The Sauk Centre herald., 1909-04-15


sympathy; there were many ugly
his whole heart went out unreserved-
ly to the girl. .--.
When Darlington had gone to Cave
naugh, his heart in his throat, to speak
to him relative to his daughters hand,
he unwittingly knocked off the top of
a volcano.
Marry my daughter?" Cavenaugh
roared, emphasizing his wrath and
disapproval with bang of fist upon
palm. my daughter shall marry only
among her equals, not among her in
feriors. A king is not good enough
for my Kate" There was another
bang of the fist, decided and final. "a
lawyer? Not If I know myself. l
wouldn't trust lawyer out of sight, 4"
bluntly. Kate shall marry a duke or
prince, If can find one suitable a"
Darlington would have smiled had
the moment been less serious.
mo man can possibly appreciate
her worth more readily than l, sir"
he replied, "or love her more dearly"
Love" with a snort. "Twaddle
out of story-books!"
But you yourself love her."
I'm her father" Cavenaugh re-
turned complacently, adding gesture
/ which had the effect of describing the
fact that it was perfectly logical for
! a father to love his daughter, but that
1t wasn't logical at all for any other
| male biped to love her.
Il am sorry" said the disheartened
suitor, rising. Il suppose that after
! this unpleasant interview"
! "Oh, you're decent Sort" interrupt
ed Cavenaugh generously; land if you
are of a mind to behave yourself here
after, you will always find chair at
! my table. But my daughter is not for
you, sir, emphatically not. That is all,
| sir" and Cavenaugh picked up his
evening paper.
After such rebuff. roost young men
would have given Ut. hIt Darlington
never gave up till there was no posi-
bility of winning. Immediately after
the interview he went to the higher
court with his appeal.
Let us have patience" the girl
whispered. "Pll undertake to bring
him to reason"
But Darlington went home that
night without his love for the father
increasing any.
And so the matter stood at the pres
ent time. The affair had gone neith-
or forward nor backward.
All, were he less honest, how easily
he could bring the old curmudgeon to
terms! There was that in his pocket
which would open the way to the altar
quickly enough. But Darlington was
manly and honest to the core, and to
him blackmail stood among the basest
of crimes. Many times during the past
48 hours the tempter had whispered
in his ear that here was a way out
of his difficulties; but the young man
had listened unmoved.
During the summer and autumn
months of the year the Cavenaughs
lived at their country place over in
New Jersey, and there Darlington
spent the week-ends. There were
horses to ride, golf and tennis, and a
Saturday night dance at the Country
club. To be with the girl you love.
even II you can't have her, is some
compensation. Cavenaugh never Joined
the fetes and sports of the summer
colonists, but he offered no objections
to the feminine members of his house
hold for selecting Darlington as their
escort for the week-ends. Indeed, by
now he began to consider Darlington
as harmless, sensible, well-groomed
young man, who relieved him of all
the painful duties to the frivolous. If
the colonists insisted on coupling his
daughters name with Carrington's, let
them do so; when the proper moment
came he would disillusionize them.
For himself, he always had some good
old crony down to while away the dull
Sundays; and together they consum-
mated plans that gave the coup de
grace to many noble business gal
leon. This particular summer there
were no dukes or princes floating
around unattached and Cavenaugh
agreed that it was commendable
time to lay devices by which to am
bush the winter money.
There were nights when Cavenaugh
did not sleep very well; but of this,
more anon.
Shortly after his determination to
tell Kate half a truth, Darlington left
( the ONCE and made an early train into
New Jersey. All the way over to the
Cavenaugh station he was restless and
uneasy. The fatal papers still reposed
in his pocket. He had not dared to
leave them in the Office safe; his part
| ner, who had had no hand in the in
vestigation, might stumble across
them, and that was the last thing in
the world he desired. He knew not
| exactly what to, do with them: for
they burned like fire in his pocket,
and seemed to scorch his fingers
whenever he touched them to learn
il they were still there. A thousand
and one absurd suppositions assailed
him. Supposing, for instance, there
should be wreck; supposing he
should be robbed; supposing he should
leave his vest on the links and so
forth and SO forth. 1t was very de-
pressing. If only he stood in the open,