohatchthembyincubators。NordidshehaveconfidenceinthePasteurisedFeeder。\'Evenifyougettheparentstoadoptit,\'shesaid,\'youcannotgetthechildren。IftheydonotlikethetasteofthemilkasitcomesoutofthebottlethroughtheFeeder,theywillsimplynottakeit。\'\"
\"\'Well,\'Ianswered,\'oldMrs。Beverlyisholdingontohers。\'\"
\"WhenIsaidthis,Ethelsatwithhermouthtight。Thensheopeneditandsaid:\'Ihatethatwoman。\'\"
\"\'Hateher?Why,youhaveneversomuchaslaideyesonher。\'\"
\"\'Thatisnotatallnecessary。Iconsideritindecentforagreyhairedwomanwithgrandchildrentobespeculatinginthestockmarketeveryweeklikearegularbullorbear。\'\"
\"EverypointinthisoutburstofEthel\'sseemedtomesounwarrantablethatIwasquitedazed。Isatlookingather,andhereyesfilledwithtears。\'OhRichard!\'sheexclaimed,\'shewillruinyou,andIhateher!\'\"
\"\'MydearEthel,\'Ireplied,\'shewillnot。Andonlyseehowyouaremakingitallupoutofyourhead。Youhaveneverseenher,butyouspeakofherasagrey-hairedgrandmother。\'\"
\"\'Shemustbe,Richard。YouhavetoldmethatMr。Beverlyisamarriedmanandaboutforty-five。Nodoubthehasoldersistersandbrothers。Butifhehasnot,hismothercanhardlybelessthansixty-five,andhehasprobablybeenmarriedforseveralyears。Hemighteasilyhaveadaughtercomingout,nextwinter,andasonatHarvardorYale;andiftheirgrandmother\'shairisnotgrey,thatisquiteasunnaturalasherspeculatinginmonopolisedeggsinthiswayatherage。Shemustbeaveryunladylikeperson。\'\"
\"Ethel,Isaw,wasexcited。ThereforeImadenomorepointofhertheoriesconcerningtheappearanceandfamilycircleofoldMrs。Beverly。
ButinjusticetomyselfIfeltobligedtoremindher,first,thatIwasinvesting,notspeculating,andsecond,thatitwasMr。Beverly\'sadviceIwasfollowing,andnotthatofhismother。\'Hadhenotspokenofher,\'
Isaid,\'Ishouldhaveremainedunawareofherexistence。\'\"
\"\'Sheisatthebottomofitallthesame,\'saidEthel。\'Everythingyouhaveboughthasbeenbecausesheboughtit。\'\"
\"\'Thatisnotquitetherightwaytoputit,\'Ireplied。\'IwaswillingtobuythesesecuritiesbecauseMr。Beverlythoughtsohighlyofthemthathefeltjustifiedin\'\"
\"\'Thereisnouse,\'interruptedEthel,\'inourgoingroundthiscircleasifwewereapairofsquirrels。Idonotaskyoutohatethatwomanformysake,butIcannotchangemyownfeeling。Doyouremember,Richard,abouttheCityofPhilippiSewerBonds?Youdidnotwanttobuythematfirst。YoutoldmeyourselfthatyouthoughtnewtownsinTexaswereapttobuzzsuddenlyandthendiebecauseallthepeoplehurriedawaytosomenewertownandleftthehousesandstoresstandingempty。ButMr。
Beverly\'smothergotsome,andallyourhesitationfled。AndnowIseethattheGulf,Galveston,andLittleRockisgoingtobuildabranchthatmaymakePhilippiaperfectlyevaporatedtown。Ifyousoldthesebondsto-day,howmuchwouldyoulose?\'\"
\"IdidnotenjoytellingEthelhowmuch,butIhadto。\'Onlyfifteenthousanddollars,\'Isaid。\"
\"\'Only!\'saidEthel。\'Well,Ihopehismotherwillloseagreatdealmorethanthat。\'\"
\"ItisseldomthatEtheltapsherfoot,butshehadbeguntotapitnow;
andthisinclinedmetoavoidanyattemptatasoothingreply,inthehopethatsilencemightprovestillmoresoothing,andthatthuswemightgetawayfromoldMrs。Beverly。\"
\"\'Shecannotpossiblybelessthansixty-five,\'Ethelpresentlyannounced。\'Andsheisfarmorelikelytobeseventy。\'\"
\"IthoughtitbesttoagreetoanyagethatEthelchosetogivetheoldlady。\"
\"\'Doyousuppose,\'Ethelcontinued,\'thatshedoesitbytelephone?\'\"
\"\'Mydearest,\'Iresponded,\'hemustdoitallforher,ofcourse,youknow。\'\"
\"\'Idoubtthatverymuch,Richard。Andshestrikesmeasbeingthesortofcharacterforwhomameretelephonewouldnotbeenoughexcitement。
Thenervesofthosepeoplerequiremoreandmorestimulantstogivethemanysensationatall。Ibelievethatshesitsinhisprivateofficeandwatchestheticker。\'\"
\"\'Whynotgiveheratickerinherbedroomwhileyouareaboutit,Ethel?\'Isuggested。\"
\"ButEthelcouldnotsmile。\'Ithinkthatisperfectlyprobable,\'sheanswered。Andthen,\'Oh,Richard,isn\'titmean!\'AtthisItookherhand,andshebutagainIabstainfromdwellinguponthosecircumstancesoftheengagedwhicharefamiliartoyouall。\"
\"ThechangeofMayintoJune,andthechangeofJuneintoJuly,didnotmellowEthel\'sbitterfeelings。IrememberthedayafterPetuniasdefaultedontheirinterestthatsheexclaimed,\'IhopeIshallnevermeether!\'WealwayscalledMr。Beverly\'smother\'she\'now。\'ForifI
weretomeether,\'continuedEthel,\'IfeelIshouldsaysomethingthatI
shouldregret。Oh,Richard,IsupposeweshallhavetogiveupthathouseonParkAvenue!\'\"
\"Iputacheerfulandeveninsularfaceonthematter,forIcouldnotbeartoseeEthelsodepressed。Butitwashardworkforme。Somefewofmyinvestmentswereevidentlygood;butitalwaysseemedasifitwasintothesethatIhadhappenedtoputnotmuchmoney,whilethebulkofmyfortunewasentangledintheothers。BesidestheusualMidsummerfaintnessthatovertakesthestockmarket,myownspecialtieswereagooddealmorethanfaint。Onthe20thofAugustItooktheafternoontraintospendmytwoweeks\'holidayatLenox;andduringmuchofthejourneyI
gazedattheWallStreeteditionoftheafternoonpaperthatIhadpurchasedasIcamethroughtheGrandCentralStation。EthelandIreaditintheevening。\"
\"\'Iwonderwhatshe\'sbuyingnow?\'saidEthel,vindictively。\"
\"\'Well,Ican\'thelpfeelingsorryforher,\'Ianswered,withasmuchofasmileasIcouldproduce。\"
\"\'Thatissounnecessary,Richard!Shecaneasilyaffordtogratifyhergamblinginstinct。\'\"
\"\'Thereyougo,Ethel,inventingmillionsforherjustasyouinventedgrandchildren。\'\"
\"\'Notatall。Unlesssheconstantlyhadmoneylyingidle,shecouldnottakethesecontinualplunges。Sheisanoldwomanwithfewexpenses,andsheliveswellwithinherincome。Youwouldhearofherentertainingifitwasotherwise。Soinsteadofconservativelyinvestinghersurplus,shemakesducksanddrakesofitinherson\'soffice。IsheatHydeParknow?\'HydeParkwaswheretheoldBeverlycountryseathadalwaysbeen。\"