Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1894-05-05
LOVES STRATEGEM.

~afcdineu through the widely oDened
french window Of the well Furnished
breakfast apartment Of large villa res
idence at Dulwich, named The Cedars ,
The inhabitant and owner of this resi-
aence was q widower between 80 and
W years of age, building contractor
named drnbber. His ward and niece,
Miss Eva Vernon, and four female sery.
ants resided with him.
Mr.. drubber was hard. stern mar. a
self made man he called himself. whosa
wife soon after his marriage had come
into fortune Of e50, 900, which enabled
her husband to rise from the position 81
a builders foreman to that OF a master
builder and contractor.
At the time at which this story il
opened MIR. John Grubber. whom ali his
acquaintance and employees would In.
sist upon calling Mr.. Money Grubber.
had amassed a large fortune and bad
been widower for 20 years.
Ten years after his bereavement his
only sister. Mrs. Vernon, died. leaving
him the guardian Of her only daughter
Eva, child then OF 10 years of are and
possessing fortune Of 10000 in her
own right.
Hard. stern man that he was. John
Grubber did his duty to his ward. and IL
was not till she had reached the are az
IL that she left school to become the mis-.
tress OF her uncle's establishment Mt
Dnlwich.
II was strange contrast that the nm.
HIfa and nss0a .k..1 Al -. 4 /.
morning In the month OF July AS they
sat at breakfast some two years after her
home coming TO her uncle's house.
At one end of the table sat the man of
business perusing the market article in
The morning paper, his iron gray hair
standing erect on his head, his heavy
eyebrows contracted over his small.
dark. piercing eyes, and his iron bound
chin extended by his tightly pressed and
seam puckered lips
Eva. who sat opposite TO him in her
neat morning wrapper. with wreath
OF uncoiled golden hair falling over her
smooth white neck and shoulders. seemed
to have fixed her liquid eyes on space
while she toyed aimlessly with her spoon
In the cup.
Her thoughts were certainly not with
her immediate surroundings. OF she
would not have started so violently or
colored 50 deeply when her uncle ex-
claimed In his sharp. gruff voice:
"Confound Ii. bricks have gone up 8
shillings thousand, and | have Just
taken that big contract for the new
board school,"
What did you say. uncle.~ asked
Eva. shaking of the reyerie into which
sha had fallen.
Say" replied the other testify. II
said bricks had gone mp and sand and
lime are bound to follow. shall lose
thousand pounds on the job
And the old gentleman flung the paper
down ON the breakfast table and rose 10
his feet.
II must be Oh Mt once he said, land
find out II all the yards have raised their
prices. and II not must secure the low
est at once before they follow suit
But you have not eaten your toast or
drank your coffee, uncle" said his niece.
Bother the coffee; hang the toast, !" he
cried. "Those who have not yet quoted
90 high are sure TO do 80 when they see
the paper. ! must 60 ut once.r
'sTm 50 sorry. uncle. said Eva M hs
stood in the doorway. II did so wish
you to be at home this morning. |
thought perhaps"---
.You must do your thinking while I'm
gone" he interrupted. "It Is only fools
who think; sane people act. II | had
stopped to think ~ women do. should
not have been the successful man Of busi-
ness ] am. There. cannot stop, not q
minute. Confusion confoundedl Only
to think that the very day after signed
that contract that bricks should advance
shillings a thousand. and I cannot do
with less than ,0Oe loads"
He dashed open a side door that led
into the hall. and the next moment Eva
Vernon. standing. with one white hand
on the breakfast table, and her face.
with half pained expression upon IL.
turned toward the doorway through
which he had passed. heard her uncle
exclaim in sharp. angry tones:
Jane, fetch me cab. cannot wait
for tho brougham. There. II you must
wait to put your hat and boots on. I'll
get one myself
And then Eva heard tho front door
hang. and she knew that her uncle had
zone.
She sank down upon her chair with q
sigh. and with her clssped hands resting
upon the edge Of the table she said:
s.How unfortunate that anything
should have occurred to annoy uncle
this morning had hoped so TO be able
to keep his irritable temper In abeyance
til Arthur had told him the story OF our
love and implored his consent to our
union
what. weeping. dear Evay'
II was rich. manly voice that utter
ed the words m its possessor strode
through the open French window into
the room.
Eva, whose forehead had sunk down
upon her clasped hands. looked mp and
With q glad cry caught the extended
hand In both her own.
Arthur she said.
Yes. darling, II is |. your ever de