Fickle Fortune or How Gladys Hustled

by O. Henry

　　"Press me no more Mr. Snooper," said Gladys Vavasour-Smith. "I can neverbe yours.""You have led me to believe different, Gladys," said Bertram D. Snooper.The setting sun was flooding with golden light the oriel windows of amagnificent mansion situated in one of the most aristocratic streetswest of the brick yard.Bertram D. Snooper, a poor but ambitious and talented young lawyer, hadjust lost his first suit. He had dared to aspire to the hand of GladysVavasour-Smith, the beautiful and talented daughter of one of the oldestand proudest families in the county. The bluest blood flowed in herveins. Her grandfather had sawed wood for the Hornsbys and an aunt onher mother's side had married a man who had been kicked by General Lee'smule.The lines about Bertram D. Snooper's hands and mouth were drawn tighteras he paced to and fro, waiting for a reply to the question he intendedto ask Gladys as soon as he thought of one.At last an idea occurred to him."Why will you not marry me?" he asked in an inaudible tone."Because," said Gladys firmly, speaking easily with great difficulty,"the progression and enlightenment that the woman of to-day possessesdemand that the man shall bring to the marriage altar a heart and bodyas free from the debasing and hereditary iniquities that now no longerexist except in the chimerical imagination of enslaved custom.""It is as I expected," said Bertram, wiping his heated brow on thewindow curtain. "You have been reading books.""Besides that," continued Gladys, ignoring the deadly charge, "you haveno money."The blood of the Snoopers rose hastily and mantled the cheek of BertramD. He put on his coat and moved proudly to the door."Stay here till I return," he said, "I will be back in fifteen years."When he had finished speaking he ceased and left the room.When he had gone, Gladys felt an uncontrollable yearning take possessionof her. She said slowly, rather to herself than for publication, "Iwonder if there was any of that cold cabbage left from dinner."She then left the room.When she did so, a dark-complexioned man with black hair and gloomy,desperate looking clothes, came out of the fireplace where he had beenconcealed and stated:"Aha! I have you in my power at last, Bertram D. Snooper. GladysVavasour-Smith shall be mine. I am in the possession of secrets that nota soul in the world suspects. I have papers to prove that BertramSnooper is the heir to the [Footnote: An estate famous in Texas legalhistory. It took many, many years for adjustment and a large part of theproperty was, of course, consumed as expenses of litigation.] Tom Beanestate, and I have discovered that Gladys' grandfather who sawed woodfor the Hornsby's was also a cook in Major Rhoads Fisher's commandduring the war. Therefore, the family repudiate her, and she will marryme in order to drag their proud name down in the dust. Ha, ha, ha!"As the reader has doubtless long ago discovered, this man was no otherthan Henry R. Grasty. Mr. Grasty then proceeded to gloat some more, andthen with a sardonic laugh left for New York.* * * *Fifteen years have elapsed.Of course, our readers will understand that this is only supposed to the case.It really took less than a minute to make the little stars thatrepresent an interval of time.We could not afford to stop a piece in the middle and wait fifteen yearsbefore continuing it.We hope this explanation will suffice. We are careful not to create anywrong impressions.Gladys Vavasour-Smith and Henry R. Grasty stood at the marriage altar.Mr. Grasty had evidently worked his rabbit's foot successfully, althoughhe was quite a while in doing so.Just as the preacher was about to pronounce the fatal words on which hewould have realized ten dollars and had the laugh on Mr. Grasty, thesteeple of the church fell off and Bertram D. Snooper entered.The preacher fell to the ground with a dull thud. He could ill afford tolose ten dollars. He was hastily removed and a cheaper one secured.Bertram D. Snooper held a Statesman in his hand."Aha!" he said, "I thought I would surprise you. I just got in thismorning. Here is a paper noticing my arrival."He handed it to Henry R. Grasty.Mr. Grasty looked at the paper and turned deadly pale. It was datedthree weeks after Mr. Snooper's arrival."Foiled again!" he hissed."Speak, Bertram D. Snooper," said Gladys, "why have you come between meand Henry?""I have just discovered that I am the sole heir to Tom Bean's estate andam worth two million dollars."With a glad cry Gladys threw herself in Bertram's arms.Henry R. Grasty drew from his breast pocket a large tin box and openedit, took therefrom 467 pages of closely written foolscap."What you say is true, Mr. Snooper, but I ask you to read that," hesaid, handing it to Bertram Snooper.Mr. Snooper had no sooner read the document than he uttered a piercingshriek and bit off a large chew of tobacco."All is lost," he said."What is that document?" asked Gladys. "Governor Hogg's message?""It is not as bad as that," said Bertram, "but it deprives me of myentire fortune. But I care not for that, Gladys, since I have won you.""What is it? Speak, I implore you," said Gladys."Those papers," said Henry R. Grasty, "are the proofs of my appointmentas administrator of the Tom Bean estate."With a loving cry Gladys threw herself in Henry R. Grasty's arms.* * * *Twenty minutes later Bertram D. Snooper was seendeliberately to enter a beer saloon on Seventeenth Street.