Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1905-11-16
Copyright. 1905, by Daily Story Pub. Co,


When Harry Emmerson came home
crowned with success and honor, the
uppermost thought in his mind was of
Helen Ashton. 1t was not only upper
most, but all-pervading. Sweet as
were the anticipations of his parents
| pride and joy over his accomplish
ments, even these were secondary to
the welcome he expected to receive
| from his boyhood sweetheart.
l. To be sure. no formal engagement
existed between them, but it had been
tacitly understood when he went forth
| into the world that when he attained
a sufficient measure of success he
would return and claim her for his
own bride.
The struggle had been fierce and
consuming. Success had not descend
ed upon him like gentle dove. 1t
never does in real life. He had
wrested it from an unwilling world
by desperate energy, self-abnegating
persistence, tireless persistence: With
no backing of money or influence the
young engineer had found it very hard
to get foot-hold in the slippery path
to achievement.
1t had seemed at first that he never
would be given an opportunity to
show what he could do. But with
iron determination he had forced him.
| self to be thorough with the incense
| quential things he was set to do and
to wait patiently the opportunity he
resolutely believed would come to
him. Nor was a moment wasted.
Every leisure hour was devoted to
perfecting himself in all the branches
Of his profession.
So when the opportunity came he
was thoroughly prepared and able to
avail himself of it. His performances
had startled the engineering world
and his resources and mastery of prin-
ciples surprised the older engineers.
Then, of course, opportunities crowded
upon him and he rose rapidly, until
| at last he saw an assured career be-
fore him and felt his feet upon the
rocks of safety.
Then he turned back to the old
town and the friends of his boyhood.
| Then did he feel that he could go
back to Helen and lay his heart and
his achievements at her feet. Then
did he permit himself to go back and
hear the old father say, well DONE"
and to see the light of pride beam in
his mothers eyes.
Now, all this had taken much time.
Ten years had gone by since he left,
lad of 20, to do battle with the
| world. He had not taken time from
his strenuous work to so much as
visit the old home. Indeed, he had no
desire to do SO until he could take
with him the laurel wreath. He had
corresponded with Helen, but not
very regularly, and had kept out of
| his letters all the tender sentiment he
| felt, because he felt that she must
come to him only as the crown of sue
cess. Nor did he feel justified in pay
| ing court to her until he had proven
| himself worthy. Now he fastened to
her with the consciousness of his de-
serts and eager for his bliss.
, But the absorbed young man had
forgotten that the years had brought
their changes and their experiences
to other people as well as to him.
What, then, was his surprise and dis
may to learn before he had fairly ar
rived at the home town the universal
gossip that Helen Ashton was about
to become the bride of Herbert Mel
man, the heir to the Nieman millions.
At first he was full of unreasonins
anger and rushed off post haste to
accuse her Of fiekleness and reproach
her for broken faith. But she receiv-
ed him with such evident cordiality
and pleasure and her clear eyes look
ed SO honestly into his that his pur-
pose failed.
Besides. it was very different
person into whose presence he was
ushered than the laughing, mischiev-
Gus, vivacious girl of 16 from whom
he had parted ten years ago. AS she
came forward to greet him in the full
glow of young womanhood, tall, Sc
rene, self-poised and beautiful as a
Greek goddess, he felt a shock as from
bucket of ice water, and instantly it
came to his clear intelligence that
while he had been growing in his life
she had been growing in hers. He re-
allied also that he had established
no claim upon her excepting in his
own consciousness. He saw the in
justice and selfiBhness of his years of
silence and he saw the poetic justice of
the losing Of the main prize of