Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1907-12-14
The Result of a BIunder
EOriginal.l

| tiOnal advantages. He made Il fortune
and had but one child, daughter. to
Inherit it. This daughter, Amelia. he
sent to school and to college. She de
veloped literary tastes, but of this heI
father knew nothing, for he had nc
knowledge whatever of literature,
! When he heard his daughter speak of
"The Light of Asia" he supposed she
| referred to the Illuminating substance
used in that part of the globe. On
hearing her say that she had spent the
morning with "Dombey and Son" he
told her to have the bill sent in at
once, since he was closing up all out
standing accounts. Every Hard Cash"
he supposed meant specie basis.
So frequent were these plumbers that
Amelia dreaded to speak of anything
beyond her fathers ken, for he was
liable to mortify her by hurting them
out in the presence of educated people.
Indeed, the old man was rather fond
of taking the lead in conversation, and
the less he knew about a subject the
more anxious he was to prove his fa-
miliarity with it. There was but one
subject on which he was reticent-the
affairs of Shook & Co.
Mr.. Shook, not having a son to whom
10 leave his business, had brought up
a young man from Office boy to sue
coed him in its management. This
man, Thomas Jones, he desired should
marry his daughter. Jones was a fine
business man and a fine fellow, and
| Amelia liked him very well, though
she didn't care to communicate the
fact to her father or to Mr.. Jones.
Jones was even more anxious for the
match than his employer He was not
insensible to It's advantages and was
desperately in love with the girl. But,
while he did not fear to tackle any
man on a business proposition. he had
no courage whatever in telling a wOm-
an that he loved her. The consequence
was that the match hung fire. Jones
meanwhile dreaded lest the old man
would take a hand to bring it about
and spoil it ALL
One afternoon Mr.. Shook went home
from the office to find his family CAD
ding. Some one was ringing on the
telephone He took down the receiver.
rs Miss Shook in? called the soft
voice OF Il woman.
mo. Any message for herr"
Tell her Adam Bede' has just come
in"
adam who?"
"Bede B-e-d-e."
There was an aside in the dialogue
that was unexpressed by Mr.. Shook.
'Well, III be jinged! never thought
that of Amelia. | didn't believe she'd
meet any one in an underhanded
way"
The phone was not working very
well. There were some incoherent
words, ending with "'Nicholas Nicol-
by next week.
Great heavensw muttered the ia
Their to himself SIS she playing two
of emp
'Any more?" he asked. assembling.
Tristan Shandy' will''- What fol
lowed was not to be distinguished.
"Please repeat the name"
Tristan Shandy' [unintelligible
words1 'Sterne'"
What Sterne"
Laurence"
"Just so Now, will you listen to
me-"
Yes What is it?'
"You have Thomas Jones there to-
morrow afternoon at o'clock, pune
tooal and don't you forgit it,"
TON JONES' by SmOllett?"
'Tom Jones by his father-ThOmas
T. Jones' managing man of Shook &
Co"
"Who's talking?'
"I'm Miss Shocks father
There was a brief pause. then, "All
right, Mr.. Shook; I'll do as you say"
A faint giggle accompanied the click
that marked the hanging up of the re-
ceiver, but Mr.. Shook was too much
in earnest to notice it,
The next afternoon at o'clock there
was a telephone ring. Miss Shook re-
sponded.
''AIr Jones is here
"Where?"
"At the library"
Amelia was astonished. She was
about to ask for an explanation when
it occurred to her that the least said
the soonest mended. She didn't care
to let the librarian into any affair that
had gone wrong. Her father was liza
BILE to interfere between her and Mr.
Jones at any time. She would go and
get the explanation frcm Mr. Jones
herself
All right; I'll be over in few min
utes"
She found Mr.. Jones pac - and
fro nervously. She lei y q an
Ialcove.
Well" she said "what ~ for
you?"
What can 90 for you: Tic IL
brarian sent me q line saying you
would like to see me, here lit 3 o'cloci.."
There was conference. during
which Miss Shook went to tile libra
rian and learned that the message had
come from her father Indeed, she