Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1884-11-26
|''WHERE THERE'S A WILL"

Taking tea the other evening with an
old acquaintance, now professor in a
New England college, the conversation
recalled some of the friends of other
days, and he surprised me with this
remark: "A woman's sympathies lie
nearer her heart than love-" But he
surprised me more by the story he told
me to prove it.
II guess it was seven years." he said.
that our chair of astronomy remained
vacant. You know of DR.. Merdon. It
was justly that the world finally gave
him fame. Well, after his death the
trustees were at loss to fill his place.
A weak man would have been insuffer-
able there.
"Do you remember his family?
Charming wife and daughter. They
spent several years abroad after his
death, and when they returned, notwith-
standing that the widow still wore
mourning, the number of our little So
cid events was doubled. The daugh-
ter had string of young milionaires
after her constantly. Female society,
perhaps you know, wasn't unlimited,
and it was with a foundation of truth
that the fellows grimly joked about
calling on the girls their fathers had
courted before them. Charlotte Mer-
don was as fascinating a girl as her
mother had been, so said the old folks,
and it was to her that young Prof. Lutz
quoted from Horace: %, daughter, more
beautiful than thy beautiful mother!'
wheE he brought down on himself the
ridicule of the mountain day party.
Yes, she could have had the pick from
dozen very rich boys, and think she
would have taken it too, if she hadn'5
discovered that her mother was trying
to influence her in their favor.
AT the senior party that year, Char
lotte held her court as she did every
where. She was surrounded, remem-
Der, by the rich fellows of Charlie Ell
liott's set. Elliott was happy that night.
Charlotte had been unusually gracious,
and her mother had made her favor
clearer than ever.
ed" said he, turning to his chum,
"In tell you what will be great sport
Bring Seymour up and formally pre-
sent him to Miss Merdon. It will CON
fuse him. He won't know what to do,
and there'l be deuce of a scene"
The chum complied, and in moment
had the reluctant Seymour by the arm.
The scene that followed must have been
all that Elliott desired. For a moment
the poor student stood before the belle.
It was not unlike the tableau of the
beggar and the princess. Her easy at
titude contrasted strangely with his
painful awkwardness. Elliott had not
miscalcnlated. The effect was immedi.
ate. All eyes were turned toward the
couple, and SMILE went around.
Charlotte Merdon saw it, and her
cheeks famed. She had OWNED the
heartless joke. To the surprise of those
around her she begged Seymour to be
seated-insisted that he should be seat
ed. Then she tried to draw him into
conversation. But it was impossible.
Embarrassment seemed to have driven
his wits away. Only one remark he
ventured. CHANGING at q portrait on the
wall, he stammered out: "That's good
picture of the president" The portrait
was taken 80 years before and was any
thing but good likeness of the presi
dent as he then appeared. The unfor
tunate remark caused another smile
Elliott was delighted. His joke was 6
splendid success. Poor Seymour twisted
about in his chair and hung his head
His discontinue was complete.
Miss Merdon took deliberate lool
at the picture and did not smile. EYES,
she said, 1T is called very good like
ness of him just after graduation. Have
you seen the presidents flowers, Mr.
SEYMOUR Let me show them to you
Rising, and e1cusing herself she lee
the young man into the greenhouse
adjoining the parlor.
"The devil!" said Elliott,"I didn'
look for Anything like that"
, Seymour rescued in this waY from
his trying ordeal. hardly knew what t.
say or do. He felt as if mill-ston
had been taken from his neck. TIL
,, pain and manner of relief WORKER
strangely on his sensitive nature. II
( felt that he was in great debt to hi
companion. He wanted to kiss the her
: of her garment. He wanted to cry. q
1 knew he was feeling and acting like
fool. He expected that he should max
: q greater fool of himself than in th
: parlor. But some way he didn't car,
9 He had lost all fear of the beautifr
J, girl. Her act of mercy had brougl
i her nearer than years of acuuaintanc
could. He talked rapidly of the flow
. ers, for he knew of them, and Chariot
!. listened listened wondering why sh
: cared to listen, little thinking that he
" sympathy had brought the awkwar
student nearer than he would have bee
had she known him half her ife-tim
and had never seen him in pain. s
when he pointed out the observator
where he worked, the queerly shade
, building that showed it's dark outline
in the moonlight, just over the campu
!. on the hill, she wondered what it W.
that prompted her to beg him to tax
her there, to exact q promise from hil
that, on the very next evening,
would conduct her through the built
ing that had been built after her fail
er's order, She persuaded herself til,
it was desire to see some manuscrip
Of her fathers which Seymour told b.
had been left there. Perhaps it was.
Notwithstanding her mothers mil
remonstrance, the next evening foun
j her with Brent Seymour in the tel
scope room Of the observatory. III
y roof had been let down and she v,
: Watching the stars.
I II wonder il father often studio
: them from this ROOM she said.
whenever the sky was clear.
II wonder il he can see them now
No, I think that through some o,
Of them he is looking at US"
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