Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-04-24

steadily improved from year to year
An attack OF pneumonia had carried
on Silas Baldwin; Harold had not
known that he was i'll until he re-
ceiyed the telegram. which was signed
uy Eleanor, announcing that her
father had died the day before.
Harold knew enough OF his brother.
l.i'law's affairs to ieel confident that
silas had left very little II anything
in the way OF property. To begin
with. Siias had been handicapped at
The the time OF his marriage by Ger.
tain debts contracted by his father.
who had died suddenly. leaving his
nrairs In confusion. which debts he
felt in honor bound To pay. Then.
too. he had been In the habit OF sink
ing whatever he could save from his
salary In the development OF various
patents. for he was an inventor OF
dIverse mechanical appliances. no one
CT which had proved profitable. Har.
old had on more than one occasion,
both since and previous To his sisters
death. advanced him money for this
purpose. He liked and respected his
brother'In'law. although they were but
slightly acquainted. and there was lit.
tie In common between them In point
Cf tastes But Harold's strict sense
oi rcctitude had been early attracted
by the resolutc stand which Sllas had
taken rs to the necessity of repaying
what his father owed. and he hnd
Teen willing TO believe that some day
his sisters husband would devise a
machine that would be worth u mint
Cr money. Harold had himself found
IL an easy matter to make money. or
rather. his efforts to do so had been
early crowned with success. which
vas chiefly due to his own saIaclty
and strict attention to business. In
the year of his sisters marriage he
had organized n banking house which
to-day was one Of the most prominent
ind prosperous firms In New York
city.
by little computation. he had
figured that Eleanor must by this time
lie about eighteen. little Silas fourteen.
and Harold. his namcsakc. twelve. No
photographs OF them had been rc.
ctivcd for several years so that they
must have grown beyond recognition.
His own two children were mere In.
fants. and the Introduction Into his
fouschold OF his ncphcws and niece
would confront him with all sorts OF
educational problems that he had no;
expected to face for another decade.
hut Harold Stnsr was not the sort of
man to baik when n resolution had
been taken. or to let himself be wor.
Iied by npprchensions OF future din.
cul,ics. Moreover. he knew that here
nrain he would be able to rely upon
his wife. She was sure to have de.
,idci Views on the various questions
itat would present themselves Al.
rcady. In Mr.. Simpsons boarding
school. she had suggested n happy
method OF dealing with the boys:
doubtless she would be able to settle
other points as they arose. with equal
facility.
Accordingly. h. cnsconccd himself
comfortably In the smoking compart.
rent OF the train. and lit his cigar
with tranquil mind. thinking with
Sclfcongratulatory fondncsS OF his
Gear Emma. from whom he had not
been parted more than half a dozen
days In the seven years they had been
irnrried. What u fortunate fellow he
was to have such wife, She was so
energetic. so kind. SO wrapped up In
him: and then 10 clever. too. and such
delightful hostess. sprightly. viva.
cious. amusing. When he had offered
himself to her. although he admired
her ability and believed her to be af.
l...t t...
come so happy. She was not exact.
ly the style of woman he had pictured
tn himself his bctter.half would be in
his more youthful days. ere he had
made money, and when he was living
IN modest lodging n quiet and some.
what sentimertaiiy disposed bachelor.
He had been n great deal OF n reader
then-of poetry. especially-and in.
tcrcsted In pictures and music. and
II had delighted him to dream of n
snug domestic hearth sancitfied and
cheered by the presence OF one who
would sympathize with and encourage
him In artistic tastes. The memory
OF this. II he ever thought of 1t. did
not disturb him: he was contentedly
happy. his business ran smoothly and
rrosperously. lie enjoyed his fine es.
Establishments and the consideration
they gave him in the social world
If Emma's tastes were not precisely
similar to his own, she certainly took
10 stand against them; on the con.
trary. she was perpetually surprising
him on Christmas and his birthday
with presents of rare illustrated edi.
tions in costly bindings. that she had
selected vita the aid of the booksell
or, and she was prompt to applaud
" Whatever he sent home in the picture
line.
With such gratifying thoughts OF
lis home as companions, Harold
dined satisfyingly In spite of his
mournful errand, and. having finished
the half bottle of champagne he had
ordered, and smoked another cigar, he
turned in and slept soundly. In
thirty-four hours from the time OF
starting, he alighted from the train
Ia the small manufacturing town
where his sisters family lived, which
vas on a branch line 1t was place
of some five or six thousand inhabit-
ants and seemed bustling He no.
ticed, as he drove along from the
4fatt Ion, 1,s.t 4 Il.