The Opelousas courier., 1897-02-20
A BOLD STROKE.

! bHHehASt - ~" ~
They're in the swim, have wealth and
aspire to social leadership. You're a
literary worker, poor and inclined to
be q Bohemian, il not d socialist
The two are apt to merge, You know.
How did they tind yon out? Why DO
they push you?
"You allow little for my merits"
"No,I allow all possible for the toll
GRAFTON of the Whirlocks, bnt an still
at O loss. 1t is money, old man, that
secures grace and favor from those
who hold imperial rank ip our modern
society. Even genius must dazzle be-
fore it will attract the royal glance"
"You have simmerei the thing
down by an admirable method Of 4
clusion. l was not born in the purple.
I must stop eating If I stop working,
and / am not a genius. Therefore,
there must be some unusual reason for
my being patronized By the Whir-
locks. Well, there is. Does that lay
your curiosity?"
"Only whets it, and you know it.
Be considerate for once and forego
the pleasure Of tormenting me-"
Just make a note and an example
Of my magnanimity. I knew the
Whirlocks before they were married.
I made them man and wife. No
danger of your inferring that 1
performed the ceremony, but my in
tervention prevented Mrs. Whirlock
from being Mrs. Du,ow."
"Any tragedy in this, Darley?"
"Nonc of a literal kind. The lady
in question was once the beautiful
Miss Frowley, daughter Of a rich
Massachusetts farmer. He had Puri-
tanical sternness and she Puritanical
independence. When the two clash
you know there is bound to be more
or less wreckuge as a result. Dulow
was q young lawyer with more show
and style than practice. Whirlock
was a solid young clerk, bent on a
successful business career. Both
we're fathoms deep in love with fair
Miss Frowley. She was not
Indifferent to either, but had a
decided preference for Whirlock.
The old gentleman was for Du-
low, rs was a stiff e aunt with
whom the girl lived while polishing
other education IN Boston. There
las n boy back on the farm as tena.
cious Of purple as his father, and he
was for Madge, as she was called OF
home. With me as a sworn friend OF
Whirlook, you have the opposing
forces.
"Miss Frowley was SO pestered and
badgered that she alphabetically con-
-ceded a willingness to marry Dulow il
she could not have Whirlock, and that
in no event would she disobey a posi-
tive injunction from her father. Thus
shrewdly she softened the old gentle
man md defersedS A inevitable order
that she have nothing whatever to do
with Whirlock. a
"Shortly after this armed neutrality
had been established. Dulow deter
mined to push his suit and made a
special trip to see the father. They
talked the matter over with the result
that Frowley decided upon an ulti-
matum that would put Whirlock out OF
the running. The stern parent would
write the daughter and aunt the
next day announcing his uualter-
able discision. But that worthy
young son heard it alt and showed
himself a chip Of the old block by
writing a letter which he mailed that
night after a bold midnight ride to the
nearest railroad station, The latter
was to Whirlock and exposed the
whole scheme. He came to me in tho
gloomiest despair. There was no hone,
for if Madge received the final words,
either through the mail or Duiow, she
would never go back on her promise.
See here, Wliirlock, / said to
him, marry the girl tonight. She
cannot get the letter before morning
"'Rnt Dnlow is sure to come.
Hell only,get in there over my
dead body, provided yon arrange for
the Wedding.
This pat aeW LIE into NAitloca