New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-03-13
A DIFFICULT CHOICE.
CHAPTER /.
FATHER AND SON.


81 hoped that you would do better for yourself
than this but still would say nothing against the
matchmaking az al, since your mind Is so SET
upon it, If il were not for her mysterious Ofigii
You ought to be able to ray who your wiIe Is
There were signs of irritation well as disappont
meat in the Speakers voice, anu the speaker hlIl-
sell, handsome man of sixty or so, tossed TO-
gcther the loose papers Oh the toe before MIN
with an air of impotence.
Il don't see that it matters" was the reply
of his son, who bore striking resemblance to him
self Il don't that it matters so long as all
the world can sec what she is
How much of the world will see that asked
his ather sharply. Not quarter OF those who
will hear OF her. And that quarter won't happen
to be In love with her, as you are Miss Maud
Ringer adopted daughter of Mrs. Ringer, of APP
plewood. That sounds poor match indeed for
my son to make.
Your son, sir, ought to be able to make what
match he pieases.
and you cast it down. 1t was not In this man
ner that brought my name before the world"
I'm sure. sir. that your, marriage with my
mother was one of Affection.
"Quite SO. i was interested in the woman who
was interested in my aims, and could forward
them. 1 looked for helpmeet, not piayieIlow.
But you--what have you looked for? a pretty
face charming manner, well dressed figure
and now you come TO me to make your marriage
possible"
OF course / have no right to expect you to
make sacrifices | must work my way TO u
competency, since you disapprove."
What will you work your way to II left
political career; and it is the only one you are
fit for l looked 10 you to compensate me for
the disappointment your brother has been to me-
/ looked to you to take up my political influence
and work out the traditions have established
/ am not rich man. and have stnted myself to
provide for you, TO make this career possible
And you ask for my savings, in order that
you may set up housekeeping with a penniless
girl. who has no connections and so sink your
self in obscure domestic life forever.
i repeat, sir, that | must work for myself.
And repeat the question: To what end Will
you wT n5 III 5f fsn Ae re SonHG
yourself TO meet. You will have no outlook he
yond your own individual life ard it requirements;
no share in the larger life Of the world and society
as 'd these Ss g VII pe them and sO Let
might push you, forward; as a married man: with
connections to help you, ! might do something;
but you handicap yourself too heavily in marry
You have fight to please yourself; and must
bear this disappointment as have borne others
want to bear no more Of your affairs."
bitterness between the two men, but much dis
been an ambitious man, and had made himself
high place in the world, His name was now a
&c upheld by his second son, James; His eldest
son was Idle spendthrift, and on him was set,
tied his mothers fortune Their I'm mother had had
He saw in him his successor in political life, and
he had long been building foundation for that
be hoped presently to see him Started But brief
holiday in the country, stay of some weeks in a
pleasant hOnss had knoSked all his schemes to
in love does not calculate about his future. All
the preliminary, steps that had been taken to
launch him in the great world seemed now to be
wasted. How could man. burdened by
known wife and hampered BY insufficient means
fight his way to the front in the close struggle
was herself highly respectable, but wholly I'M
important, person. She had grown-up family
Of her own, all of whom had married and left
must go to item, With the house which she now
occupied and where She lived all the year round
and visited only by country neiehbors. ''''
Maud Ringer was beautiful certainly, and well
educated but she knew nothing about the great
,W orid ynat heid everything falph kerslake called
and kindly treated Mrs Ringers own children
were :" SO glad" to think that dear Maud" was
with their mother, and that the old lady did not
lack cheerful and tender companlonship in their
absence. They had their own children TO think
OF, their own sffairs 70 attend TO- 1t was quite
become p member Of the Anplewood household inst
before the Youngest daughter was ready TO leave
il; Dear car. Maud Of course was bound by the ties
been irlsome 70 them. and had no claims TO the
amnsements which were, their right.
stray in the vide oney wSd SSa h %di b sen
found sitting on the shore of a seaside place cry
ing because she did not know where 10 go. She
was then four wears old. and had given her name
only as Maud, and wept bitterly for Nanny"
IL was sunny summer morning, and they found
figure, who seemed to have been all the night
before asleep in the open air Nanny brought
me Ne lost NANNY" was all she could tell
them. She seemed 10 have strayed from her pro
tector the day before, TO have wandered in soil
tude on the shore, and fallen asleep among the
shcltering mounds OF sand into which she had
turned
1t was Mrs Ringer who found her, as she
walked out with her youngest daughter, and
who took her into her heart from that moment
Mrs. Ringer had many children. but none Of
them like herself They were gay, worldly.
clever creatures, girls and boys. She herself
was meek and retiring, and wondered often. with
of beings so different She had lost one child
In infancy, and to this child her memory turned
always. feeling that she would have been. if she
had lived, daughter after her own heart. Are
not the friends we have lost the dearest TO us.
those that understood the best? Are not the
joys we have just missed those that would have
little dead daughter that SO quickly bound Mrs.
Ringers affections to the stray child. She had
always been inclined to benevolence, but had
been for many Years checked in this tendency
by her practical children. These children had all
now left her. except one, who wanted 70 marry
and go away too. Mrs; Ringer was, therefore,
INDUCED In her latest whim. and allowed to take
the lost child home and care for her instead of
handing her over TO the police of Stilport. or
finding her a place in an 0rphanagc
Mrs. Ringer had been staying at Stillport for
few weeks when this circumstance of finding
the lost child happened to her Efforts were, of
course, made TO discover the friends Of the child.
but nobody claimed her. Thousands OF persons
had been in the town the day before on cheap
trips, and had returned to their various homes
in various places the child might have belonged
to OF these persons and been accidentally
left behind. but II so, none was known TO seek
her.
Her clothes were good her under-garmentS par
ticularly fine and beautifully embroidered. They
bore the initials M. c." She had not the look
Of poor persons child altogether her case a
mysterious one. Mrs Ringer convinced that
she was the child Of well-to-do parents and held
the theory that some careless nursemad was 10
blame for her loss. Perhaps she had been left
at home I'm charge Of such one, and that one
had come away secretly on trip, bringing the