The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-01-15

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81 Sfi i.-1 q usD Oxenford's expression.
81 49, Mary was choice. slc had y al !;
%$ $ss u MI ways loved what was serene
$ 'S@NTSI and pure and dainty since the
Il v&GaaEssgI days when she wore socks and
;$Sg az big y frdled Int and accompanied
~ 81 Honest john Ietrie In his daily spin
n over incomb's Dam. Honest John was
NJ not above stopping at various roads
houses foryarjous whistles, and he loud
Tf% ~ boosted that he could leave the child
8s outside to hold tho lines. She was not
n afraid, By God! ID ~, ,3i N
sSg Oxenford's first glimpse Of her was
5 III N front of one Of these road NJ houses
" There was little OF her visible except her
S gorgeous hat, and the two small, steady
Sff hands that guided Honest Johns culver
ing trotters round and rcui.d the grassy
n nircle, IT was a winter fternoon and
NJ THE horses refused to- stand. n III til
Honest Ohm OTTER drove out to see
*{ Oxenford's father, to whom he was well
ss5 known as a recklessly succe ssful plunger
" Son the turf Sometimes he sroush t M ary.
s5E She was six and young Oxenford nearly
S$t twenty, bit she suited him exactly, even
AZ then. He used to carry her out to see
$ti the colts. She never chung nor grabbed,
TN nor seemed conscious OF her ultra gor-
81 Eeous clothes. Just as she kept sweet&in
81 spite OF her elaborate flnery with which
lIone ST John overloaded her. so she kept
hi her odd little personality aloof from the
\ coa1seness and fever OF the sporting world
into which Honest John had dra eyed her.
When 81 she was sixteen, Honest j ohm
III crippled himself by injudiciors plunging,
n and want Of money rele Mary Of the
incubus OF his choice In dress. She $toolS
sgSt to the clean cut styles that her soul
g8 loved, and Oxenford was snitten with
painful delight In this new aspect b Is OF
Ss her. 81 rs ${ & "a .s s
you've hit IT this time, Mary" he
d said. after serious considerntion8of her.
.5a appearance. ''.rhes Sc clothes are all right.
III you look like a III tile swell in 'em.'
Nh M airy was very fond of OXcnford. and
i pleased with his &unreservcd approba ton
u she hastened to conflde a great project TO
chin Vi Dad was down on his luck, and sho
was afraid he was a. steady loser. She
4 loved to study things and she wanted to
tsbn able to do something for herself,
something NICE She wanted to so to the
" Normal School. She wanted to be a
$$ eacher. 8 NJ % 5iss5 Ss3g n. y
i oxenford looked soberly ut her, He
4 hadgyery different IDEAS for her, but thcy
had Ito stand for q little. S5,a 5 e III 81 "a
sfSsS What do you want me to 90 !''sss ne
4 asked. s Al b 81 II Il. 81 8i Y, II
RI Mary wanted him to put in a word with
her father. Honest John laughed at her.
That his little girl should mediate sucl,
flights was absurd, something to be de-
MED, with roars OF Homerlc laughto OF. q
Give him a tip-on the quiet. said
int the Cula r In Iol
S$earnestness. s"rell him you're on tho in-i
side. and you know I'm struck on it, and
81 I won't give 1t up. 3sS { &,
ssSSsBa fOxenford put it that way to Honest
8s ohm ana Mary went to the Normal
A School. 81 So TAX, 81
When Mary graduated, oxenford sent
4 her the biggest floral horseshoe money,
3Ecnuld bry Mary was appalled, when she
beheld It towering on her desk, but her
.4ssE,yhtte-gowned ella SIS mates fortunately did
NJ not understand ats siGnifioance. and
5a9 thought her a whimsical little thing. #
III Honest John had had his way. Mary
\ would not have been wearing that unas-
# Stunning little white dress. y Mary S t t
4$y IT oyyB wa he to tell her that he had STOP
4 mad for Honest John, and found him III
All "a condition to come to Mary COM
8x mencement! is,, ta
u s,,l Mary found Oxenford, when the assem-
lly broke up, leaning against q doorway
Zig and silent, in an unusually GORGEOUS
She had left q Eroup OF class-
5Ss ma tcsg and class mates brothers TO go to
hin and accepted Ills stumbling expla-
70 IA tfon about her father, with q qulVerlhs
mouth. a zl3 IL. !, ~ - ,o,,n
Ma 4 to cause her, for he plunged on tecr-
/ leasly. sinking lower and lower untll I'M
l88nlIy he put q bullet through MS lietlu ~ ~
Il 4 Fit OF drunken melnncholia.
IL all
s4SS rora q she hui aside his sympathy WIN
n q hardness quite unusual in her.
s7Ptrrhey say no owes you any amount OF
"A = ,oney. Cxie,p she said. her eyes fixed or
1,,s g ~ want to go over 1t with you.
want to square everything, Nj I'll. 8 !.
aasss8i5 C,xenford looked at her hopelessly. 81,
II lsnew, that Honest John was IN DEPT =
VI him to an amount far beyona May > Ply ~
&iit AZ 10 square, and inwardly he cursed the
( sf,one tongues that had given her lAe UP
issf .rVYhy. 1t don't amount 10 nnytnnS'
u IA said: .'perhaps eight or nine hundred''
1}S1t was a worthy lie, but 1t wa
Il no use, Mary looked at him win oltte
S m know Of twenty-flye hundred he owe'
Sss you myself" she said because ne 'ol'
me" 1,.a,,o,a. ~,
gss'StI ain't out a thou. Honest Mary
H igTiye thou, more likely said aiarS
5.You'ye got 10 take the horse. Oxie'
.,,Yhat llorse?' growled oxenford. y
a was at loss for the next move, J
III Mary insisted on considering herself
n his debt. The bigness Of mind that ~
q cd him out Of commences made u lnl
Il 4, nosslble for him to force his love ON he
when che vas Handicapped by this .ugl
legacy He knew she was fond OF hin
y siSt Ills large humility led him 10 Sc
nothing In his but the survival OF her oil
4 childish fondness for the great fellow VIII
a had carried her about, her cheek agains
his stiff red curls.
..Ihe Western horse. Hes two-year
4 old Mary explained pad LOST lhoil
sands on him. but he's overturned
x think he's Il good one"
I,1Il take hirn and train him for YOU
y said Oxenford. beginning 10 get Inter
ested,