Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1910-07-18

snoh e'eE, SAT IN the uttle doorway
SOFTLY weeping.
"Despard?" Queried the superintend.
emit. Has he been here? sent him
He was here-ycs." answered the
old man bitterly. "And has gone
away. but IL live long enough to find
him he will answer for this insult to
my little girl''-
insult" cried Ingraham, .astonish-
ed. Who-Despard? Has Nanon"-
Read these" said O'Higgins, hand.
ing him Frenchy Despard's notes. He
look the opened one OF O'Higgins first
You have deceived me grossly" IL
started, without introduction. "You
have tried to foist your ugly daughter
on me under false pretenses. and / re-
pei. nave gone away-so far that you
VIII never be able to find me to marry
your daughter that cannot cook"
Bewildered, the man opened the 9TH
er note.
Dear M. Ingraham," It read. az am
forced to the flight. ignominious. Mile.
Nanon. my fiancee, 1 find is no cook
at all. On arriving at her home unan
hounced today i saw her father pre-
pairing those so elegant dishes we have
thought she made. or course cannot
marry her, but fear they will try to
force this so unpleasant state on me.
Your motorboat return from Miami"
Uncertain whether to laugh or toin
the O'Higgins' lament, Ingraham stood
staring at the epistles. Then the thought
OF the girls sad eyes came to him.
And NanonY' he asked somewhat
awkwardly.
knows. and it will break her proud
heart to see you all again. Oh, my
poor little girl, to think 1 brought this
ON you! And thought I was doing
II for your goodE The old mans scbs
broke out afresh.
did she love this Despard 80 much.
then" Queried Ingraham.
mo. no" was the hasty answer
Lately I've come to think she didn't
love him at all, but was doing it TO
please me. She knew 1, wanted her
to marry a Frenchman and thought
this was her only chance. You know
my poor Nanon isn't exactly what
might be called beautiful" he broke
on deprecatingly.
Ingrahams face broadened In sup
pressed smile, but the father went on.
81 have a confession to make to you,
Mr.. Ingraham," he said something
you should have known before, but Ma
non said l mustn't tell. The reason
goes back long time. Once | had
everything I wanted, and then it
wouldn't have been necessary for me
to do what have to get husband
Nnnnn ~
we didn't know what brought you here
so much. but we did. 1t was the cook
Ing Nanon knew. but she only laugh
ed and let me have my way. Always
she only had 1t In her mind to let me
have my way and please me. But, to
90 back, after my wife died things
went wrong, and I lost all had. I
had never been taught to work, SO
| could do little, and there came q time
when we didn't know where to get our
next meal. Then came this chance
down here. Nanon told me to accept
IT, But i can't keep accounts told
her. Never mind said she: well fix
that so they'll never know And she
did. On account of my lamencss got
permission to work here I'm the shack.
Now, don't You see? She did the work.
wfnle kept the ffOuse; and cooked.
Cooking was the only thing could
do, you see, but I can cook French
cooking has always been my hobby.
and learned from some of the best
experts alive. Well, began to think
Nanon ought to get married for 1
wanted some little children about In
my old age. She never attracted men.
though. IL they knew how beautiful her
heart and mind are. instead of looking
ut the face / would not have had to
plan scheme for getting attention for
her. thought IL man really got to
know her 1t wouldn't matter about the
means. But I've failed. you See" he
finished, "and that's all. I've disgraced
my child. and We'll have to start all
over again somewhere else"
"Where is the girl?' asked Ingraham
soberly. O'Higgins nodded at the pines
Seated on dead tree trunk he found
the girl, her somber eyes gazing out
through the vista OF pine trees into the
patch OF opal sea beyond
"Nanon," he said, Offering his hand,
i've come to see II there isn't some
thing ! can say-something can do
what Is there to be said?" she nm
swered. ruefully smiling. "Only-only
please don't say you'll bring him back"
Then you don't love-didn't love-
i'I love my father" she said simply.
"And he wanted me to marry" 1oY
As the man looked down into the
deep eyes that told so much OF self
sacrifice and love. that would have
made her even sacrifice her life to give
an old man passing happiness, the
slow dawn of n comprehension broke
over him, a comprehension of what 1t
meant to know a woman who knew
only one law-the law Of devotion.
He had never been a man of impulse,
but as Ingrahom gazed at her the one
that came TO him was needed.