The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-05-29
A NOBLE WOMAN.
The Methods Taken by Two Low
ers to Win Her.

Margaret Chillson went slowly down the
long lane, humming tune softly to her
self. The ripening glories of mid-August
were all around her. Green and prickiy
stubble spread over broad meadows, where
but yesterday masses of timothy bent,
responsive to the wind Silky tassels
streamed from the cornfields, masses of
waxy bloom whitened the potato patches,
the ripening grain nodded in innumerable
golden panicles. Kingbirds went hither
and thither in swift pursuit of moth or bee,
goldhnches gathered in little lotteries,
hocks of crows went clamoring along the
borders of the distant wood, while in the
upland pastures the thrushes made merry
over the fruit-laden raspberry tangles
IL happiness can come from outward sur
roundings, on that sunny August day Mar
garet Chillson should have been supremely
blest. 1t is true that she was an orphan,
with no near relative in the world; but
five years had softened the sorrow felt for
the loss of parents; and her life since then
had been too busy for the indulgence of
mere sentimental and useless grief. Her
father had left her an estate estimated at a
round million and thus, at the age of eigh-
teen, Margaret found herself the heaviest
shareholder in the firm of Chillson & Co.,
bankers, the owner of "blocks'' of govern
mentS, railroads, mines and other profita-
BILE investments. She was also owner and
manager of a large stock farm, originally
her mothers Inheritance but to which her
father had added acre after acre. Here
Margaret's mother, and in time, Margaret
herself, had been born, and here except
when at college, she had spent her entire
life.
Margaret was girl of large capabili-
ties, with a quick intellect and business
tact, inherited from her father. and a soul
far too large tO ba fillaA
cry. She felt no inclination to NEEDLE with
Wall Street; but she kept her interest in
Chlllson q Co., having implicit faith in the
partner long associated with her father
and, loving superb horses and sleek cattle
and the freedom and independence of
country life, she assumed the personal
management of her immense farm and
made it bring her an income that would
have satisfied her father
But, while Margaret Chillson was keen
woman of business, she was ''but yet
woman; and while her round million
commanded for her every intellectual
desire or personal comfort, it could not win
from the one man who swayed her heart
the avowal of kindred allegiance Lovers
she had in almost unlimited numbers,
formal offers for her hand were of frequent
occurrence. Her partner in Chillson &
Co, for more than two years had pressed
his suit with an ardor that would not be
cooled. Barely ten years her senior; an
accomplished business and society man
trusted for many years, as man and boy
in the management of her fathers affairs,
and finally given an interest in the bank
Mr.. Frederick Leasaws was, in MANY
respects, most eligible match for the great
heiress. His life was above suspicion, his
manners irreproachable; he was con-
noisseur i'll art and literature. Their bust
ness interests were in part identical, and
Madam Grundy gave her unqualified APP
proval to his wooing.
The female heart is curious piece of
mechanism; and while Margaret acknowl-
edged all the good points in the partner of
Chillson q Co., she felt no sentimental
interest in him. She did not love
Mr.. Leasaws, neither did she love her
coachman but she did love the overseer of
her farm. There are times when the world
seems to lose all faith in the heroic element
iii man, until some great trial shows that
every generation ripens its crop of Bay
ards. Margaret's overseer possibly was a
mock BaYard, since money should inter
pose nc shield between two hearts; but he
was too proud to ask in marriage the hand
that could write a check which would be
honored for a million dollars; and she had
that exquisite feminine perception which
made it impossible for her to force from
him lovers avowal.
1t was, however, no disgrace for Margaret
Chillson TO love Philip Winter She had
loved him when mere baby. He had
carried her in his strong, boyish arms.
They had been nearest neighbors always.
Many time, when she had failed in having
her own way at home, had little Maggie
gone to find comfort in Phil's widowed
mother and the boys stout championship.
Thus they had grown up together, fit play
mates in all things save the personal eleva-
ton claimed and accorded to wealth; and
yet Phil was no beggar. His mother owned
little farm, and she had pinched and
saved in order that he might bear Off the
highest honors of Yale, not only in her
curriculum, but as an athlete; and he had