River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-03-03
Cross Purposes
By
Ex.Congressman VIM. H. Hinrichsen
Copyright. 1908. BIZ Daily Story Pub. Coz

A MONG- the boarders at Mrs. Moul-
~ tons farm that summer were Mrs.
Stewart and her daughter Caroline;
Mrs. Stewart, a quiet, pleasant-faced
lady, and Caroline, beautiful girl OF
20. There were a dozen other boarders
in the house besides Harry, Mrs. Moul-
toms nephew, who was a visitor and
not boarder, as his aunt told the neigh
bors
Harry had been reared on farm, and
intended by his parents for a farmer,
but when they died he determined TO
sell the old place and after proper prep
aration embrace law as a profession.
He was at that time 81, and had been
graduated from an academy in neigh
boring town, so he felt himself falrly
well on the way to the accomplishment
of his wish. He converted his acres
into dollars and began his studies. rive
years at college and university found
him almost penniless, but with MS pre-
cious diploma in his pocket, and ne giao-
| ly accepted an invitation from his aunt
| to spend the summer with her before
/ looking for permanent location.
"It has been that lonely since your
uncle died that | thought | couldn
stand it any longer" she told harry.
! "Of course, | don't have to take board
ers for a living but they'll be company
and you must help entertain them.
"Of course, aunt" said Harry, III
make myself useful"
! And he did, particularly where caro-
! line Stewart was concerned. He had
met her and her mother at the station
! and driven them to the farm in carry
all. From that day he was Carollnes
| regular attendant He fell in love with
| the beautiful, sweet tempered girl, and
! she knowing him as her landlady S
| nephew, not only accepted his services,
| but took possession Of him as she dld
/ Of everything which she could make
useful
He accompanied her in her walks and
| drives and always kept near her. She
| showed an interest in the work OF the
farm. and he was her instructor. He
broke and gentled horse for her use,
and made himself so necessary that
| she wanted him always within call. she
! liked the young man with his ruddy face
and stalwart figure, and she often re-
marked to her mother that he was GER
tainly treasure She liked to exhibit
! him to her friends as she met them, and
| even to Mr.. Lansdow, who always came
from the city Saturday evening and re-
NAMED till Monday morning.
| Mr.. Lansdow appeared devoted TO
Miss Stewart, and Harry was madly
jealous of him, though he admitted
that she appeared to like his own COM
pany very much and to prefer his So
| ciety to that of any other, even when
Mr.. Lansdow was present.
| Mr.. Lansdow, aged 40, distinguished
| looking gentleman, said to be rich,
seemed at first slightly jealous Of Harry,
but after his second visit he seemed
Indifferent to Caroline's apparent
fondness for the younger mans society,
and certainly showed no further sign
of jealousy.
The summer wore on. Harry's love
for Caroline grew so strong that his
aunt snid he was "daffy'' about her.
They took long walks and rides, sat on
even learned to feed the fowls and
milk the COWS under his tuition. They
talked mainly of farm topics and he, in
his infatuation, did not notice that
her education was superficial and that
literature had no charms for her. He
thought that she was determined to
give her mental powers vacation dur
20 IL
mired her for it. He would have ap-
proved anything she did and her
slightest wish was highest law to him.
So he fell into her humor and talked of
horses, cattle, hogs and sheep, of their
care and fattening and their value for
speed. draft, food and wool. He ex-
plained the planting, the cultivation and
the harvesting of grains and vegetables
and he even found her interested in fer
tilizers and tie rotation of crops.
These were familiar subjects to him, for
he had absorbed agrarian information
as a boy For her amusement he built
hen coops, mended the fences, repaired
the harness and gathered vegetables,
and she seemed delighted with his skill
and knowledge.
AS the summer drew to a close Harry
began to worry. Caroline WAS rs kind
as ever, but he had so far dared not
speak to her of love, there standing in
the way a dread specter ever present.
She was rich and he was poor, and he
dared not ask her to marry him, and at
times he was miserable.
His kind old aunt read his secret,
and she said: Don't be downhearted,
Harry. If Miss Caroline loves you, she'll
let you know it plain enough before she
goes away. She perhaps won't ask you
right out to marry her, but she'll say
something that will just force you to
propose and show you that she wants
you to-
Harry was comforted, and lay in wait
for some suggestion that would war
rant him in asking the important ques-
ton.
She was to return to the city in anoth-
er week, and in the evening she suggest
ed to Harry a stroll through the or