Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1905-07-05
In the Stocks
By Martha
McCulloch Williams
Copyright. 1904, by Martha McCulloch- Williams

The mischief was done all in q min
ute. Fate perhaps knew how. Karseas
certainly was all in the dark and as an
CRY as he was amazed to find himself
In Cupids tolls. He had got almost
through this house party as through a
hundred others scot free, unburdened
by more than passing memories Of
black eyes or gray or blue Indeed he
had passed up Mildred Gore as impos-
sible two minutes after he took her in
to dinner, regretfully too. 1t was on
many counts SO desirable that he
should find in her the woman he
wished to marry
She was his equal in birth, in for
tune, in position; his people approved
her thoroughly; moreover, there had
descended to him burden of obliga-
ton to her blood which it was impossi-
BILE that money could discharge. Her
father had come to his fathers rescue
In day of trouble that otherwise must
have ended in disaster, forcing his way
through mob of clamoring depOsitors
in the elder Karsens' bank, with bags
of gold in either hand and a ready
promise of ten times as much at need.
That had stopped the senseless run.
Men who had been ready to fight for
their money had begged abjectly to
have it kept in the vaults.
This, of course, had been in the days
Of provincialism, before Banker Kar-
sens had come to the city to prosper
and die a millionaire. His son Herbert
had only the haziest memory of the
fitting of MintOn, the little home town,
and haziest of all of Mildred as wisp
Of long, white clothes with something
red and squirmy at the top of them,
which he had been hidden to kiss, but
from which he had turned away In dis
gust, sticking small fists into his first
pair of pockets and saying grandly,
I'm a man now; don't kiss girls any
more"
Until two hours before they were to
leave Hidaway, the Barton country
house, he told himself the Gore girl
was out of the question.
His wife must have above all things,
beauty and brilliance. Mildred was
quiet, lumpish even. he thought, con-
tent to play wall flower or happy with
Dicky Barton for company. Dicky was
an infant terrible, aged seven. All the
other girls stunned him as much as
they dared.
He had somehow sensed it that Mil
dred might be a beauty if she chose be
rapid ride with cheeks like damask
roses and tendrils of soft brown hair
framing her glowing face. A crown
Of wild grape blooms lay lightly above
the tendrils; sheaf Of pink wild roses
was crushed against her dark green
coat just below the throat. She was
laughing. too. as merrily, as happily, as
Dicky himself-Dicky, who rode at her
elbow. impishly happy over having
brought both their horses to the edge
Of running away. Dicky it was who
had crowned her, after pulling off her
hat and letting down her hair. He
scowled at Karsens as that gentleman
made to help Mildred down, saying
shrilly: "You go way and stay with
your no-goods! She" nOdding toward
Mildred, belongs to me- I'm goin' to
marry her when Pm grown up. That
will be about Christmas after next"
"Dicky, don't you think 1t might be
next Christmas?" Mildred asked, her
eyes dancing. II hate long engage
ments. They're always dreadfully sor-
rowful, besides being unlucky." Dicky
looked at her doubtfully.
"How do you know" he asked. Are
you begaged to the fellow you carry
round in your locket? saw you kiss
it the other day. Let me see what he
looks like; you know you said you
would"
$50 1 will-some time" Mildred an
swered. catching him by the shoulders
and swinging him back and forth. Kar
sens noted how soft yet firm her hands
were, the fine modelling Of wrists and
palms, the whole pose of grace and
strength But he hardly knew that he
did note them-he was so blindly, so fu-
riously jealous of the fellow in the
locket When Dicky at last ran away
to his mother Karsens stood before Mil
dred, asking imperatively, "Are you
really engaged?".
whats that to-Hecubaw Mildred
countered, her paling roses suddenly
rod nOain