The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1903-11-14

to be sure; but only a young man on a
salary, like hundreds of thousands of 9TH
ers, and as such apparently very much out
of the running.
That Winship, when he first saw Miss
Millbrook standing in the full sunshine Of
the club doorway-and looking the better
for the strong food of light-should not at
once, after he heard her name, have under
stood who she was and realized what the
name meant may appear incredible. But
he was thinking so much of the girl her
self that he was hardly able to consider
anything else In fact. he had only re-
allied suddenly with stunning force the ex-
ceptional position held by her with whom,
in one sudden, wild, unexpected plunge,
he had fallen in love. He had, indeed,
urged his suit with the precipitancy and
| even the business directness which were
habitual with him. Miss Milbrook had
been given very clearly to understand how
he loved her before he knew whom he was
loving.
''And now here you are an awful heir
ess, he complained as he looked at her
accusatively.
II can't really help it" she remon-
strated II wish that had come of poor
but honest parents. But you see | don t,
for of course papa is very rich, and all the
time [ am reading in the newspapers that
he ism t at all honest. Though, you know,
that ism true But won you love me a
little in spite of my misfortunes p
You might know that loved you even
if | hadn't said it. And |, as poor as
jobs turkey-''
'Indeed,' she urged cheerfully ''lf
forgive you for your lack Of money you
might forgive me for my millions. But,
then, even though she protessed her will
ingness to have him, how was he to take
care of such very splendid young princess
and give her the life that she should have?
She would be renouncing great deal, he
was obliged to confess, and he wished her
to have no reason for the slightest regret.
Because of these circumstances, therefore,
in spite of possessions praised and priced
by poets, philosophers and moralists, Win
ship sat in restless dependency.
The sun was shining brightly over the
polo field and the more distant links but it
did not shine for him. He was too trou
bled to see it. Gay voices and even the
lively measures of a two-step idly strummed
on the piano fell upon his ear. But he did
not hear them Winship was lost in
thought.
Papa will never consent, she had
sighed for the dozenth time as they sat the
night before on bench in the club grounds
beyond the radius of the lights Of the club
house.
II know" Alan murmured thought
fully, ''but I'll do something
''We might-elope, she laughed with
underlying earnestness.
''And get into a row with your family
and have you sorry for it ever afterward. "
s'I suppose it's the romantic thing to
do she insinuated.
II don't care. 1t isn't the practical, -
he replied slowly. "This isn't the age of
rope ladders and postchaises; it's the day
of elevators and automobiles The times
change, and I've always thought that the
ancient hero was very stupid, blunder-
ing, clumsy fellow. His methods were
most primitive. TO run away with the
girl was hardly any advance on the stone
age, when he knocked his lady love down
with club.
at was picturesque, she urged gent
ly: for the romantic, as she conceived it,
still had lingering charm for her.
''But not satisfactory. The best way
is to have everybody pleased. To have
all the uncles and aunts and cousins at the
wedding wishing you joy and throwing rice
and old shoes. Then there's nothing to
regret and nothing to be forgotten. We
are far ahead of our forefath hers in every
thing else, and if a man nowadays can t
devise better methods of winning a girl
than the ld-fashioned ones he deserves
to lose the girl
He pressed her hand, which he held
under the folds of her wrap, and she
squeezed his reassuringly.
at would be better, of course, to satisfy
papa she admitted, ''but how is it to be
done p
This was what Winship was ''up against, -
as he put it succintly to himself in a Ian
guage that no properly constituted hero of
the past would have employed. But al
though he had condemned the ancient
methods of these former gentlemen he was
no less determined in spirit. Although he
was going to presumably peaceful inter-
view with Silas Millbrook in his library and
not to carry away his daughter from some
turret window, he was not less resolute or
ready for any daring expedient If doubt
and disquiet rested on his brow, his mouth
was very firm and decided
"Ive got to do something he con-
cluded for the twentieth time within the
hour. "It's up to me, he refectively add