The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1901-08-16

Meadows a grudge. He tried to do me
in those railway shares last winter, and
| mean to pay him for 1t, somehow. l
tell you what I'll do. 1 mustn't ask,
mind you, who the girl is. Mum must
be the word. / mustn't, of course, be
known in the affair; but I'll give you a
leave of absence for a month and
check for ESQ to pay for your wedding
trip If you'll make a runaway match.
Is it agreed? Well, there's my hand
on It, Here's the check. Egad! Won't
the old rascal howl when he hears how
we've done himv'
Harry seemed to hesitate, however,
and it was not till Mr.. Sheldon, eager
to see his old commercial rival put at
a disadvantage, had urged him again
and again, and promised to stand by
him, that he finally consented, and took
the check which his employer persisted
in forcing upon him.
The next morning Mr.. Sheldon came
down to breakfast in high glee, for
note had reached him just as he was
shaving, which ran as follows:
Dear Sir-I have, with much diff.
Guilty, persuaded her to elope. 1t was
not, however, till l showed her your
check that she would consent to do so.
She said that she was sure you would
not recommend anything that was
wrong; that you would advise her as
If you were her own father, and she
hopes you will stand by us. We shall
be married tomorrow, before Mr..
Meadows is up. Very thankfully,
HARRY CONRAD"
The old gentleman brought the note
with him to the table, opened it out be-
fore him, adjusted his spectacles and
read it over and over again.
I'D give Flo note" he said chuck
ling, "to see the old fellows face when
he hears how Harry has done him."
1t was the custom of Mr. Sheldon to
read his newspaper at breakfast, while
waiting for his only child and daugh-
ter, who, a little spoiled by overindul-
gence, was generally late.
But this morning Matty was later
than ever.
The banker had read all the foreign,
as well as the home news, and even
reperused Harry's note, and still she
had not made her appearance.
THE lazy puss" he said at last. Then
he looked up at the clock. Half an
hour latel Now, this is really too bad.
John" he cried, addressing the man
servant at the sideboard, send and
see why Miss Sheldon doesn't come
down. Tell her." with a severe air, Pm
tired of waiting"
John came back in about five min
utes, looking very much fiustered.
IF you please, SIR" he stammered,
Miss Sheldon's not in her room, and
the maid says that the bed looks as If
it hadn't been slept in all night"
The rich merchants jaw fell.
He started up. with a cry of agony, to
go and see. But he was prevented by
the footman appearing at the door with
a telegram.
"a telegram cried the merchant,
unfolding it with his trembling hands.
what can 1t mean? Has she been
found dead anywherew
This was the telegram:
Dear Father-Harry and I were
married at o'clock this morning.
would not consent to an elopement till
Harry assured me you had advised It,
and had shown me your check as proof
He says you promised to stand by us
and know you pride yourself on never
breaking promise. We wait for your
blessing. MATTY."
"Well, l neverv' calculated Mr.. Shell
don, when he had recovered breath
The impudent, disobe-"
But here he stopped-stopped, anC
mopped his bald head, which, in his ex
element, had broken out into grea
drops of perspiration. He remembered
that he had himself advised Harry t.
elope, and that, if the story got wind
he would be the laughing stock of the
town. including cut of all-Mr
Meadows. He remembered, too, tina
he had but one child, and that she wa'
all in all to him.
So he accepted the inevitable and tel
egraphed back:
"You may come home, and the soone
the better, so as TO keep the ESQ for PHI
money. Tell Harry he's too sharp t.
remain q clerk. and that l take him to
day into partnership. Only he mus
remember that partners never tell tale
out of school. God bless you.
III. SHELDON"
The runaways returned by the mex
train The marriage proved. too. a
, eminently happy one. The story neve
got out. We only tell it now in conf