Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1909-12-03
CHAPTER III.
THE SCHEMER.

with his great enterprises and
his various future schemes to
really study the boy. Had
lie studied him he was too shrewd
hot to have found out that Pinckney's
ag@rcSsiveness was not backed by
downright courage and that his faith
fulness to his studies and his loyalty
to bis family were due wholly to self
ish ambitions and not ut all to graft
tude or love to his benefactor. AS for
Mrs. Durant. it had not been hard for
Iinckncy to fool her: good looking.
manly in appearance and with his in
sratiating manners. he had completely
and easily Won the heart of the wom-
an. Like many other busy men. Du-
rant depended to great extent upon
his Nife's options Of young people.
so when she declared: Edward Is alb
so!utely the finest boy have ever
known. lie Is just the sort of fellow
that | should love to have Frances
marry when she grows up" Durant
had taken the boys character for
granted rs for Frances. II would
have been hard for her to tell just
what she did think of Edward Pinck-
ney.
| She was 4 baby when he first came
to the house. So she could not rcIncm-
Der the time when she had not known
| him. At first she had looked on him
rs sort of Il big brother pinckney
| himself had been the one To undcceive
her Oh this point Even as Il boy he
had outlined his plan in life His
| future WAS too obvious for tim not to
see the plain and easy way He would
enter the steel works. apply himself
| to business. earn the communication
and then the respect and confidence
| of his employer and 50 finally pave
| the way for marrying Frances and in
heritinS the business through her.
! To the scheming boy this seemed a
| simple plan especially rs he had SO
| easily and quickly won Mrs. Durant
over to his side. Frances he did not
| look on as n serious obstacle for he
was shrewd enough to know that with
his splendid start and opportunity for
workin. on her sympathies he had
everything In his favor The big
| brother attitude he knew was fatal
! She must not look on him In that light.
| He must be the confdant the friend,
| the guide. hut not the big brother In
any sense. This attitude he had care
fully established while she was yet II
Child. He was always ready to go to
: any lengths to please her. and at first,
with the trustfulneSs Of young girl,
| she took everything he did ut It's face
value Her mother. too. worked per-
haps unconsciously In Plnckney' s
favor. She made Frances believe that
everything Edward did was right and
| spoke Of the time when he should man
| age the Durant steel works as n matter
of course. Frances from her father
had inherited n strong mechanical bent.
so there was that additional bond OF
| sympathy between them.
SO matters had drifted along through
her school days and Pinckney's college
course until, when he came back from
| college 10 take up his LIES work In
/ the steel plant. the train was all laid
and the odds We're 100 to in favor OF
the schemer coming off victorious. mar
ryinG the daughter OF his bencfactor
| and settling down as the right hand
man of the Steel maGnate and the III
innate owner OF the great plant
Frances WIS barely fourteen when
he entered the works, and he at once
began TO make her confdant CT his
plans and aspirations for the good Of
her fathers business. The eagerness
and enthusiasm OF the young man
quite won the heart OF the steel mag
nate.
Edward Is wonder" he was &C.
customed to say. Never saw such a
hard worker. l thought was a hus.
tier. but that boy will sooner or later
he showed me tricks.