Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1913-10-22

B propouhding this doleful question e
the lofty. sphinxlike Waldraster
Spite, looming dark IN the path Of the
south
5s Hellor exclaimed a voice close to
his ear the fresh. conf dent voice that
he knew so we'll. I've been looking
!. for you everywhere. ) 81 Freddie drew
up a chair and sat down at bis good
! side" The young man appeared to
have something weighty on his mind
Brock shifted uneasily q want to put
it up to you. Mr.. NJ edcroft. as man ia
man You are Comics brother-in-law
and you ought to be able to set me
straight n
d All, I see.'' said Brock vaguely.
YOu do r queried the other. surprise
and doubt in his face. III ..{..I
NO. I should say don't. don't you
see" substituted. Brock. .
Il was wondering how you could
have seen. It's matter I haven't dis,
cussed with any one. I'VE come to
have a liking for you, Roxbury. You're
my sort; you have sort Of New York
feeling about you. I'm sure you're
enough of sport to give me unpreju.
diced advice Hands across the sea,
see? Well. to get right down to the
point, old man-you'll pardon my plain
speech-I think Constance ought to
marry an American >:,4f Z.
Brock sat up very straight. II think
that's-that's matter for Miss Fowler
to determine" he said coldly 81
You don't quite get my meaning
persisted Freddie, crossing his legs
comfortably. II was trying to make it
easy for myself" ~s &...
"You mean. you think she ought to
marry you.'' ~. H.
That's 1t, precisely. How clever
you are" ssras.-s. -.~.- -.
But you are said to be engaged to
Miss Rodney" ventured Brock. feeling
his way =-. ~
That's just the point, Mr.. Medcroft.
We're not really engaged-but almost.
As matter of fact, we've got to the
point where it's really up to me to
speak to her father about it. don't you
know. Luckily haven't" :
"Luckily?" IT, :,
YES; that would have committed me.
don't you see. I've been tentatively
engaged more than dozen times, but
never quite up to the girls father.
Now, l don't mind telling. you that I've
changed my mind about Katherine.
She's jolly good sort, but she's not
Just my sort l thought she was. but
well, you know how 1t is yourself. The
gone back to Constance in the last two
days. You are her brother-in-iaw. and
you're a good fellow through and
through. l want your help. I've got
money to burn, and the family's got
position In the States. can take care
Of her as she should be taken care Of
No little old six room flat for her But.
Of course, you understand. can't quite
carry the thing through with Kath-
crime still feeling herself attached. as
~ "CAC. AAS lAAAS9 " uON1NC IL LA1S .
How best can l let Katherine down
easily and take on Connie without put
ting myself In a rather hazardous po-
sition? I'm gentleman. you see. and
l can't do anything downright rotten.
1t wouldn't do. I'm sure In her heart
Connie cares for me. could make her
understand me better If had half the
chance. But fellow can't get near
her nowadays. Don't you think you
are carrying the family link too far?
Now. what want to ask of you as a
friend is this: will you put in good
word for me every chance you get?
I'll square myself with Katherine all
right. OF course. you'll understand. l
don't want to actually break with
Katherine until I'm reasonably sure of
Constance. I'm guest of the Rodney
family. you see. 1t would be down
right indecent Of me. No. sir; I'm not
that sort shouldn't think of ending
it all with Katherine so long as we
are both guests of her father. I'd wait
until the end Of next week"
Brock had listened in utter amaze
ment to the opening portion Of this in
genuous proposal. AS the f1exile youth
progressed amazement gave place to in
dignation and then to disgust. Brooks
brow grew dark; the impulse to pull
his countryman's nose was hard to
overcome. Never in all his life had
he listened to such frankly cold
blooded argument as that put forth by
the insufferable Knickerbocker. In the
end the big New Yorker saw only the
laughable side of the little New York
er's plight. After all. he was a harm
less egoist. from whom no girl could
expect much in the way of recompense.
1t mattered little who the girl of the
moment might be, she could not hope
to or even seek to hold his perambula-
tory affections. Hes single exam
pie of great New York class" reflect
ed Brock. THE futile, priggish rich!
There are thousands like him In my
dear New York-conscienceles inver-
tebrate. sybarltic sons of tdleness, col
lege bred and underlined little beasts
who can buy and then cast of at their
pleasure. They have no means of
knowing how to fall In love with a
good girl. They have not been trained
to It. 1t Is not for their scrambled In:
tellects to discriminate between the
chorus girl brand Of attack and the
subtle wooing of gentlewoman They
can't analyze: they can't feel! And
this fnsipid. egotistical little bounder
Is actually sitting there and asking
me to help him with the girl love!
Good Lord, what .next?" He surveyed
the eager Ulstervelt in the most irri-
tating manner, finally laughing out
right in his faca Tho vary fhonnhf o1