The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1886-07-10
"No, I think not; what have you no

perhaps. But be kind o. comes up here
| evenings and they read together some.
| And-well, one thing and another has led
me to think that they might be getting in
| terested in each other"
| Joel did not continue the conversation
| but soon betook himself to the room, half
Office and half library, where he was wont
| to retire when he had leisure for reading
or when he had some perplexing business
| problem to think out Here he sat awhile
in meditation. He had accepted in full his
wife's revelation without thought of inves-
tigating the grounds on which it was based.
His camp had been surprised; how should
he meet the foe! Presently he stepped to
the shelves which lined the room, and
hastily turned over the pages of several
novels, just as lawyer might in an emer-
gency consult books with which he was al
ready familiar.
Yes, here were plenty of cases. Here was
the girl of high. social position, the daughter
OF Duke, who becomes enamored of the
poor young commoner. The father inter
feres Girl will not disobey her father, but
neither will she give up her lover. Taken
abroad and no correspondence allowed.
No use. Takes no interest in any thing.
Rarely seen to smile. Father has to give it
up at last
.Of course he does,n soliloquised Joel;
$50 should /. You don't want to break
your daughters heart, and when a girl has
| a mind of her own, like Annie, gets It fairly
set upon any thing, you can't change it for
her by force"
Here was another case. Young lady loved
by man of her own rank, and every thing
that he oughtto be. Herfriends plead with
her in his behalf, sound his praises, and
faithfully argue with her about her duty
She fears that she doesn't love him quite
enough. They try to persuade her that she
does, and then she is sure that she doesn't
Then appears the other young man, evil
80 ol~-Il
Somehow she becomes interested, and her
friends solemnly warn her against him.
Then her interest increases, and she finally
marries him with her fathers reluctant
consent.
And so on.
yes said Joel to himself as he closed a
book, the doctor is right The girl in the
story always has her own way, and the
more they oppose her the more she has it.
But dear me; they go to work exactly
wrong. Don't make any allowance for the
perversity of human nature. They fill the
girls ears with praises of the right one till
she's tired and sick Of him, and keep her
thinking about the wrong one, by forbid
ding her to think of him at all The way
to do it is to turn the thing end for end"
And, in accordance with this reflection,
Joel before he slept, had outlined plan
for managing his daughter
He began operations at breakfast the
next morning.
Annie" he said in his blandest tones
and with his most beaming smile, ssyOur
mother tells me that you and Lee Tilton
are likely to make match Of it."
Annie's face was picture-a whole pan
Drama in fact in which establishment, in
dignation and maidenly shame were sue
| cessively portrayed.
"Why, pa" exclaimed Mrs. Parks, II
never said any thing of the kind.'
Il have no idea what you are talking
about, father" said Annie, recovering her
voice, but not her self-possession.
30, you needn't be bashful about iti-
said her father with an odious chuckle,
"Pve got eyes as well as your mother and
if l hadn't been pleased / should have
spoken before this. l like your choice,
Annie, il Lee is your choice"
Armies eyes,
II think you are too bad, papa; Mr.. Til
ton and / are good friends, of course, but
he never said a word to me that all the
world mightnt hear, and / don't know
what puts such thought into your head.
You make me ashamed, and Pm sure I've
no cause to be So"
''Of course not; DEAR" replied her father.
lice is nice young man, whether you
take him or not" and so saying he rose
from the table and took his departure.
shouldn't be surprised if had nipped
tudb tuluk TUG Duu ulTtdQy, buOukuJ ne
as he walked down the street.
When he came home to dinner his wife
said: Joel, I'm sorry you said what you
did at breakfast The poor girl was dret-
fully put out. She has been talking about
it all day and telling me every thing that
they ever said when they were together.
think she likes him and he her, but she
doesn't know it yet"
20, nonsense - said Joel, and then men,
tally, II didn't begin minute too soon.
I'll follow that up"
At dinner he began
Speaking of Lee Tilton-"
30, don't father" int rrupted Annie.
"But wait, my dear, let me speak. Pm
not trying to influence you. OF course Lee
hasn't spoken yet, and wouldn't unless he
thought was willing. But il be had the
least hint-now just wait till I'm through;
II / let him know in roundabout way that
Pm Wiling, he'd:spEeak soon enough. Why
est girl and the richest girl in this VILLAGE!
And let me tell you, Lee Tilton is nice
young man. Nothing Eighty about him.
Once married he would settle down as sober
and steady going as a man fifty years. old.
And could make a business man Of him.
for he would do just as told him."
Father, promise me that you will never
say a word to him, or will never willingly
see him again. never want to see him
again, any way, it seems to me-" said An
ME, with face aflame and flashing eye. II
don't know what makes you talk so, indeed
/ don't.n
'That's the way to do it," was Joel's in
ward comment, many times repeated dur
ing the rest of the day.
But circumstances were not apparently
wholly in his favor A few days after this
some of the young people had q picnic in
the beautiful grove which crowns the
highest of Redfields seven hills, and ssjust
for fun the journey was made in hay
racks Lee Tilton, who had a rare holiday,
drove one of these primitive coaches in
which was merry party of young men
and maidens including Annie Parks. In
descending the hill on the return home a
break in the harness gave Lee an oppor-
tunity to show his bravery and GOODNESS,
which he promptly accepted. He stood by
his post like the typical engineer, and he
had the satisfaction of saving his passen-
gers from harm, and of being crowned
hero. In describing the adventure to her
mother Annie did ample justice to Lees
deserts and spoke of him as the preserver