Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-22

down town. his wife had requested him to do, and
in his imagination he could even the bottle
standing the sideboard with the cork stuck in
plumb with the top of the bottles neck
"Of course Mr. Bemis, Hazen mumbled, Il
shall be only too glad to answer every question pos.
sible." This speech of Hazen's by way of
being an interruption as it did not appear in the
conversation laid out by the bookseller.
" You cannot understand" Bemis continued
just what you taking from and it is ques
ton whether you can provide for child the same
protection the same little store of affection the same
comforts, which she has learned to regard her
For if our home is not luxurious one, =
AT this point Bemis hestated and modesty cast his
eyes about at the general store furniture the some
what frayed carpet. and the much faded hang1ngs,-
you will admit sure" he continued that
Angela has at least had the advantage of every
comfort-not only the physical comfort of home
because that is, after all, of but secondary impor
tance, but the security of a mother and fathers
blameless life about her. always protecting her,
Can you give her that? Perhaps Can you guar
antee that past entang lements will rise up to
blight her happiness, to poison her childish belief
in all mankind? In word, many young men like
yourself do not consider that an escapade COM
mitted in hot youth may eventually prove the very
murderer of saints soul.
twenty-five years ago they brought the news to
in this very room that first child girl
and said aloud that l was glad; for she would be
always with Had she been a boy, she would
have had to out into the world and fight her own
way but girl would be to love and protect.
For twenty-five years Angela has never been away
from watchfu eyes, and in those years, as she
grew beauty, she grew to be integral part OF
very lives. Shylocks pound of flesh was no
more of the flesh and blood of Antonio than is
our Angela part of ours, and yet you ask from
Mrs Bemis and myself that pound of flesh and
blood. Mr.. Hazen, YOU have known my little girl
for she will always be a little girl to me-but one
short year, and yet you ask to take her away from
We open the doors of simple but happy
home you and make you welcome, and in
short twelvemonth, as a thief In the night
THE Grafton of Bems suddenly halted; for the
O addressed
smilingy raised his hand if in mild protest. The
speaker glanced at Hazen and great was his sur
prise at the sudden change which had come over
his audience The young man no longer covered
in his chair; but his whole body seemed to have
expanded, and his arms and legs had assumed an
easy almost nonChalant. air.
The business success of Ezra Hazen, the Halfhose
King had always been said to have been due to
remarkable quickness of decision. When he was
thrown life preserver. he did not ask for
boat and pair of oars; he used the life preserver
In degree, young Hazen inherited this virtue, and
it occurred to him that Bemls had thrown him
life preserver. Once again he felt the tremor of
the throttle of his fifty horsepower car, and once
more the flare of the lights of the great city.
For moment Bemis hestated before the signal
of young Hazen and nervously removed his glasses
and carefully wiped them with fresh white handker
chief. His speech was only just under way, and he
did not like the interruptions but as the young man
apparently had something to say, the elder man
somewhat grudginglN yielded him the floor.
Mr.. Bemis young Hazen began, his whole tone
that of geniality " l honestly believe that less
riages made in Heaven than prevented on
earth by the fear of would-be husbands of these
half-hour talks with prospective fathers in law.
You good fathers work and toll that you may make
money with which to dress your daughters so that
they may appear attractive to young men; you
skmp yourselves and slave yourselves to educate
them to be good wives and mothers and then in
short halfhour you try to make up for those years
of privaton by taking it out of young man who
simply accepts the invitation you have been holding
to him. In short thirty minutes you try to
get square for all the money you clothes
and schools and on dances and dinner parties by