Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1901-04-04


"From boarding school went to col
lege. where stayed three years. My
allowance was so scant that l would
not have been able to cut much of Il
| swell if | had wished to. l believe my
sole ambition was to get through col
lege so as to see what life had for me
beyond.
Near tie end of my junior year re-
ceived Il telegram saying my father
was dying. went home at once. but
too late to find him alive. AS looked
on his dead face realized for the first
time that l had utterly missed being
Il son.
"Then heard my father talked of,
and knew that | was the son of Il good
man, and grieved to think that | had
never really known him. The family
resemblance between us came out
strong and came to me as new ana
startling thing, for with the lines
smoohed out and with the youthful
look death sometimes brings, the dead
face was almost like my own.
"The day after fathers funeral nrt
his attorney ana learned from him
that was Il rich man, rich beyond any
thing ever dreamed of. and blamed
my father for keeping me so scant
when he had so much money: but in
looking over some of his papers found
some notes that were very precious to
me. They were his rules of life and
among them was this: Keep the boy
short of money. lie is safer. There
will be time to learn of his wealth and
how to use it during our trip abroad
together
"Well. l went abroad soon after that
and lived wandering life for ten
years. had not learned how to use
mohey and | wasted a good deal learn
ing but there was so much it hardly
mattered.
II lived fairly simply and studied
some, nut | was restless always. The
only thing that kept me from going
wrong was natural distaste for boor
isl pleasures. No woman attracted
me, though | met many that are called
beautiful. | didn't gamble or drink be-
cause | wasn't good fellow enough
to have invitations to carousals. l
went up too easy
1.-TWO years ago my lawyer called
me home to decide some important
business and asked me to dinner at his
home. 1t was that night that | found
my lawyer was your father, and that
You We're. well. what you are and that
| liked to be as near you as possible.
Il don't think | really fell in love
with you that night but was anxious
to see YOU again soon. l decided to live
in New York, and fitted up bachelor
apartments; and settled down. l had
no idea that l ever should tell you
loved you. bur l wanted to be near mt
hand. SO cultivated Dicks acquaint-
ance. You needn't tell Dick made use
of him, because his friendship is one Of
the best things in my life.
"But just at first. before l knew him
lures to get him over here to my
rooms, and offered to help him with his
Photographic prints in order that
might be up in his dark room when you
were sitting in the next rOom We used
to hear your voice there while we
worked. and nearly always you came
to SOC the rrints, and help pin them up
to dry.
81 was very happy in those days. and
If could get Dick to tell me anything
about YOU did. He always thought
YOU a frightful tlirt and always enjoy
ed relating your escapades with the
High School boys, but he always
wound up by saying: But she don't
care Il rap for any one of them. Mar
guerite will marry II steady old chap
some day. and dandy little wife she'll
make him. Then Dick would slap me
on the back. and would get red in the
face Dick must have seen that l cared
for you.
IL suppose should have let things
slip along this way forever If you
hadn't gone West, but when Dick told
me you and he and your mother were
going West for the winter knew that
| must act some time. l must have you
IoT my OWu 50 tuul pcoluc IoulUu
carry you off whenever and wherever
they pleased. l tried to ask you then,
but was always tongue-tied whenever
Dick left us alone, as he often did
those last few weeks.
Il finally let you go with that one
whisper at the station, 'GOod-by, dear
You blushcd, but you didn't take your
hand away, and though your lips said
good-by to all In the little group that
came to see you Off, your eyes said
good-by to mo alone.
$50 have waited and hoped all
these months, and Dick has kept up
my courage with his letters. He has
told me many stories of young ranch
men who have fallen victim to your
charms, but always wound up the same
way. She don't care pin for any of
them and will marry old steady, after
ALL
$50 now have come to claim you,
dear good place to take her handD, and
ask you to be my wife. She ought to
say something by this time, either yes
or no. and then sha'n't know what to