Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1893-09-25

Wnom she can respect, and none of the
fellows who have offered themselves
thus far have been of that kind"
| Upon my word, Budder," said the
younger man, 81 never would have
taken you, good fellow though you
are, for man whom an unmarried
woman would have selected as conf
dent. 1t does you credit, though,
that she seems to have opened her
heart to you"
"Oh, well, Ben and / have been in
many speculations together. and she
| knows he always trusted me. Besides
there's no sentimental nonsense about
her-she isn't afraid to unload her
ideas upon an old friend of the family,
so we've talked very freely about it.
By the way, she has such matter-of
fact manner that she looks older than
she is-she's really five years younger
than you. Your fortunes made, my
boy, unless you make fool of your
self in some way. Let me sound her
| about it; you may count upon me to
do it without lack of proper respect
for either of you, and I'll bet the en-
tire assets of this bank against u bad
penny that you may announce your
engagement within week. Then
you'll be hand-in-glove with lot of
us fellows in business way as well as
socially, and we want you've really
DO"
''Budder," said John Brixton, rising
from his chair, "youve got heart as
big as an OK, and I'm heartily obliged
to you for your interest in me. You
must give me time to think about it,
though"
Cline to-" calculated the President,
firing his cigar-butt at the cuspidore
with such energy that he overshot the
mark and elected howl of anguish
from the banks cat rs she mistook the
missile for mouse when she opened
her eyes from peaceful slumber.
''There're some things that fellow
can't afford to think about. Do you
stop to think when trout rises to
your fly? Come along to lunch--and
make up your mind on the way"
But John BriXton wasn't able to give
decisive answer over the coffee and
cigars. A million dollars in good Sc
curities seemed well worth the taking
by man who had worked industri-
ously for fifteen or twenty years only
to reach salary of five or six thousand
dollars, and an appreciative wife thrown
in seemed like SO much extra luck, for
Johns mother and sister had for years
warned him that wives who hold good
husbands in proper regard are rs scarce
MS model husbands. On the other
hand, old Ben Fewse's daughter, who
looked as much like her father rs a
woman could look like man, would
be strange life-companion for man
who, in spite of much attention to
material things in the way of business,
had inherited many fine tastes and
sentiments which he kept in good,
usable condition. Whoever he might
marry ought to be fairly companion
able to his mother and sister-two
women whom he could not imagine
enjoying Miss Fewse's society.
But while John Brixton went on
thinking and wondering and compro-
missing, and rejecting his own compro-
misses, old Budder took the case in hand
as earnestly rs if it were promising
investment for his own bank. He was
too good business man to exceed his
authority, but he and his wife took
Miss Fewse out driving the very after
noon that he had made his suggestion
to Brixton, and they took her home to
dinner with them, and the old man
made opportunity to sound the praise
nf Inh,, Pr.x J., ~
women Johns mother and sister were.
SO, before the evening was over, Miss
Fewes was conscious of mighty wish
that some man like John Brixton would
ask her to change her name and share
her life and fortune with her.
Brixton had been ut his Office only
half an hour the next morning when
one of the clerks shouted:
"Some one on the telephone for
you, sir"
"Who is it?" John asked, raising
his eyes from letter he was reading.
"Forty- National Bank
President Budder," the clerk replied.
"Wait n moment" said Brixton,
dropping the letter, seizing his hat
and starting for the door. 'I'm out
you don't know when I'll be in.
One of the firm who had overheard
the conversation asked his partner
whether he supposed Brixton had been
speculating i'll Wall street and got
more accommodation from the Forty
seventh National than his collaterals
would warrant, and the partner re-
piled that it might not be bad thing
to keep Brixton out of temptation by
sending him to South America to look
after railway contract which they
had been trying to secure through
correspondents.
AS for Brixton he went straight
home and prowled about the house un-
til hs found his sister
Ettie," said he, "you and I have
always been confidential friends, al
though were brother and sister /
want to ask you an unusual question,
and J want you to answer it without
joking, or raising of your eyebrows, or
/ n 9TH lpt