The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1889-11-22
If it is . conundrum give it up. j"

II suppose you have heard of the
illustrious Phillip Staunton?' I in
quired.
who? Philip Staunton, of Vir-
ginia? That bright and shining light
of the junior bar, whose praises father
is never tired of singing? What is he
writing to him about?"
Mr.. Staunton is in California and
father has gotten him to see the agents
of the Bailey estate and negotiate for
the ranch. He will stop and spend
some weeks with US on his return
east" / said.
By and by Philip came, a tall, hand
some, manly fellow, and Jack and /
were soon fast friends with him. Jack
said he was 1.-THE destiny that shapes
our ends" because he was not only to
purchase the Bailey ranch for us, but
was to sell our home to a Virginian
who wanted to move southwest. Jack
asked Mary and me which one of us
would appropriate the destiny"
'Oh, I renounce all claim" said
Mary. HE is quite too high and
mighty a parsonage for such a worm as
to aspire to-
Its only because he's got spunk
enough not to bow down to you and
worship you, like other fellows do. that
you say that, Aunt Mary" Jack an
swered, with his quick laugh.
Jack decided that Philip was not
much of chapter, since he neither
bought us in nor sold us out" he
said. The agents were not willing to
sell just yet; we were to have respite
of six months.
After Philip left there came big,
thick letters from him, continuing
the war;" Mary said. He came again
few months later, and we all knew
why he had come, but none dare ask
Mary how he would go away.
l almost cried as 1 looked in the
poor fellows face IS he told me good
bye. went in to Mary after he was
gone, but my Indignation died away
when found her on the bed crying, as
though her heart would break. I put
my arms around he r beautiful head,
and cried, too.
''If could have married anybody"
she sobbed at last. "But / can't; have
made vow never to marry. 1t is silly
to make VOW only to break it."
wanted to tell her that it was more
silly to keep vow only to break ones
heart.
During the months that we waited to
hear from the agents kept very busy.
Gradually the little sum had begun to
lay by from my secret labors with my
pen grew larger day by day. Mary
grew to talk of the move out West with
sorrowful light in her eyes, but she
seemed to look forward to it with a
hopefulness that was pitiful to me. 1
handed her Philips letter when he
wrote to tell father he was coming
when the six months we're ended. She
did not say anything, but sat looking
out the window until the tears ran
down her cheeks and fell upon his let
ter.
1t seemed that the agents had at last
come to terms and the first evening
Phil came he and father sat in the
study planning for the purchase and I
could hear Mary in the room beyond,
and, from time to time, see a bit of
her white dress-the one~ I remem-
bered, she had worn when she told
Philip good-bye-but she did not come
in. She did not even come out to tea
and Philip did not ask for her. But,
later on, when he and sat on the cool,
vine covered gallery, Mary came and
stood in the doorway, her cheeks and
eyes aglow, and the pale moonlight
shining about her beautiful head and
white dress.
MARY" Philip said, startled by the
sight of her, and ran to meet her, hold
ing out his hand.
She put her hand in his, and ''Philip,
my king" heard her say, As turned
and left them together.
Jack gave it as mis- opinion that it
was only the fear of the Bailey ranch
that made Mary do the rash act," as
he called it. when she and Phil came in
to tell me of their engagement, and the
next day, when a telegram came from
the agents saying the sale was off, he
asked Mary if she didn't wish hers was
''onn too. But Phil said she had given
him her promise, and that her word
was better than Coke & Co.'s bond, and
he was satisfied.
When the marriage came off Jack
proposed the only toast that was drunk.