Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1909-11-04

To the %scheming boy his seemed Il
simple plan. especially as he had so
easily and quickly Won Mrs. Durant
over to his side. Frances he did not
look on as a serious obstacle. for he
was shrewd enough to know that with
his splendid start and opportunity for
Workln" 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 confidant. the friend.
the guide, but not the big brother in
any sense. This attitude he had care
fully established while she was yet Il
child. He was always ready to go to
any lengths to please her. and at first,
with the trustfulness of a young girl.
She took everything he did at it's face
value Her mother, too, worked per-
haps unconsciously in Pinckney'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 a matter
of course. Frances from, her father
Atto iiiS Z q SllOHS llICSalll1Cdl DCllI
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 to take up his life's work in
the steel plant. the train was all laid
and the odds were 100 to l in favor of
the schemer coming off victorious, mar
rying the daughter of his benefactor
and settling down as the right hand
man of the steel magnate and the Ill
innate owner of the great plant.
Frances vas barely fourteen when
he entered the works, and he at once
began to make her confidant 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 a WONDER" he was ac-
hard worker. | thought I was a hus-
tier. but that boy will sooner or later
be showing me tricks"
How little the millionaire realized
the truth of what he was saying so
proudly! Such energy and enthusiasm
AS Pinckney displayed must have
brought his advancement in any bust
ness. and when his b%enefactor was
also his chief and he lived in the house
success was necessarily rapid. In
three years he had worked up from IL
place in the draughting room to the
post Of manager. In each new position
he made good. and Durant more than
eve congratulated himself on his fore
sight in taking up the orphan son Of
his friend.
But Pinckney's love affair had not
progressed so rapidly. Frances was
glad of his success, but somehow she
had ceased to be so interested in
the man is she had been when a girl.
By the time she was seventeen all the
glamour had worn off. Instead of tax
ing him in a sentimental way she had
begun in her w mind to look on him
as a sort Of big brother. P%inckney did
not know this. He felt that he was
not coming ahead as fast as he had
hoped. but he felt that there was time,
especially as his hold on the rest Of
the family increased daily.
Durant himself now looked forward
to the time when his daughter and the
protege whom he had come to regard
as a son should decide to marry. He
trusted Pinckney more than ever. and
he rubbed his hands with satisfaction
at the thought that some day both
Frances and the Durant works would
be we'll taken care of after he was
gone.
Frances realized this and by the
time she was nineteen had begun In a