Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-09-26
5I fN5E
9 A Man and His Word !

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claim her engagement to you-she is
a girl of superior tank, tastes and SO
on-most injudiclous; and your state.
ment that she has declined to see Won
supports my hope that she has finally
decided to become mistress of Valley
House, where she will have all she
cares to ask for. l may add that I
love her; 1t may excuse anything in nv
conduct which you, with excusable pref.
udice, may regard as not quite fair. /
do not wish to make enemies. At the
same time am not dependent on any
mans friendship"
1t was the same Raymond, grown old
who half rose as Allen was shown into
the same 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 can as
he had done-too conscious of his power
to be abashed by the others steady
glare, and 1t 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, good-looking youne
man. l passed him yesterday, and II
struck me then that he is just the figure
you were at his age" said the iron
founder, leaning back in his chair.
Hes chip off the old block, Mr.
Raymond, but trimmed and polished So
that the grain of him shows up better
than 1t did or does in the old block 1t.
self. He'd make 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. have told my daughter So
l 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 at the iron founder.
I'm not going to argue with Won,
Wihiam Raymond" he said, gravely
you can beat me at that-you did once
before, II you remember. And we're
old men now, widowers, both of us,
with child apiece, and SO 1t isn't
seemly, perhaps, for us to argue on love
affairs. But remember your PHYLLIS
mother ought to have been nv wife,
She's the spit of her mother, and nv
boy loves her as well, that's mast
and ought to be forgotten. 1t isn't
though, and I-I-well, I've set nv old
heart on my boy marrying my lost dar.
ling's daughter. There, William Raw.
mona! know"
I'VE should get on much better II
you could eliminate sentiment from the
discussion. though, really, any discus.
sion OIL this subject is wasted breath.
time and-ingenuity."
Allen stiffened, and the kindly light
in his eyes changed to CLEAN of an.
ger.
you mean you're prepared to break
her heart as you broke her mothers n
he exclaimed. For you know you did
break Mary's heart! She'd have got
over waking up In the midst of your
luxuries to find she'd left her heart in
my cottage If you'd only treated her
properly!"
Silence, sir, silence!" said Raymond,
sternly, white to the lips.
I'm not saying you treated her bad
~, man; but you didn't take her right.
And what with this and that she pinned
you know she did! And you'd. see
her daughter pine In some swelrs house
and my boy eating out his heart rather
than allow her to marry the son of a
workingman!"
II think you have forced this topic
on me very unfairly, Mr.. Allen" said
the iron founder.
my boy will be rich"
VERY unfairly. was under the i'm.
preston YOU wished to see me on a
matter of business"
you're on your last legs, man-you
know you are! You're running your
furnaces simply to bluff your bankers,
In the hope you Will get the Casehall
contract"
II think you had better be going, sir"
said Raymond, evenly. ~ have"
Not yet. I've one more thing to say.
l have worked for this hour. l said to
you thirty years ago, as you stood stiff
and cold and held that door open for
me-a broken-hearted mani said that
the aim of my life would be to ruin you.
didn't speak rashly, for even then I
had ideas In my mind. But now-I
give you chance! Let them marry
they love each other! Their hearts
have sought each other In spite of every
they were born for each other.
Give your consent"
81 have some letters to write" Ray
mond murmured, glancing over his table
deprecatlngly.
You won't?" said Allen, harshly.
well, look at that" He tossed pa.
per under the iron founders ewes,
That's the Casehall contract, Mr.. Raw
mond, that you depend on getting for
your financial salvation. I've secured
it, backed by Banksides, who've had
their knife In you some time. The con.
tract is the price of my partnership
with them. and means fortune. Al
ore stroke l so up and you go down y
RAYMOND neryouS1y nickpd IN the