The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1906-01-20
SGlett Storp.
Her Fathers Consent.
ny ELLIOTT FLOWER

The campaign was brief but exciting.
Elwyu Forman sought the hand IF kathryn
Randall. and Benjamin Randall said he
should ua, have Il, benjamin insisted
sha, hss daughter had bcon christcned
Catherine. and tha; the Iuaueaoo ut
the youn- man bad changed the name io
"kathryn. Benjamin ii 1o' look with
favor "a the ma,irru ds-isc ga make the
rs. DO extra duty IN the ouu-fractlrn at
Frofcr nam,.--as a las, lriirr i' might hc
al right. bui elsewhere be CONSIDERED D, an
atfce.asloa. but, after all this vas
minor consideration the main trouble was
tha; th, yoslns ulan gave ta1 much s'ten
ti5n 10 s,si4l aeasmV V.g~hments and teo httlc
ta business He was mrs the kidd that
would prosper \, least. -5 BsoJamiu
claimed
Never vi,h my consent exclaimed
lhe irasriblc Bcujamin, when Elwyn sus
ecs,od thar be aud kathryn were % one
mind and one heart and consequently
deemed Is wise % cct uuder ane rooI
why uo.{ persisted Eivyu-
Il DO not -ee that am rsllszl upon In
give r,asaus. rytorsei benjamin. That
/ refuse u4y consent IS .atRcigu;
II presume It ol-ht % be admitted
Elwyu. bas il hapPcU- shzl uaqas-tiaa-
,n- rt..Sl.cuc,, 1. a h,gir eat af date tbr~e
modern days. Young people are NOS
taash, 90 reason. they ra-,s, up5n being
given she opportunity 60 lo So. To refuse
that 10 your daughter $50 invite rebellion
Besides have a night to ku9v why ! am
Questionable Is a s5n in law
Benjamin had not expected such dis
PLAY q determination on the part 81: the
Young man. Perhaps that was Why he
was startled into giving reasons. Or It
may BE- that his temper iei him % -ay the
uncomplimcutary things that followed
You are Objectionable be ,aid, 10
cause yBq seem 20 me % lack all that spells
,uccess. / cannot ~,,e that YOU have any
business or financial ability, and y1u Ger
,ainly lack energy and iorcc. Iau mey
b. socially rrsourcetal, but that Is about
your hunt, and expect my daughter 20
marry a really capable man.
If prove that you have mlJaieed
me '-
.'Yea. ean't DO il. You are nice, po-
lite, parlor boy, bat ia the rough and
tumble bushes, world Yoa be tripyrd up
and run over before yga knew what had
happened 10 You. Ny daughter husband
must have the a1grg-9iTtncs- to force re-
c,euigion from real men, he mus, have
something morc than = in the middle
1 of his s1ame
Elwyn had DO hesitation in pointing cut
the injustice Of this 10 Kathryn
1T l. unfair, she conceded. do,elully.
because know you re just a. good
| business man as heis. Aud guess You ye
proved TO me how earnest and pcrseyer-
ing You are
II wish could prove i, to him, he
said. "Id Ike to have a claim against
him
What kind of claim? she asked
"A claim for money that he iidn want
to pay, he explained I'd just like to
show my business ability by collecting such
a claim
That would convince him, she ex-
claimed.
"He certainly couldn' say much if
proved myself smart enough TO beat him
asserted Elwyn. And there be an
awful lot Of satisfaction in it, too.
.Well, | have a claim against him
ssYou2''
..Yes. He promised me $500 if | grad
uated at the head of my class, and he
never has paid it.
Elwyn laughed.
That hardly legal claim, he said.
so much the more credit for you if
you collect it, she insisted.
He'd probably pay it on demand and
spoil everything.
Not if you make the demand, ~ she
asserted.
Still the plan did not impress Elwyn
favorably.
1t would be a great joke to present Ben,
jamin Randall daughter claim to Ben
jamin Randall, but Benjamin would not
consider it such, and nothing would be
gained. Then newspaper item attracted
Elwyn' attention Benjamin Randall was
to give dinner to number of distinguished
men. The dinner, because of the many
guests, was to be served in the banquet
room of leading hotel, instead of in the
dining room of Mr.. Randall residence.
''That looks ike an opportunity, "
mused Elwyn. "All | want is a chance
to force matters to an issue without un-
necessary delay. You can do lots of things
to a man if you can get him in a corner.
Kathryn was somewhat mysti fed when
Elwyn came to see her He had been
much depressed at the conclusion of their
previous interview, but now he seemed un-
| usually cheerful.