Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-09-21

y
ing gently taken from my hand and
others offered me In their place, Very
we'll accept them. 1t doesn't take
much reflection to see that an old
man Is better occupied in sowing
the blessings Of peace than in con.
tinutng the wars Of his youth. Mr..
Winship. ! believe you have asked my
daughter to marry your"
X have"
and that she's consented"
'I've understood her So"
Then I. too consent. don't pre-.
tend that can give her away easily
to any man. She's more than prec.
ious In my sight. But | realize that
a day must come, before many years
are over, when she will need other
guardianship than mine; and where
can she find 1t better than In the man
who loves her, and whom she loves,
and OF whom every one speaks we'll ?,'
i II can only say" Winship murmur,
ed, "that to me the trust will be ga
cred one. Her very sacTihe In marry
Ing me will make 1t all the more my
duty to see that she Is comprised
about with love"
Il like that" Trafford said, warm
ly Where there's love, care and
sorrow take their proper and subordi-
nate place in the scheme of things.
Mr.. Winship. we're simple people and
I'm plain man. 1t will be better for
US all If speak quite frankly and
without reserve"
That's what | should like" Win
ship agreed.
We're simple people. but l think
you'll find lis open-heerted people.
We're a united family, and, with the
necessary crosses such as fall to
human lots, we've been happy
family, God has blessed me, even
though He has seen At to take from
me all my children but my little
youngest-born--and now, her mother
too. Still. He has blessed me. I
should be ungrateful to deny the fact,
after all He has enabled me to do.
And Just as. in my dear niece here,
He has given me, as 1t were, another
daughter, so am ready to see in
you,--an only SON.
Winship bowed and Trafford hur-
ried on.
you see, we want to take you IN
as one Of ourselves. I want you to
feel that In me you have second
father. l want Miss Winship to be
one Of us also; an" he continued,
looking directly at Marah. with an
encouraging smile. "I've taken Ger
tain steps which l hope will assure
her of my unlimited goodwill"
He drew small book
from his pocket and began turning it's
no No, >ryH tiki
the rightly Of steel Her swapping
eyes were fixed on Tranord, like
those OF little animal watching Its
minute to spring.
ut would be idle to ignore the fact
Trafford went on, +" that it isn't the
first time our interests have lain in
the same field, even though it's the
first time we meet. And yet I need
hardly go back to speak OF the past.
I consider II dead and buried. |
want to erect over It's ashes today a
monument Of affection and peace.
I'm sure you will understand the sen.
timents by which I'm governed, with
out any further explanation on my
part, when | say, my dear Miss Win
ship, that beg to turn over to you
now. at once. securities to the amount
OF half a million Of dollars
WHY"
The laronic directness Of Marah's
question had a slightly disconcerting
effect on Trafford's benevolent placid
ity.
Surely. that's self-evident," he
smiled in gentle response. "Your
brother is about to marry my daugh-
ter. It wouldn't be fitting ex-
cuse me II l speak quite plainly 1t
wouldn't be quite fitting that you
should remain In your circumstances,
while we are in ours"
They've been my circumstances
for over twenty years, Mr.. Trafrori.
I've battled with them and borne
them. shouldn't be myself now, in
any others"
but I want you to feel" Trafford
persisted. that there will be no longer
be any need for you to work.
I'm used to working" Marah
broke in. i've worked as few people
have ever done. I've worked as l
never expected to work in the days
before-befores you came In our lives.
Mr.. Trafford. I haven't only toiled
and pinched and scraped-I've starved
I've seen my mother and my
brother starving. was only gi,
not older than your daughter, and not
less tenderly nourished when You,
with your merciless hand, drove me
out. bewildered and penniless into the
world, with the care Of a mother aud
little lad upon me. Now you are
willing to erect over my ruined life
a monument of affection and peace.
thnak you, but l don't want 1t.
Dear Miss Winship" Trafford
said, still more gently, 10 you think
that the heart Of a general, whose
duty 1t is 70 ravage some fair pro
vince, doesn't often bleed for those
whom he is obliged to render home.
less? Business and war are alike
in that neither conquered nor con.
querer escape without wound.
MEN ruin in war for country'e
sake; they rob in business for their
own sake"
You're using hard words, Miss
Winship."
I'm speai,lng of hard things May
I ask Mr. Traford, II my words
aren't true?"
Perhaps" Trafford said. with pat
t~-N& IL IL