The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1898-10-12
CHAPTER II.


"Iown never thought of her marry
fng in the army" said Aunt Charlotte,
as do other aunts and mothers after
their girls have been campaigning at
the Point.
"What income, if any, have you out
side your pay?" was Uncle Mellen's
more-to-the-point Interrogation.
Nothing, sir"
"Well, neither has she. That is, what
she has is so small it wouldn't keep that
extravagant child in gloves. You two
had better be sensible and think it
over" "
Randy Merriam did think it over, but
all to no purpose. The more be thought,
the more he declared himself hopelessly
and irrevocably in love, and as Miss
Faa, took kindly to his protestations.
and Parry and Charlotte took kindly
to him and sympathized with the soil
dferly fellow, who was evidently much
of a gentleman and so much In love-
it resulted in his being made welcomd
at Parry's club, received quite US Parry
was at the Mellens-since not ofteneiI
than once week could he get away
from his duties at the Point, and wheI
Ned and Charlotte were married, as
they were in state and style early In
The winter, Merriam had many good
reassn for believing that, despite his
poverty, the next wedding reception
held at the Mellen's beautiful home
would be one in which he would be
vitally Interested. 4
We'll. he was; but not in the way or
manner expected. In fact, he did not
attend the ceremony or the receptions
sndeed, he was not bidden, Avery dis;
agreeable thing happened to him with
In a month after the Parry-Hayward
wedding, one that overwhelmed him
with modification and distress, and
caused no little indignation among his
comrades.
Everybody knew Randy Merriam was
IN debt. He made no secret of it. He
was extravagant in his tastes, had in
curred obligations before going on duty
at the Point, and found it impossible
to -catch up" there. There were three
or four accounts he had been asked to
settle, as they had been running some
Nime, but he put them off from mouth
to month, hoping that he might soon
be able to obtain possession of small
sum of money left him by the will of a
Iok fxr.N txoo Onl lr-
n few thousand dollars, yet even that
had been contested, together with a
number of similar bequests, and the
legal complications had been as ex-
aSperating as the laws delay could
make them. One day, soon after Char
Ictte's wedding. Merriam was sum-
1noned TO the presence Of the super
intendent and was regretfully told that
four of his creditors had united in an
appeal to the war department, and the
matter had been referred to him as
post commander Merriam was con-
founded. he had seen and talked with
one Of them only few weeks before,
and no such action had even been limited
at Nor did he know that any one of
thefr number was aware of his indebt-
edness to the others. Frankly he had
told Miss Fan of these matters before
he told her of his love, but it made, ap.
parently, no impression on her "Let
them wait" she said. you'll soon be
able 10 pay them ten times over.'
Frankly he had talked of it to one OF
two of his intimates, and later TO Parry
who had grown to like him, and who
as lawyer, thought his little inherit
ance could not be much longer with
held. 1t would free him; it would very
prettily furnish their quarters and still
Leave a few hundreds to the fore, HI
remembered, too, that Uncle Mellen haC
made some inquiries of him, and tha
in perfect frankness he had replied
And now, just at the moment when h
was full OF hope and happiness, cam
thIs cruel modification. Such actlol
ou the pari of his creditors was unac
countab,e, but as the superintendent
said. 1t was solemn fact. Deeply cha
sgrired. he told the colonel the who'll
sstcry. aad the colonel was full of sym
paihv. but as full, of sense.
-i':1 so.??.T. Merriam" said he, "bu
'*'~~'s oalg one thing for you to dc