The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-12-05

girls in the school room were no seri-
Gus matter; in fact, apart from the
horses, Mildred and Winifred were, in
a pecuniary point of view, the most
serious burden on the family purse.
For both were pretty girls, gay and
fond of society, given to paying fire.
quent visits in town and country, and,
in consequence, needing many frocks
and considerable supply of downright
hard cash. But everybody was very
comfortable only it was understood
that at a period generally referred to
as ''some day. there would be very lit
tie for anybody except the eldest son.
Some day meant, of course, when Mr..
Petheram reluctantly died, and there
by brought his family into less favor
able worldly circumstances.
From this brief summary of the fam
ily's position the duty of Mildred and
Winifred land, in course of time, of
the two girls in the school room also),
stands forth salient and S1mistakable.
Mildred performed it promptly at the
age of 10 years. He was the second
son of q baronet, and his elder brother
was sickly and unmarried, but. like a
wise young man he took no chances,
went on the stock exchange and be-
came exceedingly well to do in an ex-
ceedingly brief space of time-some
thing, in fact, "came off, in South At
rica, and when that happened ordinary
limits of time and probability are sus-
pended. So with Mildred all was very
we'll; and it was odds that one of the
boys would be provided for by his
brother in-law. Winifred had just as
good chances-nay, better, for her SEN
sitive face and wondering eyes had an
attraction that Mildred's self-posses-
sed good looks could not exert. But
Winifred lly-shallied Gt was her
fathers confidential after dinner word)
till she was u. then refused Sir Barton
Amesbury lin itself a step of doubtful
sanity, as was generally observed) and
engaged herself to Howard Jackson,
who made two hundred a year and had
no prospects except the doubtful one
of maintaining his income at that level
unless, that is, he turned out a gen
ius. which it was even betting whether
a mansion or the workhouse awaited
him; for that depends on the variety of
genius. Having taken this amazing
course, Winifred was resolute and ra-
dainty happy; her relatives, after the
necessary amount of argument,
shrugged their shoulders-the very in
adequate ultima ratio to which a soft
ening civilization seems to have reduced
! relatives in such cases.
II can manage $500 a year for her
While I live said Mr.. Petheram, WHIP
/ ing his brow, and then busting his
| boots; he was just back from his ride.
After that
1.-THE insurance my dear?" Mrs. Pc
| theram suggested But her husband
/ shook his head; that little discrepancy
above noted, between $4,000 and e6 900
year. had before this caused the in
| surance to be a very badly broken
reed.
Harold Jackson-for in him the ex-
| PLANTATION of Winifred's action must be
sought-was tall good looking, ready of
| speech and decidedly agreeable. There
was no aggressiveness about him, and
| his quiet manners repealed any Suspi-
| cion of bumptiousness. But it cannot
! be denied that to him Winifred's action
| did not seem extraordinary: he himself
accounted for this by saying that she,
like himself, was an idealist, the boys
| by saying that he was stuck up" Mr..
| Petheram, by d fretful exclamation
that in all worldly matters he was as
blind as a newborn puppy Whatever
! the truth of these respective theories
! he was as convinced that Winifred had
! chosen for her own happiness as that
she had given him his. And in this she
most fully agreed. OF course, then, ali
| the Struggling of shoulders in the uni
! verse could not affect the radiant con-
tentment of the lovers, nor could ii
avert the swift passage of months
which soon brought the wedding day in
sight, and made preparations for it ur-
gent and Indispensable.
Married couples, even though they
have only a precarious five hundred a
year, must live somewhere-no idealism
is independent of a roof; on the con-
trary. it centers round the home, SC
Harold said, and the word home seemed
already sacred to Winifred. as her
glance answered his. 1t was the hap
piest day of her life when she put or
her dainty new costume of delicate
gray, took her parasol and gloves
matched to a shade with her gown, ano
mounted into the smart dogcart which
Jennie, the new chestnut mare was tc
draw to the station. A letter had come
from Harold TO say that, after Ions
search, he had found a house which
would suit them, and was only just q
trifle more expensive than the maxi
mum sum they had decided to give for
rent Winifred knew that the deli
cate gray became her well. and thai
Harold would think her looking very
pretty; and she was going to see hel
home and his. Her face was bright as
she kissed her father and jumped dowr
from the dogcart, but he sighed wher
she had left him, and his brow was
wrinkled as he drove Jennie back. He
felt himself growing rather old; "somt
day did not seem quite as remote as
1t used, and pretty Winnie-well, there
was no use in crying over it now
Wilful girls must have their way, anC
it was not his fault that confoundet
agitators had played the deuce will
the landed interest. The matter passed