Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1903-03-13


ster. was sitting by coal
J oil lamp in his best room.
He had taken off his shoes
and his coat, and his coarse woolen
socks and his hickory shirt showed
that he was not man of airs. He
was deep in his newspaper, of which
1t was his habit to read every word,
including ads, and he had filed his
old clay pipe for the third time when
rap at the door caused him to shout:
"Come inw
Good evening, Mr.. Boyne," said the
stalwart, well-groomed young man who
came in.
"She's out" growled the old chap,
resuming his reading.
II know she is, sir. That's why
called"
The old fellow put down his paper
and peered over his spectacles.
"At least" resumed the young man,
nervously, II came to talk to you about
her, sir. We want to get married"
He sat down, looking flushed and ex-
cited. and the old man stared at him
q minute before he began:
'Well, suppose you do? Have you
the means to keep her decent? How
much have you saved? Three hun
dred; that'll buy tie furniture. How
long did it take you to save that?"
"a little over a year, /"
"a year! You must be an awful
spendthrift. How much do you get?"
"Thirty q week since the beginning
Of this year. I'll get raise"
"What% shrilled the father, putting
his hands on his knees and peering at
the lover Thirty dollars a week-a
bachelor, all alone, and have only three
hundred left! How the mischief-do
you drink"
'Oh, no; it isn't that. sir; must live
pretty well. You see, wasn't figuring
on getting married till I met Marcy,
and you see I've always been used to
having everything"
'Do you own place, a house or
anything?"
mo, sir"
"You must be daft, then. Where
was you going to live? At the Audi
torium, maybe?"
"Oh, We could get a neat fiat for a
little money, and"
"And pay rent? You're a fool, my
boy. / won't give her to you till you
get n house-I don't care If it's only
two rooms, so it's your own-to keep
her in
Margy's voice singing was heard then
from the rear rooms. Boyne resumed
his manor Jon
"skinfllnt, miser," and other endearing,
epithets directed against his hoped for
father-1n-law, but wisely keeping very
quiet, waited for Marcy to come in
That was his first but not final effort
to get dads consent. He came again
on Saturday evening, while the girl
was at market, and the crusty old
drayman, with coarse frankness, sug-
gested that he had n "tidy little place"
In the West Side, three rooms and n
summer kitchen, that he would sell to
Stewart If he really meant to marry
the girl at all. The meanness Of this
proffer struck him like blow, but he
said he'd think about 1t, and he did.
He talked it over with Marcy, q whole.
souled winsome girl who had been
trained for school teacher by the
canny old man, who "knew the value
Of money"
Lets try 1t, joe" she laughed; cts
rusty old cottage, but We'll fix it up.
Dad won't be hard on US for the pay
ments, and perhaps by the time it's
paid for We can sell it and get q nicer
home"
Stewart, thoroughly despising old
Boyne, bought the place on time pay
ments and signed about sixty notes at
S25 each, listening with suppressed
hatred to the miserly old man who had
thus unloaded $500 worth of frame
shanty and cheap ground on his own
daughters husband. For the wedding
took place within a month. When the
cottage was painted and furnished
and the young couple was we'll in
stalled the old man would come around
during the day to see Marcy, but
Joe's hatred of him rose to the top
pitch when the first note fell due and
old Boyne in person came to the Office
to collect it. After that the young
man quit speaking to his wifes father,
and the young wife herself felt
ashamed and grieved to observe the
grasping eagerness with which he pur-
sued Joe for the payments.
Month after month the efforts to pay
Boyne came harder, for there were
the painters and carpenters to pay,
bathroom had been built into the cot
tage, and the plumbers bill was a eau
tion. To make matters harder for
joe the little Stewards began to ar
rive, and when the time came to pay
the young husband saw that he'd have
to "stand off" either the doctor or
Boyne. He paid the doctor. His