The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1898-01-28
52lisccllancuua
THE JUNIOR PARTNER.

| l am not usually considered deaf,
| Mr.. Dean; but, really. | begin to fear
my hearing is not quite right. for it
seems to me ridiculous as it must APP
pear, that you were asking me to give
| you my daughter. Its such an absurd
mistake that | humbly beg your par
don, and ask you to repeat what it was
you really did say"
| They were standing on the summit
of a wooded hill. overlooking a thriv-
ing little town built upon the verge of
broad flowing river.
Two men, one bent, white haired
and feeble, the other, young. straight,
full of life and spirit, but just now
strongly agitated by the words to
| which he listened-words calm, scorn-
| full and cutting.
The hot blood surged up, reddening
| cheek aud brow, and his hands clinch-
ed in a sharp struggle for self control
He had been prepared for opposition
- Lena had told him that his compare
tive poverty would be a Stun bling
block III her fathers eyes-but he had
not expected this cool, insOlent irony,
ard it was very hard to bear
| You have made no mistake, as you
know, sir" he said slowly. Lena
and have grown up together, and we
love each other. Its no sudden thiI G:
II mas grown WIN cur CROWN, mhd
| strengthened with our strength. You
are rich man, Mr. Whetherill, and
she Is your only chliu. l nave little
beyond my farm; but, sir, could make
her happy,
| Lock at that great factory. MIR.
Lean, with Its iive hundred "orkaen.
Look at that mouse yonder, with ITS
hundred acres OF pleasure &rounds.
you seeI ana now loon iurthef: 10
| you ho't 'iaI I ,HI ~ OUT III Tue iniuuie
or the river. mere ~ neat nttle
farm mouse on IL, DeIiPNe, anu nifty
acres OF moderately good land. Now,
MIR. Dean, 90 you thlhK the owner OF
thar farm Is III lnatch !or the aeireSs
OF millions! am an old man, but l
am not IN my cottage yet. 10, Mr.
Dean ana let lne near no more sucn
lnsoience as liiis iTcpcsal CT yours. a
hne thIhS 1t Wouiu pe Tor you,ho uoubt
10 marry my ilel[eSs' IL VIII never De
WINE ~. I'VE slr' oe sure-Nery sure
OIL oila', Dobo.t Doo,
lloileu hilise'i' anu 'NiS 'n' el GU
quletlN:
Atleast, slr' speak 10 your daughter
on TINS lnaIteT. ,,,,
snail, shail-reSt assured.
Ana MI: Nhetherlil hel'I his Woru,
the interview ieeu:ied IN her suuoeh
departure tt aT-a"ag Eastern WISH
OF ihuehll'e iengIn.
que Was tol niu''eli " plu nel 10Y el
lare"eii' puI WIN "olhah QUICK
VIII sue cohtrifFu 10 convey hilh
| nurIleu Iloie, en'i ea'illS hin ~ NC pa
tlent anu topelul.
MY lalth w So,E ilooieieSs Vi ilea TT
is so great, dear RQbert, she wrote,
that leave my latnef III your charge
lie Is leeoie ana Win me away mas 10
one out servants 10 iook AFTER MIN.
Watcu over nlili, uehr' as peSI you may
ana II anything goes wrong WIN MN
wrlte 10 me- put n0I otherwise: lie
mas lornldueh IT, ana / CANNOT diSopcy
MN. DelleNe al Will come out riRhG
for US, II we walt patiently. Tuard
my father, lheh, dear kooert-thlS Is
my charge toYou, and l know you
Will be talt 10 IL.
My darling! he murmured, as he
pressed to his lips the dear words her
hands had traced. Your trust is not
misplaced.
And 80 time rolled on, spring merged
into summer, and while Robert Dean,
|
of grain, received no direct word FROM
the dear one so far away, his loneli-
ness was cheered from time to time by
the receipt of books addressed to him
in the handwriting SO familiar and so
dear.
Mr. Whetherlll he saw occaslonily
and ever mindful OF hlS charge, mann
tanned a constant but unsupported
watch over the old mans doing and
health.
1t was an unusually hot, dry season,
andall over the country for many miles
the crops were dying of thirst, trees
dropping their leaves, grass turning
brown and scar, streams dwindling to
half their usual size, wells growing
dry, horses, cattle, men all crying out
for water, and over all thingS-over
field and forest, man and beast-a
parched, dead-a!ive aspect was spread
ing far and wide.
Week after week the sun shone down
upon the painting earth cruelty, relent'
lessly, and never plying cloud inter.
posed between its scOrching rays and
the suffering life below.
Mr.. Whetherill perforce closed his
factory. The river had shrunk back
from its banks and left dry tn" pipes