Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-10-29

aaAM Mkt ESN U
~ louc your daughter"
cigarettes, gamble Mt cards and race
after titles and wealth. Not my girl,
prince. Frances has healthy mind
and is as noble as she is good looking.
But she has mind of her own, II 1t Is
healthy, and-well, she is my boss,
can tell your
you charm me. I am more in love
than ever"
won't do bit Of good, l tell you.
II 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 1t is made,
and 1t will stand"
"You lead me to beliel this choice
has already been made"
mo, did not mean that, prince. II
might be SO. for all know to the con-
trary. Frances might love a man and
not yet be ready to tell me, although
there Is nothing secretiye about her.
We have each others confidence"
Still 1t could not be possible that
she would be in love and you not know
| It."
ut might, and 1 will tell you why.
She has refused to marry the man !
chose for her, the finest young man, in
my estimation, on EARTH"
"Then you have already given your
allegiance to lover"
II 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 at one time
worth lot of money. but lost 1t
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 ia
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 fascinating profession. And
your daughter refused him?"
Eyes, and 1t was n great disappoint-
ment to me. Jack and she have been
l AiiChho SAhSC tLCy hibt Mthl W bCuOOl.
He loves her, and his love is the kind
that a 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 a stranger, l sup
| nnca who could I,oy hoo1Ia barbp
"And SO 1t was broken Off"
There was nothing to break on.
They were never engaged. She sim
ply refused him. They are friendly
when they meet-coolly so. What could
l do? She had to have her own way"
"a prosaic friendship such us that is
not dangerous" said the prince. Have
l your permission to enter the listT'
"My permission is worthless. You
can ask Frances II you like, but it
won't do 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 do
/ NV abtuNh NUN iiupoi W LAC
thing. There Is blacksmith
"Oh, the blacksmith of Perm" e1-
claimed Gordon, with Sl'ght coldness
in his voice, as though ne did not relish
having the story told him by the prince.
~ am fully awar I all that"
"Does Frances-does your daughter
love that MANI"
"Goodness, no! She is interested, she
likes him and is trying to help him."
Through pity l suppose. and pity
soon leads to love-"
"Well," said Gordon, laughing, III II
does In this case neither you nor can
prevent it. l am sure, however. ths
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, l wanted
some peculiar ironwork done, and she
went with me- The stature ana strength
| and the handsome face of the young
ironworker pleased her, and she talked
with him. She saw that he was {
magnificent specimen of man and At
ted by nature to adorn higher station
She is trying to assist him in improv
ing himself"
you take this very coolly," said thu
prince. But, being Russian, perhaps
our customs are so different that thi
free intercourse between a girl lik'
your daughter and mere ironworke
seems more to me than to you. Thel
you assure me there is nothing NOR
than mere friendship between thes
two"
mo, do not assure you Of anything
Of the kind. do not know. think
though, If there was Frances would tel
me. If there is, she will have her way
II there is not. the same"
"But If this blacksmith asked her
marry him would you consentT'
I'D have to"
do you consider such thing prot
able?"
prince, l know as little about 1t a
you do. There was only one maniac
Denton-that / wanted for a son-ir
law, and she won't have him. Now,
know little about her plans. If she ha
any. She might fall in love with vol
In which case could not prevent he
marrying you. If she does not fall
love with you, could not compel be
to marry you If I would"
II am pleased at your candor," n
piled the prince. II shall soon have a
opportunity to speak to her myself.
trust that this conversation will not il
terrupt our friendship"
&7nnsense! anpreciate the hone