Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1901-12-20

h not recall either one of his quondal
V schoolmatcs with feelings Of affection.
+ Mrs. Maxwell came in to him yer
5 promptly. A faded little woman in blacl
who stared up at him with red rmme
eyes when he introduced himself liz
voice trembled when she asked him
seat himself. He foresaw tears, groan
repr0aches-- anything but cheerful on
come to his mission.
"Of course you have a general under
!. standing of why | am here, Mrs. Max
we'll" he said gently, by way of putin
the visit on business basis.
YES, | suppose | have, Bat, oh, Tai
+. colt, it is dreadful. / want you to under
stand it was no plan Of mine that one o
my noble girls should throw herself int
the gulf in this awful way"
A smile curved the young mans cleal
shaven lips, but he simply said: 80
course. 1t is dreadful"
81 am sure it does not matter where
spend the few remaining years of IN.
miserable life, and if no way can b.
found to satisfy the mortgage but for on
of my girls to sacrifice herself, | an
ready to go out tomorrow" She hat
reached the humid state.
st is a little trying to my vanity t.
have you show evident terror at thu
prospect of family connection" spit
Talcott, with jolly laugh, 'but as father
and | do not hold the same views on this
subject, | am here to talk the matter over
with you in all its bearings"
oh I'm afraid I've been dreadfully
rude! Not that you haven't grown and
improved in every respect, and / hope
you do not think | meant to reflect upon
your appearance in any way, but it does
seem so dreadful for love not to count at
ALL"
"Oh, but it does! It counts tremen-
dously with me. Now, then, let us talk
about that mortgage"
For answer Mrs. Maxwell burst VIC
lently into tears. Between sobs, by bend
ing his head very close to hers, he could
gather:
( "Of course you know that the under
standing was that if | could not or would
not satisfy the mortgage by giving you
one of my girls this New Years it would
be foreclosed. Let him foreclose. am
ready to move out tomorrow. | will not
make a sale Of my girl"
She was waxing shrilly Eysterical. He
laid quieting hand on her shoulder.
You are quite right, Mrs. Maxwell.
and think all the more of you for your
frank reputation of me as son-in-law.
Perhaps it will comfort you to know
that | am no more anxious to marry one
of your daughters than you are to have
me-not meaning to show them any dis
respect. But TO come back to business.
| see that the subject of the mortgage is
too agitating 4 one 10 be discussed with
you personally. Who is your business
man.
my daughter Catherine" said the wild
ow, with fash OF her tear drowned
eyes.
Perhaps she and can talk over this
matter more composedly. or course
mean the matter of the mortgage. Can
/ see her?'
mo: she is in New York, working"
Then l might write TO her If you will
be so good as to give me her address"
"She is typewriter in a large law
firm. Her address is Miss Catherine
Maxwell. care Of levitt & Sloan, -
Pine street"
levitt & Sloan?" Talcott repeated
the name of the firm with a curious note
of eagerness in his voice.
Eyes; very large firm. and they think
a great deal Of my Catherine. Now that
you have refused to marry her
. A laugh such as had not been heard
under that melancholy roof since its de-
funct owner had made merry on old
money rang through the
parlor,
Pardon me, Mrs. Maxwell, but | did .
not refuse to marry Miss Catherine Max
we'll | simply said that respected your
feelings on the subject and that
Love certainly ought to enter into ev-
cry matrimonial arrangement. | credited |
you with holding very honorable senti-
ments, Mr.. Thorneycraft."
II hope | shall not discredit your in.
iorsement Of me to that extent, Mrs.
but we seem to be playing our
little melodrama with the leading lady
eft out. shall write to Miss Maxwell
1t once"
81 am looking for her home the latter
part of next week. She wrote me word
hat as soon as she could close up her
lffairs she would come home to complete
he
Sacrifice. Let me supply the word. You
ire to be congratulated on the unselfsh-
less of your daughter. l shall call in
person to settle this complicated matter
with Miss Maxwell"
That night Talcott Thorneycraft was
he recipient of a note, delivered by hand
md marked private. 1t was short TO
and began abruptly:
had hoped that travel and association had
'roadenod you to a point which would make you
Jew your fathers methods Of settling a mortgage
With horror Since l find. from my mothers &C.
cunt Of her interview. that you are Shyloek
nough to demand the promised flesh at any cost
shall make one last effort to save our darling
'ath from herself and-you She is deeply at
ached TO some one elsa man she has met in
lew York If you knew our Catherine as l know
er, you would pity the she married from
ecessity and not love. Sometimes a hint TO the
Ise is sufficient. RHoDA MAXWELL.
To this Thorneycraft made brief reply:
Dear Miss Rhoda-Your championship is cred.
able to your heart You must leave this matter
. be settled by Miss Maxwell and shyock in
crsonal interview. Shall come over
iss Catherine arrives.
In a passion Of tears Rhoda tore this
lissive in fragments. 1t was insuffer-
BILE. She had felt compelled to make
ne feeble effort 10 rescue Cath from the
ills and had been laughed at or sneered J
t by that wretch who held the whole
Iaxwell family in his pocket :
We'll, of course, you and her fixed ii
u up right?' said the elder Thorney-
aft, eying his son sourly across the
noke of their cigars as they sat upon 4
le front veranda that evening.