Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1902-10-28

cigarettes, RaQlDle Ut CdTuS duu loSe
after titles and wealth. Not my girl,
prince. Frances has a healthy mind
and is as noble as she Is good looking.
But she has mind of her own, If it Is
healthy, and-well, she is my boss, l
can tell you!"
"You charm me. I am more in love
than ever"
won't do a bit Of good, tell you.
If thought you were the finest man on
earth, my wishes would not prevail
upon Frances to marry you. She will
make her own choice. when it is made,
and 1t Will stand"
"You lead me to believe this choice
has already been made"
mo, | did not mean that, prince. 1t
might be so, for all l know to the con-
trary. Frances might love man and
not yet be ready to tell me, although
there is nothing secretlve about her.
We have each others confidence"
"Still it could not be possible that
she would be in love and you not know
It."
at might, and l will tell you why.
She has refused to marry the man l
chose for her. the finest young man. In
my estimation, on earth"
"Then you have already given your
allegiance to lover"
81 gave 1t to the lover, but Frances
would not marry him. have no OBJ
lection to your knowing who it Is. 1t
is Denton, the bridge builder. Jack
| Denton was the son Of one Of my Oldest
friends. Old Denton was ut one time
worth lot of money, but lost IT
through the rascality Of man he trust
ed. Jack was sort Of genius and ask
| ed me what profession to take up.
told him bridge engineering. He Is
one of the best at the business now
and Is only twenty-five. He is out near
the Obi. The big iron bridge we are
to put across the Obi will be his work. "
ut is a fascinating profession. And
your daughter refused him?
Eyes, and it was great disappoint-
ment to me. Jack and she have been
friends since they first went to school.
He loves her, and his love Is the kind
tnat father likes to see his girl get.
But she won't have him for some rea-
son. Said they could never be roman
tic lovers or some such argument.
Couldn't love him because she had
known him all her life. Thought 1t
was easier to love stranger, l sup
pose, who could bambooZle her."
"And so 1t was broken OFF,
'There was nothing to break of.
They were never engaged. She SIM
ply refused him. They are friendly
when they meet-coolly so. What could
I do? She had to have her own way"
"a prosaic friendship such as that is
not dangerous" said the prince. Have
I your permission to enter the list"
"My permission Is worthless. You
can ask Frances II you like. but II
won't do a bit Of good. You are too
rich, and Frances has peculiar notions" :"
"There Is some one In whom your
daughter is much interested. and per.
haps you have not heard. 1t is my duty
to inform you. although myself dc
not attach much importance to the
thing There Is q blacksmith
"Oh, the blacksmith Of Perm" ex-
claimed Gordon. with slight coldness
In his voice, as though he did not relish
aaving the story told him by the prince
Il nm fully aware of all that"
"Does E.xlces-does your daughter
love that man"
Goodness, no! She is interested, she
likes him and is trying to help him."
Through pity, I suppose. and pity
soon leads to love-"
"Well," said Gordon, laughing, "if 1t
does In this case neither you nor can
prevent 1t. l am sure, however. the
girl is fancy free, and, as for him, he
is too simple and sensible to look upon
their friendship as more than ordinary.
They met in this way: When the road
was crossing into Tobolsk. I wanted
some peculiar lronwork done, and she
went with me. The stature and strength
and the handsome face of the young
ironworker pleased her, and she talked
with him. She saw that he was
magnificent specimen Of a man and fit
ted by nature to adorn higher station
She Is trying to assist him In improV'
ing himself"
"You take this very coolly," said the
prince. "But, being Russian, perhaps
our customs are so different that this
free intercourse between girl like
your daughter and mere ironworkel
seems more to me than to you. Their
you assure me there Is nothing more
than mere friendship between these
two"