The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-03-23

was surprise TO me when he announced
that nc had asked his secretary to spend
home. | had never met fathers new
secretary, and / didn t feel much enthu
slasm over having him from the big
steel store enter our family circle
Whlch consisted OF Just father and me.
Father said that Mr.. Thompkins was not
an ordinary clerk, but | could not be-
heve that anyone with such name
could be anything but ordinary.
When L saw the secretary, knew at
once why father had been attracted to
him.. He was English, Indeed, very
English: Our family was english some
generations ago, and, while father is
intensely American at heart, he prides
himself great deal on his British an
ccstry.
1t was a pleasure to me to lind that
Mr. Ibompklns did not look in the least
like his name. There was something
very distinguished about his stalwart
figure and ruddy blondness. His was
the rosy, wholesome type of a young
Engllshman that one associates with
cold water, plenty of exercise and not
too much pouring over books. Fortu
nately, father is not much of literary
man himself, or he would never have
found. Mr.. Thompkins a suitable secre-
tary. even for the short time that he
filled the position,
AS 1t was, father was very wei
pleased with Mr.. Thompkins for a while
lhey used TO come out together on an
early train every afternoon and work
IN the study for an hour or two. Then
father would take his nap in the ham
mock and Mr.. Thompkins would coach
me, at tennis. He played fine game,
and was really getting me into pretty
good form when-but 1 haven t come to
that part of the story yet
Father expected TO go TO England in
m FOL 20 1nylr L..
great English estate TO which he be-
lleved that he was the rightful heir.
1t was in preparation for this trip that
he had engaged a secretary, He wished
TO leave all his American interests in
perfect order, SO that he could remain
III England indefinitely, and he and the
secretary were working over q plan to
convert the steel business into stock
company.
"Oh. no, my DEAR" father answered
when / asked him if Mr.. Thompkins
could give him much assistance in the
matter of the family records. "He
doesn't know anything about it and /
there will look after my interests. If
!: find | am the rightful heir, I wish
IT to be complete surprise to our
friends IN this country. Thompkins is
all right, He is very nice fellow
but don t wish him to be meddling
to him about 1t.
: Very well. father 7 replied, duti-
fully. never could be quite sure wheth-
er father took his expectations serious.
~ or not, but / was very certain that
he liked TO have me treat the subject
! with gravity.
"You may be lady of title one of
with that indulgent air so becoming tc
, fathers, and SO comforting TO daughters
, OF you are, / know you will be lust
/, the same Independent little democrat
, that You are now, and that you will
treat Mr.. Thompkins Just as kindly as
ever, even if he does belong TO the
: middle class, But there. hang it all
don t believe in class distinctions, Ny
. mother s father kept a retail grocery
store. and [ am no better than my
grandfather, even if I do happen tc
be wholesaler in steel. -
"Then he must have been very
good man, daddy" | 'ventured
E father. Sue
As time went on, father became more
t and more eugrossed in his genealogical
studies He often sat late into the
night tracing back his connection with
the English family of Grantleigh.
i son of Lord Grantleigh had come TO thu:
< country late in the seventeenth cen
t tury and father believed him to have
been the rlghtful heir from whom oul
e branch of the family had descended.
Sometimes j wondered if Mr.. Thomp
kins had also embarked IN genealogical
researches, for he seemed quite as alb
sorbed in some mystery as was father
But one day he con6ded to me that ht
. was working on an invention. that. ii
= successful, would revolutloniZe ccrtal1
d industries in this country, and undoubt
n edly win for him fortune He was
= spending most of his spare time per
+ fecting the work and desired TO keel
the matter secret until be had 1T ready
for the patents. / felt rather proud Il
be IN his confidence, and we used Il
q talk great deal about ii.
n HWhat does this mean2' asked ia
: ther. coming upon us suddenly one warn
g afternoon in the grape-arbor, where w
- =, were resting from tennis, and Harold
= Mr.. Thompllins s name is Harold-wa
s explaining TO me the mechanism of hi
invention. II was embarrassing to hav
father find Mr. Tbompkins s arm aroun'
me But then we had intended TO tel
father that very night.
% ''What does this meant he thun
: dered again as l stood before hin
le abashed
ID SIt means" said Harold, "that
e love your daughter, and she has prom
= ised. with your consent, 10 marry me.
20 7 was proud of Harold nj that moment
for he did not quail before father
furious glance.
THAT consent will never give,
10 roared father, 'Eand | wish you TO lcav
90 this place at once. You viii find
l. check in the study.
OF He strobe away, leaving Harold an
% me sadly gazing at each other.
A. "He viii surely relent, said Haroi
ne after short silence, s.p.
sEoh. Harold replied, fearful,
ho,,
aud is not only angry but very muc
al hurt Poor daddy. How ! wish no.
s 8 that yon had spoke44, TO him anhd1s first
ID ID the English Tayd Then peThnaps aho5f
81 ON 90 to him now and try to e;
nd nd NO, Harold: not now; WI While thdt he
U,onId' think he had to live up TO whe
e, e. he he's is calmer. The best thing you ca
,s IN do is to 90 quietly away and leave +;
-, ther to me. I understand him best, an
mo