The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1869-10-14
THREE LOVERS AT ONCE
-. -. .sN 5.-.....
BY MRS. MARGARET HosMER.
PART FIRST.

! ".' ~ PART FIRST.
An eccentric gentleman Of Philadel
phia, named Woodleigh, had becom,
very rich in trade with the West Indies
In latter years he had gone to Havap'
to reside, and not being an attentiv,
correspondent, all that his family knew
Of his life there was that he had mar
ried the widow Of wealthy planter
thus augmenting his possessions, and
that she had died after few year,
without issue, leaving her fortune tt
her lord.
Mr.. Woodleigh then became an oh.
ject Of much interest and speculation
to his relatives at home, aud these sen,
timents increased to positive euthusi.
asm, when after an absence of fifteen
years he announced his intention of re.
visiting his native. city.
The letter In which this determine.
tion was conveyed was addressed to hiz
halt-sistef, Mrs. Lodcr, who having
two sons aud daughter just entering
life, was both fattered and fluttered By
its reception. He wrote
~ am old enough to read, aud rich
enough to afford myself the pleasure Of
cultivasing few friends among the
young yeople who have grown up while
l have been too exclusively devoted to
business to more than remember their
existence. A man should know some
thing Of the race that viii succeed
him."
Mrs. Loder read this aloud in the
family presence; she was widow and
sufficiently straitened in circumstances
to make such a prospect one Of i'm
menss importance to her. In appear
ance she was thin and wiry and restless,
for the burden of her children's future
continually pressed on her mind, and
not being content to allow them,
with health aud hope and small be-
ginning, to fight their own way through
the world, she destroyed her peace in
devising and being disappointed in
endless schemes for their sudden ag-
gandizement.
She folded the letter and looked tri-
umphautly on them all.
''This is your chance" she said, en-
phatically. :"[ always knew it would
come, and now it's here" =
lis it, though :" remarked Tom
Loder, irreverently. He was the young
er SOD and matter-of-fact fellow, be-
sides being hard worker, not given to
belief in dreams or fancies. He had
just entered wholesale tea aud sugar
house as junior partner, after forcing
himself into notice as a reliable, trust
worthy clerk.
II He pushed his hat on his head in
his downright way, and thrusting hie
hands in his pockets, went on
GIVE heard that before, but I don't
believe lin tho system. Just 60 right
on minding your own business aud do:
ing your duty, and you'll always have a
chance without waiting for an opportu-
nifty to toady to any one" ..
Having thus relieved his mind, he
departed, and Frank and Caroline, the
remaining g members of tho family circle,
glanced at each other, and shrugged
their shoulders as a comment OF, his
views. .''
Mrs. Lodcr looked dismayed. IL.
II trust he won't explode in that
brueque manner Of his; and ruin other
peoples prospects," sho said. II
haven't an expectation for him with
your uncle, but I hope he'll keep quiet
ont of regard for you"
"Ma," drawled Caroline, and:it was
SO much her nature to draw] and to
yawn, that they were the only two
things she ever did feelingly or we'll ;
5'"'won't uncle Woodleigh be likely to
fancy cousin Esther Grovcr -.
"Of course he will,"' said her broth
er, who had been thoughtiuIly CON
.eultibg his own mind since bis mother
folded up the letter. "Carr,e isn't very
far-seeiug as general thing, but she
looked into the root Of the trouble
there: He viV fancy Esther Grover
and he had better find. us on friendly
terms with her when :he comes. Ask
her here. ''ss:ze@s~v :. :7s'-@:sas>~zzss=~~7as
aa:Ous.this judgment aud decision Of
this son, Mrs. Loder had the utmost
reliance. He was supposed 70 be 4
law student, but he was at once hand.
some and lazy, aud had set out 10 life
(
with determination to have his fortune
made for him in some way; a, to the
exact means he was neither very clear
nor very scrupulous. He had more