The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-14
THE ADVERTISERS # .s M
 ,.s # DAILY SHORT STORY.1 /

WCIC uiCQ 6I aAla 88 HS tUEuSQ with . broad grin toward his forge. Directly in his way stood a beautiful girl with blanched face, her great brown eyes swimming in tears.
 "Oh. sir, want to say that you are the brayest and strongest and quickest map I ever saw. cannot thank you too much. I was afraid he would be crushed to death.
 He flushed to the roots of his hair. Tt was nothing, miss" he said. Any of the men would have done it," That evening Ida went over the scene with her father. He knew all about It and told her that the rescuer was Jo- seph Madern.
 ''one of the best men we have" he said warmly, "A thorough mechanic and an inventor. We keep him at the forge because there is a particular part of machine that has to be done by hand and Madern does 1t much better than anybody else. Few men have the strength and skill combined to do it. We pay him as we'll as though he were a foreman. but have to keep him at the forge. I have ordered that he be hand somely rewarded for his heroism to- day"
 Papa. I want you to invite him to dinner" suddenly said Ida. after some minutes spent in thought. "who?" asked Mir. Norton. looking up from his paper.
 MT. Madern. think it would be a much nicer way to show appreciation of his hcroism than merely to give him money" MT. Morton smiled. He was not who'll ly undemocratic in his instincts. But your mother" he said. She had an answer and the result was that Joe Madern found himself with paipi- tating heart going up the steps of the Norton home one evening. He was neatly dressed and bore himself with a demeanor that charmed the girl as much as did his exhibition of strength. The mother absented herself from the room with cold disapproval. After dinner Miss Norton took her strange guest to the library and was astonished at the wide knowledge he displayed of books and the strong opinions he held on economic topics. He told her of their workingman's Club and the dis | cussions they had. You should attend | one of our open meetings; 1t would in- l terest you." he said.
 T will." she replied. and she did. and | was still more astounded to hear him in debate where he stood like . lion l to fight for his opinions, using always l the most forceful language and dis. l playing the widest reading and infer. nation.
 She invited him to call and he did 1 once or twice. AS he was about to take his departure on the second occasion he said:
 | T think this the last time. Miss Norton, that I will see you. and I want to tell you how thoroughly I appre- ciate your kindness and how much have enojyed the evenings have spent l here"
 | The last timer" she repeated, the
 blood rushing back upon her heart. What do you mean? You are not go- ing away?"
 | No. but it is better that I should not see you. We belong to different
 worlds. They do net mix. The very keenness of the pleasure I feel in com
 ing here warns me that I had better not"
 There Is only one world for kin dred spirits" she said inpulsively. 1 Do you mean that? Do you know
 what you are saying?" he demanded. coming close to her. She stood with downcast eyes. Then. strengthening
 his broad shoulders and throwing back
 his head he said. Miss Norton. am
 a plain. blunt man of the people and
 not yersed in the ways of your society.
 lave discovered that I love you and I know that it would be presumption
 tc propt Sc for your hand, do not
 quite understand what you mean by
 your last remark. If you mean that you consider that We are on a social 1 equality I want to say that love you | with a love as deep and as honest as | man ever had for a woman. I can
 offer you nothing but that which my
 arms may earn and that is not what
 you have been accustomed to. Still if
 1t should so happen that your exceed
 ing kindness to me means that you
 love me, all that Is nothing"
 He stood looking at her as in a
 dream. She swayed and fell into lis
 arms. That's what 1t does mean" she
 whispered. You are the only real
 manu 1 ever saw
 There was a dreadful! scene when 1 Madern spoke to MT. Norton, but he
 sturdily told the father that he had
 been accepted by Ida and they were
 going to marry with or without paren-
 tai consent. Norton summoned the
 daughter and she corroborated the
 statement of her plebeian lover. Then
 Norton told them that the girl had
 not a cent in her own right and if she
 married Madern she never would have.
 To which Madern replied that that | pleased him exactly,
 They were married. Madern left the
 employ of the Norton works. and
 found another position. The Nortons
 were unrelenting until some three years
 later Mrs. Norton being dead and a
 fine baby boy having been born in a
 certain rose covered cottage in the | AE~ AARk
 Madern is superintendent of the Nor
 ton works and there is still room ahead. '-~