River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-07-16

EiSnL-
What business are you in?" some
one asked.
We'll. | amt in any business now
have retired. yOu might say. | made
my money in different sorts of specula-
ton and have got it well invested,
DRAWN a fust-rate interest i live in
Georgia and am putty much at home
when I'm there, / can tell you. My
wife has been dead a good while. and
about all I've got 10 look after is the
enjoyment of my daughter. Her viii
Is law with me and am straightfor-
ward enough to say right here, or right
anywhere, for that matter, that the
man who wins her love will be fortu-
nate. There's about two hundred thou
sand dollars waitin' for him"
George Miles looked up quickly and,
with a sheer, said: II wouldn't marry
her for three hundred thousand"
The old man seized his cane. which
he had leaned against the bench, and,
springing to his feet, glared at Miles,
who, without changing his position, sat
placidly smoking
DO you mean 20 insult me, sir?"
Beck roared-
Not in the least" Miles answered.
''When | want to insult a man hit
him and then insult him afterward-
/ You had, without interruption, ex-
pressed your opinion and / merely ex-
pressed mine You introduced your
daughters name in a way not only I'M
necessary TO the force of your former
statement concerning the power of
money. but with a narrow-minded
vulgarity that was disgusting. If you
want to strike me. do so. | have said
nothing in belittlement of the young
LADY, said that wouldn't marry her
for three hundred thousand. and
wouldn't; not that she Is not worthy of
me morally. but because our tastes are,
doubtless. wholly dissimilar. Now, If
you want to hit me with that stick, all
right"
Il won't hit you" Beck replied.
''What You say may be right from your
standpoint. but no matter what you
thought about my daughter you ought
to have kept il To yourself. IL looks to
me like would have thought a long
time before | would have made any
such remark and / would have
thought that any true gentleman would
I have done the same. | am a rough
and-ready sort of a man, and admit
that | don't always do the proper
thing. and if my room is worth more to
YOU than my company, why, 1 wish you
good evenin'."
''Oh. no." several of the men cried,
hut he brusquely fastened away.
George. YOU ought not TO have said
IL. I. 4 4
blame him for thinking so much of his
daughter, nor for his determination to
give her future husband two hundred
thousand dollars
My dear fellow" Miles answered.
Il don't blame him for thinking so
much Of her. and commend his deter
mination to reward her future hus-
band. but do despise his vulgar show
lie is an old bear, and l want none of
him.
Il wouldn't mind marrying the girl"
said young fellow named Hicks; II
could put with the girls possible bad
taste and with the old mans vulgarity
Yonder GO the old man and the girl.
He is looking this way, and warrant
he is telling her about you. George"
Il don't care if he is" Miles replied.
''His ill-wilI and her prejudice can't
hurt me-"
Several days later Miles, whose
friends had left the place, was stroll
/ ing along the mountains side. when
suddenly. upon turning a sharp point
of rock that jutted out over the path,
he met Miss Beck. The path was too
narrow to admit of his passing the girl.
and he was about to turn back, when
she pleasantly remarked:
''Oh. don't turn back on my account.
I will climb down. am used to climb
\ ing
I will climb down" said he, bow
ing.
ooh. no." she interposed 81 am
afraid you might hurt yourself, and
then -"
And then what?" he asked
Nothing. only You i:ight be disfig-
ured if You should chance to fall. and
YOU might afterward consent to marry
a girl for less than three hundred thou
/ sand dollars"
''Ah. your father repeated my re-
mark" he said. slightly coloring.
Yes. or I shouldn't have known of
it. as wasn't eavesdroppjng."
He would have gladly climbed down.
but she detained him with this ques-
tioning remark:
You place a pretty high estimate
upon yourself. don't you?'
Yes. rather" he answered, now de-
termincd to be bold
1t i strange that / never heard of
you." she said Il was looking over a
sort Of encyclopedia of great men just
/ before came here, and il is singular
/ that your picture was not in il.
The compiler of the book called on
me-" he replied, but I refused to be-
come the victim of cheap print He
wanted my picture. and had intended
/ that it should fill one page and run
over on the second. but | refused"
/ And suppose" said the girl, that
If ne I'D contemplated putting in your
self-importauce, hewould have counted
on filling the entire book"
Il don't know, but had he done so.
i his volume would have been more re-
spectacle
''Oh. it must be delightful to be so
| respectable" she exclaimed. with we'll
PLAYED enthusiasm. by the way, who
was your father?'
His name is Andrew Miles"
What does he do?"
He IS lawyer"
'.Ah, i strange country this, where
the aristocracy is mainly composed of
/ lawyers What was your grandfather,
or did you ever hear of him.
/ Miles blushed- He had heard in a
more or less vague way of one of his
I grandfathers-had heard that he was
cobbler ami that he had deserted from
I the army during the war of 1879.
/ ''Oh. don't tax your memory with
. trying to recall his name. / am so
I glad u have met YOU" she suddenly
[ exclaimed. 4 like TO see gentleness
and consideration joined with great
ness Now. sir. il you feel disposed to
climb down you would oblige me by
doing So
. Miles climbed down and the young
I lady serenely passed on.
The season was growing late. and
there were but few visitors remaining.
/ Miles continued to linger, partly be-
{ earrSa Il made hint little difference