The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1909-08-20
The Candy Boy and
His Little Love
(Coryright. BY J. B. Lppincott COP
BY HARRIET BOYER

plunged into letter anywhere-and
out Of 1t anywhere.
In large old. black-leather pocket
book found a letter written to my
father the night before they were be-
trothed. II had neither formal be-
ginning nor ending. but ran simply
thus.
Don't be silly about the candy bust
ness. Dickie. even If my father did
rub 1t In rather. He won't do it again,
because-I'l come to that presently
And II II win make you feel any
better. I will tell you little secret.
II 1t weren't for that candy business
my heart would not be SO unspeakabiy
and unalterably yours. And this is the
way Of It: When / was a tiny girl
and lived on Blocker street, and you
were n small boy and sold candy by
the ounce. over the counter in your
fathers old corner shop SO near at
hand, used to come to you to buy
sweets. And you would say, with the
.-ost beautiful brogue:
'Wud ye be hayin' the wiHtergreen
shticks. miss, or the peppermint, or a
thrifie of BOTH" Oh. yes you would
! always took 'thrifle of both" And
while you were weighing 1t, and put.
ting 1t into nice white paper, ad tying
II up. was just doting on you-your
tight little blond curls. your brave
blue eyes. your straight nose, your
pink cheeks, your strong white teeth.
And you had funny hicks on your
hands, as II You had been playing
with the cat or somebody had been
driving tacks into you. I reproduced
those hicks on my own hands, pain.
fully, with large pins, until held up by
mother, who blamed our dear, inno-
cent Tom. Then Mercy and Truth
met together, and | was Obliged to
confess. When asked why / desired
to hurt and disfigure my poor little
paws, which were being tenderly
anointed with soothing unguents,
answered that | thought the hicks
were pretty. My mother did not ar.
que 1t out with me. She made me
wear gloves until my hands were
healed. did not like gloves, and soon
after that we moved away. How did
you get those hicks, Dickie? I see
they are clean gone for ever. and at
first | quite missed them. When my
brother talked. rapturously, of his
chum at Harvard who was to enter
law at the same time as himself.
did not know that the Richard Fol
xNrh
father was the rich manufacturer oi
Irish linens, with works at Belfast
and warehouses in New York; did
not know that this Richard Folliott
was my small candy boy. That is
not until you entered the parlor thai
Sunday. and recognized the tigh,
little blond cur,s. and the soft little
brogue into which you tumble when
ever you are slightly embarrassed
Oh, yes, you do. And then, Dickie
dearest. knew that had loved yor
for years and years. and you mac
never known it. For the matter o.
that, neither had !.
And 1t was brave and beautiful IL
you to tell my father all about thu
candy business. though. If you hadn't
good-by to me.
When my father took his deal
little daughter in his arms, and toll
her she mustn't cry for the moon
meaning you. for she couldn't have
II, | took his advice. / didn't cry.
pondered. wanted to find out where
in our family greatness consisted. 81
/ went to a dear old professor know
| and | asked him to lend me book,
which should throw light on tn,
Dutch colonists from the time the.
| first landed on the island of Manhat
tan. was gratified. Then | wen
| to my fathers library, and sat on hi
| knees. and rumpled his hair, and
| said to him:
Father. why can't marry Dicki'
Folliott?" He answered patiently:
Because. my dear. it would not b,
| proper that the daughter of maj
\ who has been minister to the cour
of st. Vladimir and one. too. havin!
| such n pedigree as ours. should MARI,
a youth who once Sud candy over thu
counter"
rs 1t generally known that Dicki'
sold candy over the counter" quoth
| Perhaps not generally. 1t must b,
known in certain quarters. becaus'
| everything is known by somebody
These things always leak out. l con
fess l shouldn't have been aware o
the fact myself il the young maj
hadn't told me; and honor his frank
ness. l may say his courage. Blu
that is no reason why ! should ALLOW
him to marry my daughter"
How is it that Mr.. Folliott's fathe
is SO rich now?" I asked. / though
/ might as well find out all l coult
about you. Dickie, dear.
1T seems" said my father. serious
iy. that the elder Mr.. Folliott wa
an Irish lad from Derry. a regular
gossoon. When he came to this coun
try he met a poor Frenchman of Hu
| guenot descent, who had been a con
fectioEsr's assistant in his native
| land. The two nut their wits togethe