Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1906-10-12

mans well-bred attitude Of cynical at
tention.
1T is true, Mr.. Allen, / have pointed
out to her that you are but a working
man an excellent w~orkingmau, / have
no uoubt, but still a workingman, earn
ing a humble wage, which Is, I feel
sure, though I lave no exact knowledge
on the subject, quite insufficient to pro-
vide her with more than the mere es-
sentials of life" Raymond had said,
with the calmness and elaboration Of
a man who is not afraid, though Allen
could see he trembled. 81 do not feel
that 1 have laid the case before her in
a way unfair to O sir; l have no
need to-, for the facts as they stand pro
claim her engagement to you-she is
a girl Of superior rank, tastes and so
on-most injudicious and your state
ment that she has declined to see you
supports my hope that she has finally
decided to become mistress of Valley
House, where she will have all she
| cares to ask for. I may add that I
love her; 1t may excus anything in my
conduct which you, with excusable pref
udice, may regard as not quite fair. l
| do not wish to make enemies. At the
same time / nm not dependent on any
mans friendship"
1t was the same Raymond, grown old,
who half rose as Allen was shown into
the anne room more than thirty years
later on a somewhat similar mission.
The change in Allen was more marked
than the change In Raymond. He was
now too old to tumble with his cap as
he had done-too conscious Of his power
to be abashed by the others steady
glare, and it was another's heart that
he had come to gladden..
I've come to speak about my boy
my Bob, Mr.. Raymond" he said,
straightly.
"Sit down, Allen. Your son? Yes a
fine lad-a fine, go~od-looklng young
man. I passed him yesterday, and 1t
struck me then that he is just the figure
you were at his age" said the iron
founder, leaning back In his chair.
Hes a chip off the old block, Mr..
Raymond, but trimmed and polished so
that the grain of him shows up better
than it did or does in the old block it.
self. He'd make a very fine husband
for your daughter"
"a very worthy young man, no
doubt" said Raymond, calmly, without
change Of his agreeable smile. but
the idea you mention Is manifestly ri.
diculous. l have told my daughter SO,
1 have told him so, and that ought to
have been enough"
Allen drew his great hand over his
beard twice or thrice and stared
straight ut the iron founder.
I'm not going to argue with you
William Raymond" he said, gravely
you can beat me at that-you did once
before, IL you remember. And we're
old men now, widowers, both of us
with a child apiece, and SO 1t ISM
seemly, perhaps, for us to argue on love
affairs, But remember your Phyllis
mother ought to have been my wife
She's the spit Of her mother, M my
boy loves her as well, that's past
and ought to be forgotten. It isn't
though, and I-1-well, I've set my ole
heart on my boy marrying my lost dar
ling's daughter. There, William Ray
mona! l know"
I'VE should get on much better Il
you could eliminate sentiment from thu
discussion, though, really, any discus
sion on this subject is wasted breath
time and-ingenuity."
Allen stiffened, and the kindly ligh
in his eyes changed to a CLEAN Of an
ger.
"You mean you're prepared to breal
her heart as you broke her mother'si'
he exclaimed. For you know you dit
break Mary's heart! Shed have go
over waking up in the midst Of you
l~uxuries to find she'd left her heart II
my cottage If you'd only treated he
properly I" siT = 40
"Silence, sir, silence! ~ said Raymond
sternly, white to the, lips.
I'm not saying you treated her bad
ly, man; but you didn't take her right
And what with this and that she pine,
you know she did! And you'd sc
her daughter pine in some swelPs hous
and my boy eating out his heart rattle
than allow her to marry the son Of
workingman"
II think you lave forced this topi
on me very unfairly, Mr.. Allen" sal
) the iron founder.
my boy will be rich"
t Every unfairly. I was under the I'm
preston you wished to see me on
: matter of business"
You're on your last legs, mango
know you are! You're running YOU
susnaost simply to b!v1 your bantssl