Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1903-11-11
q Couple OF Calls,
BY Roland Beverly Hale.


" ''How do you do, Katy? Is Miss
Mary at homer"
Katy thought she was, but was not
sure. She would go and see. While
she was gone David Carpenter sat
down and thought over for the twen-
tieth time the good fortune which had
come to him that day. He felt like
boy who had won pocketful of
marbles.
"Well, Mary, I've got my wooden
bowl at last!" he cried, as Miss Owen
came into the room.
"What do you mean?" Mary paused
half way between him and the door.
II mean that I'm Corporation Coun-
sci of the B., B. & F., with salary Of
$1,000 a year."
'I'm sorry to hear it," said Mary.
David's smile died away. He felt
that he had asked for fish and had
been given stone.
He tried to smile again, and looked
Yexed instead.
"That's kind thing to say" he OBJ
served.
''What 1 mean is this" said Mary,
her large grey eyes looking steadily
at her old friend. There's no fear
that you won't succeed in time.
You are the most talented man I ever
saw, except Edward Calthorp, whom
you affect to despise so much. But
don't think you've had trials enough
yet Why, you'll never know what it
is to struggle with poverty any more;
that's pity, a great pity. You see
I'm perfectly frank"
81 certainly don't think you've been
over anxious to spare my feelings"
Mary smiled. She had large fea-
lures and very expressive eyes. When
she smiled it was as much as two or
binary smiles.
Nonsense" she said. "What good
does it do to spare each others feel
ings? We were put into this world
TO help each other along, not to tell
each other we'd gone far enough al
ready"
"You don't approve of kindly slap
on the back once in a while?"
eyes, when mans down. But
you're up"
"I'm not up now"
There was a pause. The pleasant
Tight was gone from David's rather
dangerous looking eyes.
He had face that looked as if it
had been chiseled out Of granite. AS
he leaned forward and spoke to Mary,
child might have seen that the B.,
B. & F. would get their moneys worth
in man like that.
''To tell you truth, Mary" he said,
after looking at her in silence till she
wondered if she could look at him
any more, his eyes were so stern, 81
think you have been talking to fool.
came in here happy as boy, and,
as you say, on the top of the wave,
and wanting my old friend to wish me
Joy of my new place, and in five min
utes you've got me back to my hard
old matter-of-fact self by saying
something which you think rather
fine, and which anyone can see is ex-
tremely unkind.
Tim seldom in good spirits, and
when | am l shall know where not to
go. I'll tell you one of my rules Of
business. It's this: Don't say any
thing unless good is going to come of
it. What good could come of your re-
mark is something which I'm glad l
haven't got to find out. You're one OF
my best friends, Mary, and l think
you're really attached to me; but
when I want sympathy l should as
soon think of going out in front of the
house and confding in our old stone
post
The tears came into, Mary's eyes.
She was silent.
It was at this moment, perhaps, an
opportune one, that Mrs. Owens came
into the room.
What, Mary, not ready for the the
atre YETI" she said. "It's almost 8
o'clock. Why, Mr. Carpenter, am glad
20 see you I'm sorry we haven't an
extra ticket II looks so inhospit-