Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1911-05-18

lengthy explanation OF excellent rea-
sons for building the new branch
through the Heathe Hall farm.
Perry McCune, in defiance Of the
commands of the owner Of Heathe
Hall dairy to let her affairs alone,
had risen to argue the rights of his
unappreciative client.
The door opened and a young
woman entered. For a moment she
stood, hesitating near the door. She
was very pretty and she looked
frightened.
mr.. Chairman" she asked, "may
i speak in this meeting? l am Edith
Ellston, owner of the Heathe Hall
dairy"
The chairman, a white-haired man
of sixty, smiled assuringly. Ger
tainly you may speak in this meet
ing" he decreed. "Come up here
and sit down with us and tell us
why you don't want the company to
buy your land"
AS she walked up the room Joab
Coates eyes followed her wonder
ingly.
She sat down near the chairman
and smiled with frank embarrass-
ment at the directors. She did not
glance at Perry McCune. In the
big leather chair she looked very
small and very young.
"Mr. Chairman" Joab Coates was
on his feet. He was & middle-aged
man, tall and thin, with a hard
mouth and merry eyes. Before
Miss Ellston speaks l want to say
something more. Pm ready to
change my mind about splittin' up
the Heathe Hall farm. l don't
make no fight on a little curly
headed pretty girl who's tryin' to
make her livin' out of cows. l
thought she was a cross-tempered,
sour, ugly old maid, judgin' her that
way just because she beat me on a
! contract If she wants to keep her
land and run the best dairy in the
county Pm ready to help her. Our
line will take somebody else's land. "
The board broke into a cheer of
laughter and applause For the first
time Edith Ellston looked at Perry
Mcclure. He was neither smiling
nor applauding. In his eyes was
look that made her own soften and
brought to her lips sudden, new
gentleness.
'Mr. Coates" she said when she
could be heard, 81 came here to fight
for my dairy. But-but now-now
l, too, have changed my mind. l
am willing to sell my land to the
company and my thoroughbreds to
you, if you want them ! have de-
cided to go out of business. The
hall / shall remodel and use for a
summer home"
'You made a good bargain with
the company for your land and with
Coates for your cows" remarked
Perry McCune as they left the direc-
tors room. MAY l inquire, as your
attorney, what you propose to do
, next?"
MARRY you"
'"What?"
"That is my intention" She
stopped and faced him. They were
alone in the corridor Of the Office
building. al have always wanted TO
marry you, Perry. I loved you be-
fore my fathers failure and death.
But you did not ask me then to
marry you. You waited till / was
IN trouble and then you said:
Beggar maid, your king deigns
to honor you with permission to
serve him as his wife"
- of you did not use those words
YOU used that meaning. You did
not say, Marry me, because love
you and want you Your attitude
shocked from me, | believed, all my
love for you and all the hopes / had
had that our life together might be a
tender, beautiful, perfect thing.
"But today you realized that the
beggar maid was entirely capable of
becoming successful business wom-
an. You acknowledged, without
words, when the directors we're APP