The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-10-19
HIS DECISION.

Critical periods come to all Of us in
which we are called upon to decide
some question vitally important to the
rest of our lives.
Theodore Cook was graduated with
honor at the scientific school and EN-.
tered upon his profession of civil engl.
neer with high hopes. He at once
found employment as one of the sub.
ordinate engineers constructing a sys.
tenn OF water supply for great city.
A valley wss being damned. reservoirs
constructed aud aqueducts built.
Cook rose rapidly. He was not only
competent, but ambitious. 1t was his
determination TO make his every act
count for his Arrangement not only in
his present position, but through his
whole life. Before his graduation at
college he had formed the acquaint-
ance Of Evelyn Knight, the daughter
of a wealthy capitalist, with whom he
contemplated marriage. She was as
pleasing to him as most of the girls Of
his acquaintance. and he believed the
alliance would be Of great advantage
to him The young engineers proml-
nence among his fellows aud I'm his
profession caused Miss Knight to look
upon him as desirable parti.
All this was very well very sensible
and very desirable for both parties.
When asked by n chum II he was much
In love. Cook replied that he did not
consider an emotion fit reason for
taking so important a step ns mar
rlage; that he was fond of Miss
Knight. but was practical sort of Il
fellow. apl II there was any good rea-
son why lie shouldn't marry her he
would forbenr
While he was engaged on the water
system there was nothing more than q
hypothetical understanding between
him and the daughter of the capitalist.
Notwithstanding his practical nature
lie came very near doing what he
would have considered very lmprac-
teal thing. A telephone system was In
operation from one end OF the water
system to the other. and he was
thrown off his balance by one OF It's
hello girls" Madeleine Trnvers pos
sesscd only fine name. She was not
pretty nor stylish nor carefully dress.
ed. She had a pair of large black eyes
and nm intellectual face, on which was
stamped somethlng-cal 1t character
or what you w!ll--that impressed itself
very scnsibly on Cook. Since the cen
,ral Office of the telephone and Tint OF
the engineers were in the same build
Ing he saw more or less OF her. There
was sterling worth in her that show
ed itself Notwithstanding her common
place vocation that attracted Cook to
her. The girl was equally attracted to
Cook.
One evening after conversation
with her on other subjects than practi-
cal topics Cook went to his room
tempted 10 yield TO an emotion and
ask Miss Travers TO fight the battle of
life with him. Indeed, so moved was
he that he walked the floor all night
dellberatlng between her and Miss
knight. The result was IN favor of
Miss Knight. He wrote her PROPOSE
don, and AS soon us the work on
which he was engaged was finished he
married her.
Cooks next professional engagement
WIS as chief engineer on Il work own
ed principally by his capitalist father
in-law. This was Il step upward, but
lie paid large price for It. In this
age OF the big fish eating up the little
fish how could lie fail to be absorbed
by the knight family? He was so alb.
s0rbcd. When his second work was
finished the next offered was located
several thousand miles away. The
knight family would not consent TO
his accepting IL. Instead they took him
to Europe.
The rest of his life was n miserable
failure. Within Il few years of his
marriage his wife inherited large
fortune and used 1t 10 make her hus.
band feel uncomfortable. He could not
got away from It. and he could not
master IT, II swallowed him.
One morning after scrap" with
his wife he took up paper and saw
large headlines announcing that the
'iNii VI iii' "'NNi WI WHICH, ut
had found his first employment had
given way in the night. the water had
swept down the valley. and many peO.
pie had been borne away In their sleep
TO an awful death.
But far above the sickening details,
like a bell ringing soft and melOdious
above a storm, was an act OF heroic
sacrifice. A telephone girl while en-
gagged at her duties got word OF the
breaking OF the dam. She was in the
path of the flood and not so far below
Its advance wave, swallowing trees
houses, cattle, human beings, but that
1t must soon engulf her. That brief
period she spent In calling up such
families as she was connected with by
wire ana was stlll calling the Oft re-
peated words, "rhe dam has broken;
the flood Is coming" when It dashed
against the house she was In. lcapcd
over 1t, and she was whIrled away.
That telephone girl was Madeline
Tavers.
Cook was still sitting, with the paper
before him, when the door opened, and
harsh voice said "rhc taxes are due
today OH my property at II. Here's n
charls 4 uish won 10 nau fbnn, a .