The Pickens sentinel-journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1903-1906, 1905-11-29
MisCs;,Oilstrled
BY CHARLES III.
+ CHAMiBE RLIN
COPYRIGHT, 1905, Dv Charles Fl. ChamDeyssn

JOHN Carroll sat tipped back in his
office chair, his feet perchcd comforta-
bly, on the desk IN front Of him. The
click, click Of typewriter, mingled
With The murmur Of voices, came to
M inGiatiIctly through the closeA
>.oo-, the curtain Of which was drawn
sig ,al n his Office force that he was
LIZ a'.l mH7t on no account he dis.
tni>n'.
l.cnn!ng over, Carroll took Il letter
iron The Gnsli and carefully reread It,
Il lnn n> fo'lnwai
"i.on,iui,, England.
"iIcnr Mr.. Carroll Mother Is writing
to friends at home and has asked me tn
let You know that we nre sailing for
New Yo;l: Wednesday, itoday's Mon
;u"p O.! :. g !:r..2.>:,s:.... II Is n slow
&oat ANA hiring; us to port week
FROM Saturday. Please come and meet
IL. We shall he utterly helpless In that
..'alr and buStie after the two years
>p>nt in this slow going hemisphere.
II wonder II mothers legal adviser
| has changed and II we will recognize
| !irl ~ the pier AS for nc, foreign cap
ual, have added three Inches to my
| tcgh besides the dignity OF a presen-
n,ion 1T court. Until the coming Sat
artiay. faithfully,
/ "MAKGAKEr CLEARW AFTER"
! That signature meant so much and
! % little.
! Ano'hc letter In finer hand read:
! "Dcar John Margaret Is writing for
! ,'olIr help Oh our arrival, but | need
or help right away. \ young fellow
| ron: pittaGurG named Richards met
Margaret ut a country house In Devon
hire six months ago and has been de-
;otcd TO her ever since. How devoted
id not dream until she told me yester-
;ay that he had proposed. In spite Of
my protests because Of their youth
Margaret has promised him an answer
II two months. For the last year l
avc been trying to persuade her to ac-
crt an Euglishman who has n tidy
brewing business i'll Yorkshire and
who has been her constant shadow,
Dut she says she will marry an Amerl-
ran or die q bachelor girl.
"Now, John, please look this fellow
up financially. l am not yet persuad-
| I'd that lie Is not after Margaret's mon
ry. Ana when we get home, do use
your influence with her to postpone the
| whole business until she comes Of age,
"IIow good 1t will seem to be within
Hasy reach OF your sound advice once
more Sincerely,
"EVELYN CLEARWATER"
T.,
where be had made a name for him
;c!t as crack guard and stroke oar, Car
,rll hal joined Stephen Clearwater as
his private secretary. For five years
he and Margaret, Clearwnter's only
child. had been very good chums. She
always levied her tribute OF candy OH
him whenever he appeared at her house
and usually managed to accompany
him on his drives when overseeing her
fathers real estate interests.
Then he had started his own bust
ness. she had gone away to school, and
they had not met until her homo COM
Ing for her fathers funeral, shortly aft
or which she and her mother had sailed
for Europe. AS Carroll reviewed his
life for the past ten years he acknowl-
edged to himself that lie could not tell
Just when it was that he had fallen In
love with Margaret Certain 1t was
She had never discovered his affection,
much less rcciprocatcd it, lie had let
her z" TO Europe without making any
| sign. thinking that there would be plea.
| ty OF time after her return. And now
! she was r2tnrning practically engaged
! to another man, and the castles he had
! l'rrn building for the past two years
h;l'l suddenly tumblcd about his ears.
1t flashed upon him that her ship was
Ave in Il couple OF days and that 1t de-
volr"d upon him to look up this young
Richards in the meantime.
Saturday found Carroll at the pier.
Emerging from the rush Of passengers,
Mrs. Clearwater greeted him with the
warmth and affection Of mother.
Margaret offered her hand III formal
way and turned to bid adieu to ac-
! quaintances Of the voyage. Customs
! officials dispensed with, Carroll saw
tie mother and daughter safely en-
Sconccd In q cab and left them to rc-
Join Mrs. Clearwater Mt their hotel aft.
OF dinner.
"Wcll, John" Mrs. Clearwater sQid
as he entered the room that night, "I'vc
sent Margaret on to her room 80 we
can have a talk alone. You can sae
her later, but I must retire early and
sleep off the rolling OF the ship. first
I want to know what you learned about
young Richards. He's all right social
ly, but I'm not perfectly sure he's not
after Margarcts money"
"1've made inquiries among my
fricnds," replied Carroll in dry voice,
land find his family fortunes consid.
erably more than double Margnrct's
Inhcrtnncc."
Mrs. Clearwater smiled.
"Truthfully. John. don't believe the
girl really loves him, though when I
try to talk her out OF her determination
to give him q final answer In two
months she insists she will accept him.
The idea that You were to be consulted
made her furious"
IL feel she Is wholly right about II,
Mrs. Clcarwatcr." interrupted Carroll.
"Shc knows she Is responsible to yoM