The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1902-07-10

A MAN
WITHOUT
BRAINS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
BY PAUL sEvERING

NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
"And that is your decision, father?
You object to Mr.. Hawley because he
is, as you call him, a tenderfoot"
NO, daughter; not exactly that. It's
the kind Of tenderfoot object to-"
II suppose you would like me to mar
! ry one of your mine foremen merely
because he is a product of Coloradop'
! Now, Mary, you know better. l
want you to marry some good fellow
who has at least proved himself some
how or other. But your Mr. Hawley-
what has he done, now; tell me that?
There he % idlin' away his time at the
Springs Benefit Of his health? Bah!
| When was his age, l hadn't as much
as he has, and l didn't loaf around
with girls on hotel porehes; didn't see
a girl more'n once in year maybe.
| Why don't he get grub stake and
start out and do a little prospectin on
his own account? 'Tisn't in his line,
eh? Well, neither are you. The man
that gets my daughter has got to show
the sand that's in him, and that settles
1t, If have anything to say about it."
And yet it did not settle it any more
than such decisions of such fathers
have ever settled such cases. But
what makes this worth the telling is
the odd way In which it was settled.
When Mary Wilson told Ned Hawley
that her father the wealthy mine own
er, had objected to his suit for her hand
and the reason thereof. the young man
did not utter a single heroic. nor did
he start out to look for trouble as it is
defined in the west He merely said
somewhat redectively:
"Well, | had an idea in the mining
line yesterday, but did not execute it
i because l thought l might be going
outside the limits. But now It's differ
| ent. think | can show your father
that there is one side of the mining
business about which he does not
know. By the way do you suppose he
would let me visit the Evening Star
mine, say day after tomorrow
"Why, yes" replied the girl II could
arrange that, although it is very sell
dom he grants permission to any one
to go down. 1t is not a very interest
ing place, you know"
"Well, ia like to see the Evening
Star. Shall we go driving tomorrow"
he added. His manner was deeply re-
Elective, and the girl wondered at it.
The next day they went driving.
When they returned to the hotel piaz-
"a, he said, by way of finishing con-
versation just as he set her down in
front of the crowd of women seated
on the piazza "And after that we will
go to Europe"
Now, it was only the end of de-
scription of a Cooks tour itinerary, but
when Miss Wilson had passed inside
and he had driven over to the stable
Mrs. Philbig, whose husband was a
broker on the Colorado Springs Elk
change, said to Miss Golding, whose
father was a mine promoter:
did you hear that, my dear-plan-
ming a trip? believe they are en-
gagged"
BY O'Clock the report had spread
to all the porches, and by 10 the date
of the wedding had been set. or
course it reached the ears of the two
most concerned. and each denied it Wig
orously but that appeared only natural
to the gossips. And the next day.
when Hawley set out for the mine,
which was few miles up country,
even the brokers on the exchange, led
by Philbig, said things very compli-
mentary to the young mans prospects.
The visit to the mine was unevent-
full to a degree. 1t was not very won
derful place. Mr.. Wilson WAS not
more courteous to his daughters guest
than was absolutely necessary. Haw-
ley was attentively polite to all de-
scriptions and on leaving promised, as
be was requested, not to say word
concerning certain machinery which
gave the Evening Star such an adyan-
tage over its competitors. But on the
way back to the Springs he was i'm
patience personited, and as soon as he
arrived he rushed to the exchange and
sent In his card to Mr.. Philbig, the
broker.
Now, it was well known that Mr.
w lISOD SWOIt HIS men 10 secrecy CON
corning the mine interior and that he
would on no account permit a native
of the district to enter it. The true
reason was his desire to keep the Sc
cret of certain machinery on which
patents were pending. But the pro
moters and the brokers were sure that
some sort of bonanza had been struck
and that the old man was holding back
for a financial coup; hence Hawley's
card was matter of great interest to
the brokers, and Philbig hurried out as
fast as his fat legs would let him.
How do you do, Mr.. Hawley? Let
me congratulate
How much is Evening Star listed at
nowF interrupted Hawley hurriedly
and, 1t seemed impatiently. Philblg's
eyes opened, and he was all attention.
AT fifty" replied the broker.
Fifty! said Hawey, and a CLEAN
of the most intense satisfaction shone
In his eyes. "Well, then. / wish you
would buy for me 500 shares at once.
Margin. yes. | will write a check at
once-developments-eh? Well, | am
not ready to say anything now, and,
Mr. Philbig, If you'll make the pur-
chase as quietly as possible, so as not
to excite the-you know"