The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1914-07-31


broached to Tom he said he would
rather have the money it would cost.
81 want to get ahead bit, dad" he
explained.
You won't get ahead very fast ta'
king old maids to the grand opera
every few nights"
"If you mean Miss Goodrich"
"That was just fathers little joke,
Tom" hastily interrupted Toms moth
er. You know. son, that we think
two or three months on your Aunt
Laura's ranch would be just the thing
for you We want you to stay out
doors all the time and give your eyes
a complete rest. Don't you think
you'd enjoy the life out there?"
why, suppose I'd enjoy it, all
right, but It will cost lot of naoney,
going cut there"
We'll, think can scrape enough
together to get you out and back"
said his father.
THAT economical streak of Toms
was a little too sudden to be really
credible" Toms father said TO Toms
mother a little later. ITS Just an ex-
cuse not to leave that Goodrich girl,
but 1t won't go with me. He's starting
for the coast tomorrow night. That's
decided"
Tom had been gone just month,
when letter from his Aunt Laura
brought CONSERVATION to Toms pa
rents.
After little preamble in which she
declared her fondness for Tom and as
serted that she greatly enjoyed having
him with her, she begged them to re-
call him at once. ''He appears to be
simply infatuated with a gay widow
who is staying at the hotel near my
ranch" she wrote. Il feel certain that
she is a designing woman and that she
has made up her mind to marry Tom
lie won't listen to anything ! say
against her and when mentioned that
I was certain she was old enough 10
be his mother, he remarked bitterly
that age seemed to be considered
crime in our family. I don't know
what he meant Put ! do know that
It would be most unfortunate for him
to become entsngled with this dash
ing Mrs Gaynor. I advise you to send
for him Immediately. You needn't
have urged me to keep Tom from
reading or studying. He hasn't opened
a book since he's been here. He
and Mrs. Gaynor ride horseback near
ly all day long. The flowers in my
garden aren't good enough for her.
and he orders hothouse roses from the
city twice a week and the quantity OF
candy that he buys for her Is pro-
digious"
We'll. what do you know about
that?" asked Toms father, aghast "lt
looks very much as if we had snatched
Tom out of the frying pan and dropped
him into the fire, doesn't it? Now we
must bring him back to the frying pan,
eh?"
Probably this designing widow has
quite barished the thought of Miss
Goodrich" said Toms mother. so
there may be some comfort in the situ-
alton"
"It's amazing what an unmitigated
fool boy can be-" growled Toms
father, as he began to write a tele-
gram.
81 don't see why you sent me such
a hurry call" Tom remarked to his
father on the day of his arrival home.
"But I'm glad you did send for me.
My eyes are better now and I'm tired
Of loaling. Can't you take me into
your cfflce, dad? I don't want to go
back to college. want to get to work
and begin to earn money"
"Why?" asked Toms father, with
laconic severity.
"Well. | think l ought to tell you.
though it's a secret Still, Lucie Good
rich and Mrs. Gaynor both guessed It,.
and think you and mother really
ought'to know. l want to go to work
for Halle Lane. The fact is, we be-
came engaged before she went to Eu-
rope"
"You did, did you?" exploded Toms
father
81 hope you won't be angry We
kept it a secret because we thought
you and all her people would say we
we're too young. But we are engaged.
all right"
well, I'm glad of it," said Toms
father, but you've had funny way OF
showing IT."