Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-02-28
CONTINUED
Copyright, 1901. bv Charles N. Sheldon

Ats private once he greeted his visitor
heartily, saying as ke motioned Cor
don to a chair: "Glad to see YOU.
Where have you been lately? Been on
the point of dropping you a note ask
ing you to come and dine. You and
huella haven't quarreled, have you?
Come to thing Of it, she's looked rather
sober lately"
Dir. Marsh was a large, handsome
man of fifty-two. His manner was
hearty, his whole bearing confident,
with the air Of one who has succeeded
In every business enterprise he ever
undertook. AS man of large wealth,
OF university training and some degree
Of culture, Of which perhaps he was
unduly conscious he was reckoned
among the solid business men Of the
city and was always proud to see his
name used in that connection.
Lucia has not told you. then?'
John Gordon asked in a low tone.
"Told me what?'
''She refuses to marry me-"
Refuses to marry you:' Mr.. Marsh
spoke in establishment.
"Why-why-why. how is that, Cor
don? You are old enough to know your
own minds
II thought so, SIR" John Gordon re-
piled almost bitterly, but Luella
thinks otherwise. She will never be
my wife"
ITS not SO serious a break as that?"
The Older man spoke with great kind
ness and came nearer. lie was really
fond Of Gordon, and the unexpected
news affected him deeply.
Eyes, sir. TO make Il long story short
l asked Lucia to 50 into Hope House
as a resident With me. She refused
and
Into IIorc House: And YOU ex-
pected her to live ti:>rc with ynu:'
II certainly asked her to. Whether
expected her to Or not. | ain not quite
SO certain"
you asked too much The words
came sharp and inci>ivc. and John Cor
don at first sl!r,.illl back as if from
blow. You had no right to expect 4
girl brought Up as Lucia has lccn to
make such couli'cjc change in her
life as such course would demand. 1t
was unreasonable.
"l'erhapS it Was,' replied John Cor
don quietly. Nevertheless made it,
and p
You have come to ask my inter
ceSs;on with Luella? l am sorry, but
don't think | can ever grant it. AS l
say, your demand is unreasonab bic. l
don't Object 50 much to the reform
business l have heard YOU discuss. but
there are extremes | cannot sanction.
l wollhl never Wish TO see my daughter
Iviny in such surroundings as those of
Hope House..
Il have not come to ask YOU to make
any inlcrccssion for me, Mr.. Marsh.
The ma tier between Lucia and myself
has been settled by her own refusal,
and l am not going to trouble her or
you by any pleading
"Why-Wh\ Mr.. Marsh seemed
unable to frame a sentence that fitted
the occasion, and john said calmly:
what l came to see you about, Mr..
Marsh, is matter connected with GER
tain tenement property on Bowen street,
in the Waterside district, near Hope
House. l have been making certain in
vestigatiOns there, and in the course of
them l find that you own or control
tenements Nos. ~ and o."
Mr.. Marsh struck bell on his DESK
and when a clerk appeared he asked
him to bring volume from the SAFE
When it was brought and the clerk had
gone out, he turned over the pages un-
til he came to a certain number.
"Ninety-one and 81. That's right.
Fronting Bowen street and in the Wa
terside district. Well?'
John Gordon paused a moment He
had not the remotest inkling as to Mr..
Marsh's probable action. His expert
ence with his father had given him
reason to believe that what Miss An
drews had said about the Golden Rule
in business was only too true. Besides,
If that experience had not come to
him there remained the deadening fact
of the tenements themselves. which
preached powerfully of the landlords
neglect.
"These tenements, Mr.. Marsh, are
simply disgrace to civilization. do
not like to believe that you know the
real facts about them, and l have
come here today to ask you as a man,
with mans feelings and with a
mans powers, to help right some Of
the dreadful wrongs that humanity
suffers in those buildings"
Mr.. Marsh did not move a muscle.
There was not a culver or a change
of color on his face to indicate to John
Gordon whether he was angry or indif-
ferent or Interested, and the first
question he asked when John Gordon
paused did not reveal to Gordon the
mans feelings.
why don't you go to the board Of
health and make a complaint"
Il !t'Will you go with me, Mr.. Marsh?
But don't go there first because you, j
an the owner Of the property, can,s IL
you will, make most Of these wrong
conditions right. Take, for example,
the double decker, the dumbbeu tene-