Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1908-09-11
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Tutors WOOing
Observation-Disclosures

For reasons best known to himself,
but which you shall learn later, Her
bert Ford took a situation as holiday
tutor to the son of Mr.. Brackley, a
substantial merchant, whose business
was in the city and whose hous was
in Lancaster Gate.
The two boys were aged s and 8, and
they were the only offspring of Mr..
Brackley's second marriage. Refine
ment went out of his home when pros
perity came In, at the date of that
second marriage.
Miss Mabel Brackley was now near
ly 20, and far superior to the other
inmates Of the house, with whom, how
ever, she lived n the most amiable
terms.
She felt, nevertheless, that she was
not quite one Of the family. Her step
mother had many relations, who were
inclined to consider her al outsider, Of
little account, and who devoted their
attention to her little half brothers.
She would not have been sorry to have
a home which was really her own, and
her father realized that 1T would be a
good thing for her. Therefore, while
discouraging any attempts of poor
young men to pay attention to the
daughter Of the substantial house, he
was at the present moment encouraging
the advances of a very rich young mer-
chant who had looked on Mabel with
a favorable Eye.
It was to this household that Her
bert Ford entered as tutor to the two
boys. Frankly he had admitted that
I'D to the present his experience in
teaching had not been great. He in
tended for himself a literary career, he
stated, and tutored only as a tenn
porary ~cxpeaient, but his public school
and university education fully qualified
him to undertake his task.
Mr.. Brackley had been much pleased
with the Young man at his first inter-
view with him, and his impression cor
resnonded with that of Mrs. Brackley
when she saw him.
Mabel Brackley had an impression Of
having seen him somewhere before, but
not remembering where, I'M feeling
she might have been mistaken, she said
nothing about it. He, at any rate, did
not seem to remember her, for his
greeting, though extremely courteous,
was that of a complete stranger. A
few DAYS later he asked for ar inter
view with the father.
81 come to ask you for your daugh-
ter's hand" he said simply.
what, sir-what do you meanT'
81 want your daughters hand-of
course, I mean the rest Of her with it.
l want her. 1 want to marry her. In
deed, she has consented to marry me
But, as in duty bound, I ask you for
your permission"
You are TN outrageous scoundrel,
SIR" was all Mr.. Brackley could get
out. He was pink with rage. The
tutors manner was not calculated to
make him less angry.
.Come, sir, come" said Ford testify,
have l your permission to marry your
daughter
Bracklsy looked at him in impotent
a He wiped his forehead with a
large red handkerchief. At last he col
lected himself sufficiently to speak.
.sYou steal into this house-the best
house on Lancaster Calender the
p~retense of tutoring my boys, and de-
liberately set yourself to take my
daughter away"
Precisely. You have stated the case
as shortly as / could, though you have
guessed rather quickly. I stole into
this house with that deliberate inten-
ton. The tutoring was only y blind"
Mr.. Bfackley gasped again. The
man acknowledged 1t. seemed to ac-
knowledge more than eve he had
charged him with