Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1901-04-09
stable boy and a three-legged terrier

From boarding school went to col
lege, where l stayed three years. My
allowance was SO scant that 1 would
not have been able to cut much of a
swell if had wished to. I believe my
sole ambition was to get through COL
lege so as to see what life had for me
beyond
Near the end Of my junior year 1 re-
ceived a 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
| a son.
"Then heard MY father talked of,
and knew that 1 was the son of a 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 a new and
startling thing, for with the lines
smoothed out and with the youthful
look death sometimes brings, the dead
| face was almost like my own.
"The day after fathers funeral I met
that was 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 l 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. He 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. l had not learned how to use
money and l wasted good deal learn
ing,' but there was so much it hardly
mattered.
Il lived fairly simply and studied
some, but 1 was restless always. The
only thing that kept me from going
wrong was a natural distaste for boor-
ish pleasures. No woman attracted
me, though 1 met many that are called
beautiful. I didn't gamble or drink be-
cause l wasn't a good fellow enough
to have invitations to carousals.
heard one fellow say that my nose
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 l found
my lawyer was your father, and that
you We're, well, what you are, and that
L liked to be as near you as possible.
Il don't think 1 really fell in love
with you that night, but 1 was anxious
to see you again soon. decided to live
in New York, and fitted up bachelor
apartments and settled down. I had
no idea that i ever should tell you /
loved you, but wanted to be near at
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 1 knew him
much, l played on his love of fine pic
lures to get him over here to nv
rooms, and offered to help him with his
Photographic prints in order that 1
might be up III 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 see the prints, and help pin them I'D
to dry.
81 was very happy in those days, and
if could get Dick to tell me anything
about you I did. He always thought
you frightful firt, and always enjoy
ed relating your escapades with the
High School boys, but he always
wound up by saying: But she don't
care rap for any one of them Mar
guerite will marry a steady old chap
some day, and a 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 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 l knew that
l must act some time must have you
for my own, SO that people couldn't
carry you off whenever and wherever
they pleased. I tried to ask you then,
but was always tongue-tied whenever
Dick left us alone, as he often did
those last few weeks.
81 finally let you go with that one
whisper at the station, 'Good-by, DEAR
You blushed, 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 me alone.
$50 l 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 a victim to your
charms, but always wound up the same
way. She don't care a 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 hand), 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
do"
And Tom fell into haze of dream
ing till Martin timidly announced din
ner.
The next evening Tom dressed care
fully, and walked slowly to the Up
tons. He walked by the house once,
but, coming back, he spied Dick at an
upper window, and with long-drawn
breath and a Tightening of the whole
nervous system he ran up the steps
and rang the bell.
The man ushered him in and he ask
ed for Miss Upton. He had not meant
to ask for her, but was rehearsing his
proposal, and that was the way it be-
gan. The man was gone, anyhow, and
so it couldn't be helped Dick would