Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-05-07
..You have many young men calling

'''You have many young men calling
here"
"Ten or DOZEN
"And the society papers are limiting
about this and that admirer?
I'm every number"
"You are twenty years Old You
are handsome and educated; and they
know my bank account to dollar. !
sometimes encounter one OF your au-
mirers and callers"
"Poor old daddie. But what must
be your feelings when you dol"
Marriage will come. Mabel, ana
the son-in-law will come. I've won
dered what he would be like. I've
wondered If girl who took after her
hard-headed old father could find
man among the pink-tea dawdlers."
''It's the foolish women that make
the silly men. If they looked for men
instead Of butterflies then men could
be found The women of society do
not ask IL man has done great
things in finance. science, art. inven-
ton or what not. The question Is:
can he talk to entertain and amuse
"And what are you going to do?"
asked the father in a dubious tone.
Now daddie, don't you worry one
little bit. You shall see the man and
have chance to Judge him before he
becomes your son-in-law."
It was said Of Philip Barton that
he was society butterfly. He was
born with a gold spoon in his mouth.
He had time to kill. He had never
made dollar for himself, but when
he picked up fallen fan and pre-
scented 1t to lady score Of persons
held their breath at the grace of 1t.
He was just rich young man-just
a dawdler-just butterfly! He was
one of those who danced and dangled
about Miss Griscomb. He was one OF
the dozen who admired. He talked
vapidity and thought she was inter-
ested; he flattered, and thought she
was pleased He started to propose
marriage, and sh gave him such a
look as not only to check him, but
to set him to thinking very seri-
ously.
Way back, among Mr.. Barton's an
cestors there had been a hard-headed
man-shoemaker. blacksmith, banker.
or what. From his there had drifted
down something worth preserving.
Society had insisted on the young
man being a dawdler and butter
fly 1t had never taken him serious
ly He admired Miss Griscomb In
society way. For social reasons he
felt 1t sort of duty to fall In love
with her and ask for her hand.
When he was ready to put his ideas
into words he got a surprise. She was
in society, but not of 1t. It came to
him as he looked into her eyes that
she would never give her heart to q
man like him. II any one OF his
friends had said to another that he
took this matter seriously to heart.
there would have been smiles and
laughter.
From that far-back ancestor came
the leaven, and Mr. Philip Barton
saw things and thought of things and
did things. It was said that he had
gone to Europe.
One spring day farmer up in Con-
necticut was leaning over his gate
and looking up and down the road.
It was planting time and he was
without help. Afar of he saw man
coming with satchel in hand.
"Walks purity smart for a tramp"
unused the farmer but mebbe he's
new to the road. I'll either set him
to work or scare him to death. Got
to get that sweet corn in or the hotel
won't have any for August Hello,
you-want a job at good pay?"
I'm ready for work II you'll show
me how. was the reply.
''Hain't used to it. Ell? You don't
look up to much, but most anybody
can plant corn. Five kernels to a
hill, and cover 'em up we'll. Hope
you aiht gambler or anything Of
that kind and that the police won't
be after YOU
He was assured on that point, and
within an hour the stranger was
/. working in the cornfield beside the
farmer He chopped his feet with the
hoe several times, but soon got the
hang of it. and at noon when he sat
down to the table with the farmer
and his wife he felt that he had made
start.
Both the farmer and his wife were
curious about him, but they learned
little. They came to the decision that
he was no tramp and that neither
was he a horse-thief. When corn
planting was over, Barnes, as the
stranger called himself, was taken on
as a hired man. He learned to split
wood milk COWS, hold the pillow and
do other farm work. His back aohed
but he got over 1t. His hands bits
tered and became calloused. And the
farmer said of him:
Never had a hired man who asked
SO many questions. He wants to
know all about everything. Shouldn't
wonder IL he'd make a pretty good
farmer in time. Mebbe he used to be
what they call confidence man, but
I'm not holdin' 1t up against him. He's
seen the error of his ways
And when August came Judge Girls,
comb and his daughter went up to the
Falls house for month, as they had
done for five or six seasons. Newport
and its stupidities for July-the Falls
house and quiet and rest for August
/ "Well, Barnes said the farmer to
the hired man one day, "the Falls
folks are Just itchin' for some sweet
green corn. I've been down in the
field, and I guess we can pick abou,
six dozen ears. You may hitch up