Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1904-06-09
Bun1ping
oAgainst Ideals
BY PEYT0N WILLIAMS
Ccopyrlght, 1905, By DAILY story Pub. co.I

nora sPELLMAN was the most
/ IL profound mystery Joe Mason had
ever felt called on to solve. The longer
he tried the more hopeless he found
the solution. He found his standards
so inadequate and the surrounding
conditions so unfamiliar and battling
that his characteristic assurance de-
serted him entirely and he CROPPED in
the greatest perplexity.
Joe was a typical city-bred boy. You
could not throw him into any situation
In a great city where he would not land
on his feet And this made it all the
more humiliating for him to acknowl-
edge himself downed. awed-almost
terrified by this single country maiden.
But Joe was learning faster than he
| knew.
He was a splendid type of the pro-
duct of a great city Born of good par
entage, but thrown upon his own re-
sources, he had made much of himself.
With but little opportunity for school,
ing his education had been picked up
through the activity of his keen wits
Of course. It was superficial, but was suf-
ficient for business purposes and to
give him a good presence and carriage
He had gone into a great wholesale
house early in life and by Industry,
energy and enterprise had been adj
vanced rapidly. His habits and morals
were good-for the city. Partly
through a fortunate heredity, partly
through his sturdy common-sense, he
had avoided the great pitfalls of drink
ing and gambling, the two Molochs OF
the city born and bred youth. To be
sure he was no white-w winged angel
and took an occasional fly at the
ponies and had an occasional might
with the boys. But he avoided ex-
cesses and attended strictly to bust |
ness. Hence his advancement
He had the inevitable contempt for
the country jay" common to every
city lad and regarded the farmer as a |
sort Of half developed biped, designed |
by an all-wise Providence for city peo-
pie to prey upon.
He knew all about girls, too in his |
own estimation. He had experienced |
the adolescent yearnings and gone
through the various stages He had |
met the city girl of his station, admired |
and sought her. And her worldly |
wise mind had appealed to him and he
liked her immensely, But he had |
SHE'D at the thought Of entanglements |
and while he was ever delighted TO |
meet the fair sex and exchange pas
sages Of wit and repartee, he never
had been seriously tempted to tie him
self down to married life.
No wonder the broad-prowed, calm
eyed girl with her maidenlyreserve, her
simple dignity, her wide range of in
formation, both of nature and books.
and her habit of looking so straight
out Of her clear eyes puzzled him. He
had never known a girl that talked so
seriously and so intelligently and the
utter absence of anything resembling
a shipper. mystified and bewildered him. /
Then. too. she so often put him at so
humiliating a disadvantage by her ac-
curate knowledge and education. which /
contrasted so strongly with his super
fetal information and fiippantlwit. that
he began 10 feel uncomfortable and to
lose his superabundant and override
veloped confidence in himself as "the
smartest ever"
His translation from the busy city
life TO the quiet farm in the far west
had been sudden and unexpected. The
doctor had told him one day that he
must give up business for a long time
and get away from the city in a dry
climate and live out of doors-work
out of doors II possible, or he would
die So he had resigned his position
and hurried westward, armed with a
letter Of Introduction 10 Daniel SPELL
man, who had agreed. with true west
ern hospitality. TO take him as a
boarder on the big ranch. Spellman
was not in the business of taking
boarders. but a letter from a mutual
friend, coupled with the natural love
Of companionship, had gained the
point.
Mason had not noticed Dora much al
first She was not a girl Of striking ap-
pearance and her manners were dis
tinctly retiring and unobtrusive She
was but recently returned from an
eastern college and had assumed her
place as housekeeper for her widowed
father After the first novelty had
worn on Mason began to notice the
girl more. and the more he noticed her
the more worth while il appeared. She
was distinctly pretty. II not striking
and possessed a personality that could
not fail 70 impress itself upon those