The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-03-06
 THE WAY OF
 A MAN By EMERSON HOUGH
Copyright, 1907. by the Outing Publishing
 Company

rier case than mine that morning as l came to call upon my fiancee certainly did never one depart in more uncertain frame of mind than mine at this very moment I presume that young Shera- ton felt something of this, for he began awkwardly to speak of matters related thereto.
 ''It's awfully hard" he began, "to see strangers there in your own house. I know it must be hard. But say, your father must have plunged heavily on those lands over west in the noun tains. I've heard they're very rich in coal and that all that was necessary was simply cash or credit enough to tide the; deal over till next years crops."~
 "NIy father always said there was great fortune in the lands," l replied. ''Yes, think another year would have seen him through, but that year was not to come for him."
 "But couldn't funds be raised some how, even yet?" shook my head.
 "Well. I'm not so sure," he went on, embarrassed. My father and I have been talking over these matters, and we concluded to ask you if we might not take a hand in this. At least, we have agreed all along that-in this case you know--you and my sister-we have planned definitely that you should live in your old place. We're going to take that over. The redemption time has plenty of margin, and we can't allow fn f-o nd St0 one of the old Virginia places in that way. We are going to arrange to hold that for you and my sister, and we thought that perhaps in time some thing could be worked out of the rest of the property in the same way. That is, unless Colonel Meriwether, your fathers partner, shall offer some bet ter solution. I suppose you talked it over with him?"
 "I did not talk with him about it at all,'' said dully. For many reasons I did not care to repeat all of my story to him. "None the less, it seems very generous of you and your father to take this interest in me. It would be very churlish of me if did not ap- preciate 1t. But I trust nothing has been done as yet''- ''You trust not? Why, Cowles, you speak as though you did not want us to do it."
 'I do not" said I.
 'Oh, them
 "You know our family we'll enough"
 ''That's true. But you won't be of tended if suggest to you that there are two sides to this, and two brides. All the country knows of your en- gagement, and now that you have re- turned it will be expected that my sis ter will set the day before long. Of course, we shouldn't want my sister to begin too far down-oh, dash it, Cowles, you know what mean"
 ''I presume sO,' said to him slowly. "But suppose that your sister should offer to her friends the explanation that the change in my fortunes no longer leaves desirable this alliance with my family?"
 "Do you suggest thatf'
 have not done SO.'
 "Has she suggested it?'
 "We have not talked of it, yet it might be hard for your sister to share a lot so humble and so .uncertain.''
 ''That I presume will be for her to decide,' he said slowly.
 "By Jovew he broke out at length, flushing as he turned to me. "It is hard for fellow, to tell sometimes what's right, isn't it? Jack, you re- member Jennie Williams, across under Catoctin?"
 "I thought you were going to make a match of it some time.'' said.
 "Prettiest girl in the valley" he as- sented. but her family is hardly what we would call the best, you know"
 ''Then why did you go there so often all last year," I asked him.
 "Jack," he said. it's all through. I want to ask you. I ought to marry Jennie Williams. butt
 Now 1 looked at him full and hard and guessed. Perhaps my face was grave. was beginning to wonder whether there was one clean thing in all the world.
 "Oh, she can marry" went on Harry. "No difficulty about that. She has an- other beau who loves her to distrac- tion and who doesn't in the least sus- pect-a decent sort of a fellow, a young farmer of her own class.'
 And in your belief that wedding should go on"'
 He shifted uneasily.
 "When is this wedding to bel" ] asked
 "Oh. naturally. very soon." he an swered. "1 am doing as handsome a thing as know how by her. Some times it's mighty hard to do the hand some thing. even mighty hard to knov what is the handsome thing itself"
 "Yes." said I. But who was I that should judge him?
 "If you were just where I am.
 1ed Harry Sheraton slowly, 'wi
 ould you do? I'd like to do what
 ight, you know"
 "Oh, no, you don't, Harry" bro put. You want to do what is easies If you wanted to do what is right you never ask me nor any one else. Don ask me, because 1 don't know. SuI pose you were in the case of that Othe young man who loves her? Suppose hc did not know, or suppose he did know. What would be right for him?"
 Heavy end of the log for him." ad- mitted he grimly. That's true, sure as you're born.''