The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1913-09-25
An Unromantic
Love Story
BY SADIE OLCOTT

when she became an orphan. When
the two were grown Mrs. Thorpe. who
was then widow, was possessed of
fortune. One day when her son was
about to start OH tour she said to him:
ut is time, Ned. that l should take
thought as to the disposition of my
property. 1t was accumulated by your
father, who left it to me, expecting
that / would leave 1t to you Helen
has been brought up as one of our
family, and l would like to divide it
between you, but feel it incumbent
upon me to leave it all to you. There
is way. however, by which you could
relieve me of the embarrassment"
"How is that, mother?'
"By winning her for your wife"
Ned Thorpe had never thought of his
cousin in this light. Both sexes seem
to prefer to mate with some one they
know nothing about than one they
know all about. This is a requisite Of
romance. At any rate. without know
ing 1t, this was exactly the view he
took Of the matter. From a boy he
had had his dreams of some beautiful
girl whom he should find in bower of
roses. who should greet him with a
blush and smile and after he had told
his story should confess that she had
been dreaming about his counterpart
since she was child.
For this reason he received his moth
er's announcement c6idly. He was
very fond of his cousin, whom he had
regarded rather as a companion than
a future wife, but his mothers sug
gestion was rather. too businesslike to
commend itself to one who had had
such romantic dreams of the girl he
should love not only on earth but
through eternity. So he told his moth
er that he would think about it and
nothing would give him greater salts
faction than to meet her wishes.
He was gone six months. during
which the lady Of the bower of roses
did not appear. The girls he met were
all flesh and blood of an ordinary tex
ture, some of them possessing unat
tractive traits and some of them be-
ing positively disagreeable. The only
person he saw during his tour, 1t is
trUe. he first saw in bower of roses.
but she arose therefrOm in a dress
cut very low above and very high be-
meath, and pirouetted out toward the
footlights before an audience Of thou
sand persons. His Imagination was
captivated, but not his common sense.
At last he returned to his home.
thinking that, since he would please
his mother by marrying his cousin and
he had tired of waiting for the lady in
the bower of roses to appear, he would
consent to his mothers plan. Indeed,
he admitted that it was a good plan.
He did not like the idea Of taking all
the family belongings to himself and
he didn't like dividing them between
himself and some one else. He much
preferred that 1t should be Helen's as
we'll as his own.
Helen had improved during his alb
sence, having passed out Of what to
some girls is an awkward age. She
received him with the accustomed wei
come, and his resolution received a
new impetus. AS soon as he was alone
with his mother he said:
Mother, I've come home with the
intention Of acceding to your wishes
in the matter you spoke about to nae
just before wspt away"
"What mattGf?"
"Why, in reference to Helen and
inheriting the family fortune as one."
"Oh, l remember, row you speak of
it. That plan fell through immediate.
ly after you left us. l preached it to
Helen. and she said that on no ac-
count would she accept an Inheritance
that your father had accumulated and
intended should go at my death to his
son. She Is now studying to be a |
teacher. But she won't have to teach"
"Why not?" asked the young man,
taken quite aback by the turn in the |
affair.
"Well, a certain man is attentive to
her whom 1t is supposed she will
marry
Supposed! Don't you know?" ex
claimed Thorpe, getting up from his
seat thrusting his hands into his peck |
cts and striding back and forth on the |
floor.
"Only Helen knows, my dear boy. |
But what means this change in you?
When 1 proposed this union you did |
not appear to fancy it."
"Well, suppose / didn't. I've got my |
mind made up to it, and now find |
I've made :. up for nothing. 1t isn't |
treating a fellow right"
Mrs. Thorpe was looking at him out |
of a corner of her eye. She did not |
seem at all hurt at his utterances. On
the contrary, she seemed to be endeav-
oring to conceal satisfaction.
well, DEAR" she said presently, "I'll |
send her in to you and you can settle
It with her."
When Helen appeared the young man
said to her:
"Helen, why have you upset this plan
of my mothers to-
''To what?"
''Well, that my fathers fortune
should be kept intact. Mother says
that you
'.Ned, whatever mother asks Of ne
goes"
"Does itT'
Eyes"
''Same here"
This was the beginning; no romance,
no bower Of roses. no cooling Wrong;
there was cooling, but it began where
this story leaves off.
Real Humiliation.