The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1895-06-15
LOVE AND OIL.
BY GlendOwer.

The road to wealth and the path OF
love were broadened and Illuminated
to Clinton Thornville by a little timely
advice from wise old fellow whose
business it is to watch current events,
and note their probable effect upon
the stock market.
Clinton was in love; but, like many
young men, his pocket was almost as
light as his heart. His limited bank
account, however, did not prove detrl-
mental to his success as wooer; in
deed, he may have been the more i'm
petuous on that account, for the girl
on whom he had set his eye was. fort
unately, the daughter of a gentleman
who had been so thrifty that now, at
the age of fifty-fve, he could, II so
disposed, "crown youth of labor with
an age of ease"
Gideon Knowles, the thrifty gentle
man to whom we have just referred,
is a man of influence. He is an active
politician, an effective wire-puller, and
even his enemies are forced to admit
that his power is so great that "he
carries his ward in his pocket" and
has a potent pull in the Albany legis-
lature.
In his early years he had been a
dealer in junk in West street, New
York But his humble antecedents
are seldom recalled now, unless by
few acquaintances who knew him in
the past and they fear him so much
that when they speak of them it is in
guarded whispers.
Now, through re1nunerative city con-
tracts and various soft municipal
snaps. he is a man CT means, but his
chief possession is beautiful and ac-
complished daughter, who is as re-
fined as she is amiable.
Bertha Knowles is blue-eyed
beauty, with a form like a sylph. a
as that Of a Venus, and Trilby foot.
She is of commanding height, "a
daughter of the gods, divinely tall and
most dtvinely fair
Clinton Thornville had known her
for six months and from the first
glance at her had mentally vowed that
she was his fate.
He was clerk in a Broadway bank,
handling thousands Of dollars daily,
and he often thought how easy it
would be to smuggle out few pack
ages of thOusand-dollar greenbacks in
the lining Of his big ulster, secrete
them until the abatement of the ex-
element which was sure to- follow
their disappearance, then blossom out
as sharp young man who had just
reaped the golden harvest Of few
lucky ventures in stocks.
Then he would have confidence
enough to propose to the blushing
Bertha, who already loved him, and
henceforth his path would be one of
roses and perpetual sunshine.
But here his dream ended. 1t was
not in his nature to do a dishonest
deed, even to win the girl he loved
Still, he could not be happy without
her, and he knew he could not pur-
chase many enjoyments for her out of
his slender salary, which was only
$500 year.
AS time passed he became a little
forward in his attentions to Bertha;
and once, while sitting in the parlor
with her, on cozy little sofa, just
made for two, he was bold enough to
put his arm around her waist!
She let it remain there and looked
so delighted that he fondly imagined
she would have been content to have
it there yet, had not an interruption
to the delicious billing and cooling sud-
denly occurred.
The interruption was caused by the
unexpected entrance of Mr.. Gideon
Knowles. In an instant his eagle eve
nlCNOVnra6 nrr1x f,,;o
position of the amorous pair, and in
half a minute the violence of his tenn
per had turned the parlor into the
arena Of a circus.
For about five minutes there was "a
monkey and parrot time," the old gen.
tleman dancing around the chairs and
easels like a madman, Clinton dis
creetly lodging the father of his best
beloved, keeping chair or two be-
tween them as protecting bulwark,
and Bertha exclaiming, with pale and
trembling lips:
ooh, papa! papa! Don't hurt him!
He didn't hurt me! No, no! swear
he didn't"
The end of it was Clinton was un-
tremendously fired out of the house,
and the next day Bertha and her
uOtueT were WHlSkeu OH POugh-
keepsie, near which city Mr.. Knowles
has a country residence.
Then followed a period of gloom for
the devoted lovers, thus heartlessly
separated. Bertha lost her appetite
and would talk. to no one She tried
to forget her troubles by reading the
most tender and touching love stories
she could find in the village library.
Clinton was equally unhappy and Sc
riously thought of committing slow
suicide by smoking himself to death
with the aid of ten packs of cigarettes
a day.
81 cannot live without Bertha" he
reflected, with passionate ardor. "Bet-
ter death than existence, unless it is
cheered by the constant radiance of
her lovely blue eyes. I feel that her
fathers only objection to me is on ac-
count of my lack Of wealth. Oh, for
a tip from Russell Sage or George
Gould that would set me on the road
to fortnne"' ill.,. ....- -. :. ss+-..
For q day he pondered this financial
matter and then an idea struck him.
i. e =