The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1914-10-01
Illustrations by Ellsworth Young

ly.
1--WE may as we'll speak plainly, Mr.
Wrandall," she said. You do not
care to have me remain 9. member OF
the firm. nor do I blame you for feel
ing as you do about it. A year ago
you offered to buy me out-or off, as
took it to be at the time. ] had rea-
sons then for not selling out to you
Today / am ready either to buy or to
sell"
"You--you amaze me-" he exclaim-
ed.
Does you offer of last December
still stand?"
'T-I think we would better have
Leslie in Sara. This is most unex-
pected. don't quite feel up to"
"Have Leslie in by all means" she
said. resuming her seat.
/ He hesitated a moment. opened his
! lips as II to speak. and then abruptly
left the room.
Sara smiled
| Many minutes passed before the two
Wrandalls put in an appearance. She
understood the delay. They were
telephoning to certain legal advisers.
Whats this ! hear, Sara?" demand
ed Leslie, extending his hand after
seconds hesitation.
| She shock hands with him, not list
lessly but with the vigor born of nerv-
BUSINESS
81 don't know what you've heard"
she said pointedly.
! His slim fingers went searching for
the end of his moustache.
"Why-why, about selling out to
US" he stammered.
! II am willing to retire from the firm
of Wrandall & Co." she said
Father says the business is as good
as it was a year ago, but don't agree
with him." said the son, trying to
look lugubricus.
Then you don't care to repeat your
original proposition?"
We'll, the way business has been
Perhaps you would prefer to sell
out to me-" she remarked quietly.
! mot at ALL" he said quickly, with
a surprised glance at his father. I'VE
couldn't think of letting the business
pass out of the Wrandall name"
"You forget that my name is Wran-
! DALI" she rejoined There would be
no occasion to change the firms
name; merely its membership"
| "Our original offer stands" said the
senior Wrandall stiffy. I'VE prefer
to buy"
"And I to sell. Mr.. Carroll will
meet you tomorrow, gentlemen. He
will represent me as usual. Our busi-
ness as well as social relations are
about to end, I suppose. My only re-
gret is that l cannot further accom-
MEDIATE you by changing my name.
Still you may live in hope that time
may work even that wonder for you"
She arose. The two men regarded
her in an aggrieved way for a mo-
ment.
! 81 have no real feeling OF hostility
toward you, Sara" said Leslie nerv-
ously, 'in spite of all that you said
the other. night"
II am afraid you don't mean that.
deep down in your heart. Leslie" she
. said, with queer little smile.
LUZ = wv hC PiOtCotOus 1idh6 IL
all, we've live in glass house our
selves, Sara. l dare say. in way, I
was quite as unpleasant as the rest
of the family. You see, we just can't
help being snobs. It's in US, that's all
there is to it,"
Mr.. Wrandall looked up from the
floor, his gaze having dropped at the
first outburst from his sons lips.
| We've prefer to be friendly, Sara,
II you will allow us"
She laughed and the old gentleman
stopped in the middle of his sentence.
1--WE can't be friends, Mr.. Wran-
DALI" she said, suddenly serious. "The
pretence would be a mockery. We
are all better off If we allow our paths,
our interests to diverge today"
Perhaps you are right" said he,
compressing his lips
II believe that Vivian and could
but no! l won't go so far as to say
that either. There is something genu-
inc about her. Strange to say. have
never disliked her."
'If you had made the slightest ef-
fort to like us, no doubt we could
have"
"My dear Mr.. Wranda1l." she inter-
rupted quickly, II credit you with the
desire to be fair and just to me. You
have tried to like me. You have even
deceived yourself at times. but
why these gentle recriminations? We
merely prolong an unfortunate con-
test between antagonistic natures.
with no hope Of genuine peace being,
established. l do not regret that
am your daughter-in-law, nor do be-
lieve that you would regret 1t II had
not been the daughter of Sebastian
Gnoch"
ITO be continued.)