midnight
The primary need of a woman 's nature is always supposed to be love , but very suddenly I discovered that in my case it was money , a lot of it and quick . That is , I thought I needed a lot and in a very great hurry ; but if I had known what I know now , I might have been contented feeding upon the bread of some kind of charity , for instance , like being married to Matthew Berry the very next day after I discovered my poverty . But at that period of my life I was a very ignorant girl , and in the most noble spirit of a desperate adventure I embarked upon the quest of the Golden Bird , which in one short year has landed me -- I am now the richest woman in the world . `` But , Ann Craddock , you know nothing at all about a chicken in any more natural state than in a croquette , '' stormed Matthew at me as he savagely speared one of those inoffensive articles of banquet diet with a sharp silver fork while he squared himself with equal determination between me and any possible partner for the delicious one-step that the band in the ball-room was beginning to send out in inviting waves of sound to round the dancers in from loitering over their midnight food . `` The little I do _ not _ know about the chicken business , after one week spent in pursuit of that knowledge through every weird magazine and state agricultural bulletin in the public library , even you could learn , Matthew Berry , with your lack of sympathy with the great American wealth producer , the humble female chicken known in farmer patois as a hen . Did you know that it only costs about two dollars and thirteen cents to feed a hen a whole year and that she will produce twenty-seven dollars and a half for her owner , the darling thing ? I know I 'll just love her when I get to know her -- them better , as I will in only about eighteen hours now . ''