Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1900-02-23

There quas no 11istoking tho meaning of
his guardians letter.
! to please her. But-now he was
| pauper. He had no home to take her
| to, nothing to support her on. He had
| always held in supreme contempt the
man who was willing to marry a wo
! man and involve her in the distress
and privation of an uncertain or even
| an inadequate income. He had just
done that despicable thing himself, not
| purposely, but ignorantly, rashly, ir-
/ revOcably.
Pure, upright and honest to the core
himself, he never entertained single
doubt of his guardians rectitude. His
riches were not the first that had ever
| taken wings unto themselves. Doubt
| less property had deteriorated and
stocks had gone down and investments
had proved disastrous. The man whom
his father, had loved and trusted as
brother must be good and true. To re-
| feet ON his guardians management
| was to reflect on his fathers Judgment.
He was incapable of doing either.
He would not answer this letter i'm
| mediately.
He wanted to be perfectly calm and
entirely just when he did so. 1t would
take him a few days to pull himself
| together. The point of view had been
| altered for him with such violent sud-
| denness that it left him quiverng and
bewildered, with sense of irrepara-
BILE loss Weighing him down.
After little while two more letters
crossed each other on the high seas.
This time one was from Tom to his
guardian. The other was from Olivia
to Tom.
! Said the frst
My Dear Mr.. Matthews-To say that did not
| experience 4 shock reading your letter,
1 by which l learn that what between an expensive
| education and unfortunate investments l am left
| to begin life as poor man when had fancied
myself a wealthy one, would be untrue. l was
quite unable to think act intelligently for sew
eral days after reading your letter. To fall from
the top OF ladder to the hard ground is jarring
| to q fellows nerves.
l do not believe am very luxurious chap
at least hope am not-but, thanks to my dear
| fathers fostering tenderness things have always
gone so smoothly for me that | suppose began
to think was to sail in placid waters until
| reached port finally.
| The plain exposition contained in your letter
has annihilated all expectations OF that sort for.
| ever. l am not disnayed at the prospect Of hav-
| ing to go to work. In fact, ! had planned to
| buckle down to hard work as soon as I got
| through with my studies. 1t seems now that my
virtuous plans have turned into stern necessities
Whatever Is ahead Of me- sir. l hope ! will be
| able to meet 1t as my fathers son should The
Office OF guardian must be at best an arduous and
| thankless one. You have had entire control
of my affairs for seven years, during which time
| have never given them a thought. It was enough
| for me to know that my father loved and trusted
| the man he had selected for my guardian. Doubt
less my majority will come to you as great re-
lief
| thank you for your invitation to be your
| guest while examining the mass Of papers that
| must have accumulated your hands, The in
vitation l must decline. HE was thinking Of
olivia and OF the impossibility Of his staying un-
| der the same roof with her now.] Doubtless can
| put up somewhere in Vaudeville for the few days
| which l must devote to getting 4 better under
standing Of my affairs OF course presume that
in justice to you all those papers will have to be
gone over.
+ Up to the time Of writing this letter confess
to feeling so stunned that can hardly yet grasp
the fact Of my paupership. ! will be with you
as soon as possible after reaching America and
will then relieve you Of all further care Of my
! tangled affairs
Unmixed satisfaction was scarcely
the uppermost sensation in Horace
Matthews soul as he read this manly
letter. Tie look Of perplexity that had
become habitual with him deepened
into settled gloom.
| Said the other letter.:
My Dear Thomas-Why did you write me that
silly, useless letter. l told you before you went
away from here that never could care for you in
that way. You were too young, and was too
old. I feel exactly like an affectiRnate aunt to-
ward you whenever we come in contact. I want
ito be doing something for you all the time But,
| Tom, dear, one never could think Of a nephew as
| you ask me to think Of you, now, could one3
Besides all that, Tom, have been engaged to
| be married to Mr.. Clarence Westover for six
] whole months. There, now, will that bring my
| dear boy to his senses? I mean that you shall
fall in love With Jeanne Westoyer, Clarences sis
| ter, as soon a. you come home. She is worth
| dozens Of me.
Al for the law practice, with papa for your
partner, which has always been your dream and
| mine, TOO. hate to think Of its not coming to