The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1897-07-21

for a moment or two, and then the
door swings open and a well knit
young fellow with keen gray eyes en-
| ters.
"Ah, Torrance, says the gray haired
man, "have a chair. What can / do
for you?"
"Thank you, Mr.. Tinsley," says the
young man, and he draws a chair close
TO the desk. He seats himself with an
embarrassed air.
Nothing wrong with the brokerage
business, hope?" says the old man,
kindly.
mo, sir. The business exceeds my
expectations, replies the young man.
"And yet 1 could wish it were fifty
times its present proportions.
"Thats n rather ambitious wish, my
boy" says the older man. "Why this
display of grasping greed?"
Because, sir, it might win me n
more favorable consideration at your
hands"
"And why are you so anxious to win
my favorable considerations"
The young man hesitates.
'You are the man, sir" he slowly
answers, "whose good will 1 value
above all others If had wealth and
position I might approach you in
far different spirit; but, as 1 have
neither, r.
''Tut, tut, my boy" says the older
man. 'Never mind what you haven't
got. What do you want? BY Jove,
you are the second person who has
limited at some mysterious favor with
in the past half hour" And he smiles
at the recollection.
'What I want" says the young
man hurriedly, ''is an inestimable
treasure. 1t is yours to give or re-
fuse 1 feel my own unworthiness,
sir, yet / boldly ask this gift at your
hands. II hope you understand
me, sir?"
'Ithink 1 do" says the older man,
kindly. "But really 1 didn't know
that you had ever met. "
"It-it wasn't right, SIR" says the
young man, hurriedly. 81 met her
first at the seashore quite by accident
there was little accident, in fact,
but she said she wouldn't distress you
about it. And our acquaintance
rapidly ripened. When she came
back to town, i met her at various
places, sometimes quite by accident
and later on by-by appointment. 1t
wasn't right, sir, but II was very
deeply in love"
"The little mink" cries the older
man. "Why, she never breathed a
word of this. "
$50 she told me, sir, and that-and
that makes my present task all the
harder.
"Well, never mind that. You are
not her dearest friend-and yet sup
pose you think you are. Come, are
you sure she loves you?"
81 have her word for it, sir. She
sent me to you"
"Well, well, and SO quiet and de-
mure."
"Wh-what did you say, sirP"
81 say, why didn't Helen tell me?'
Because she wanted to keep it a
secret"
"And she was in it too?"
"Sir?"
"Well, well, she is good girl and
you must make her happy"
The two men shake hands solemnly.
the younger mans face beaming with
delight Then Mr.. Tinsley rises and
goes to the safe that stands in cor
ner. From it he take large envelope.
She'll not come to you exactly
empty-handed, Torrance" he says as
he looks the contents of the envelope
over. ''I've put aside from time to
time certain securities for her, and /
see that they now amount to something
like $4,000. OF course when leave
there'll be more"
He puts the envelope in the safe and
comes back to his desk.
''She is very good GIRL" he con-
tinues, ga sweet tempered, dutiful
girl. Really, couldn't think more of
her if she were my own child"
"Not your own child?" gasps the
young man.
Certainly not. She is my brother
Edwards daughter. When her parents
died ten years ago took charge fher.
I've brought her up like a daughter,
but she is my niece. You look sur
prised."
81 am, replied the young man. "I
I thought she was your daughter. -
''She didn't tell you so, did she?"
'Why II think she led me to be-
believe that such was the case"
"Astonishingl And you've been
counting her all this time in the belief
that she was my daughter. Perhaps
but, no, L won't say it. 1 believe
you are an honorable man. You surely
wouldn't wreck her happiness for the
sake of the paltry dollars. No, no.
rll-Tll add to that 500, ,0OO"
''Sir," says the young man, his face
all ahame, 81 would marry your
your niece if she didn't have dollar. {"
Spoken like man, cries the old
gentleman. "I'll double that $40, 900. Z"
The young man stirs uneasily in his
chair.
"Wait, " says the old man. ST can't
understand about this little piece of
deception. 1t isn't bit like Mary. q"
"You mean Helen, says the younger
man.
"No, Mary"
"Helen.
"Mary"
The young man pushes back his chair
little.
ffCba che ,,o,-,,, 4oII 49,. l. -. -. -