out or perhaps both if only you two boys could agree he used to say another thing which disturbed was his father s attitude on the subject of marriage � s marriage to be specific never ceased to insist on the fact that ought to get married and that he by was making a big mistake in putting it off all the other children save were safely married why not his favorite son it was doing him injury morally that he was sure of the world expects it of a man in your position his father had argued from time to time it makes for social and you ought to pick out a good woman and raise a family where will you be when you get to my time of life if you haven t any children any home well if the right woman came along said i suppose i d marry her but she hasn t come along what do you want me to do take anybody no not anybody of course but there are lots of good women you can surely find some one if you try there s that pace girl what about her you used to like her i wouldn t drift on this way it can t come to any good his son would only smile there father let it go now i ll come around some time no doubt i ve got to be thirsty when i m led to water the old gentleman gave over time and again but it was a sore point with him he wanted his son to settle down and be a real man of affairs the fact such a situation as this might against any permanent arrangement with was obvious even to at this time he thought out his course of action carefully of course he would not give up whatever the possible but he must be cautious he must take no unnecessary risks could he bring her to what a scandal if it were ever found out could he her in a nice home somewhere near the city the family would probably eventually suspect something could he take her along on his numerous business journeys this first one to new york had been successful would it always be so he turned the question over in his mind l z i c the very difficulty gave it zest perhaps st louis or or would be best after all he went to these places frequently and particularly to he decided finally that it should be if he could arrange it he could always make excuses to run up there and it was only a night s ride yes was best the very size and activity of the city made concealment easy after two weeks stay at wrote that he was to soon and she answered that she thought it would be all right for to call and see her her father had been told about him she had felt it unwise to stay about the house and so had secured a position in a store at four dollars a week he smiled as he thought of her working and yet the decency and energy of it appealed to him she s all right he said she s the best i ve come across yet he ran up to the following saturday and calling at her place of business he made an appointment to see her that evening he was anxious that his introduction as her beau should be gotten over with as quickly as possible when he did call the j of the house and the manifest poverty of the family � rather disgusted him but somehow seemed as sweet to him as ever came in the front room after he had been there a few minutes and shook hands with him as did also mrs but paid little attention to them the old german appeared to him to be merely commonplace � the sort of man who was hired by hundreds in common in his father s factory after some conversation suggested to that they should go for a drive put on her hat and together they departed as a matter of fact they went to an apartment which he had hired for the of her clothes when she returned at eight in the evening the family considered it nothing amiss chapter xxv a month later was able to announce that intended to marry her his visits had of course paved the way for this and it seemed natural enough only seemed a little doubtful he did not know just how this might be perhaps it was all right l seemed a fine enough man in all conscience and really after why not if a united states could fall in love with why not a business man there was just one thing � the child has she told him about he asked his wife no said mrs not yet not yet not yet always something do you think he wants her if he knows that s what comes of such conduct in the first place now she has to slip around like a thief the child cannot even have an honest name went back to his newspaper reading and brooding his life a complete failure to him and he was only waiting to get well enough to hunt up another job as he granted to get out of this mess of deception and a week or two later confided to her mother that had written her to join him in he was not feeling well and could not come to the two women explained to that was going away to be married to mc up at this and his suspicions were again aroused but he could do nothing but over the situation it would lead to no good end of that he was sure i o d l when the day came for s departure she had to 