The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1914-01-30
Daisy Archibald's
Intention
By RUTH GRAHAM

d uAOutu Ou UuSllIeSS. Ills lIIeuu MI.
Molynoux is going to stay at the house
to protect us. I heard papa ask him
last night while | was studying my
lessons and they were smoking to-
gether. Did you ever see Mr.. Molly
noux? He's awfully handsome. Papa
told him that he needn't trouble him
self to stay at home evenings. He
could come in at any hour"
"How old is MIR. Molynoux!"
"He is thirty-four: but. you know.
I'll be sixteen next month. Besides,
I've always intended to marry a man
much older than myself. don't care
a bit for boys. It's all fixed"
whats fxed|
"Why, about Mr.. Molynoux's coming.
to be sure"
"Oh. l thought you meant that 1t
was all fixed about your marrying
him."
And SO 1t was. Nothing was further
from the mind of Mr.. Archibald. who
had seen his daughter grow up from
a baby and did not realize the change
the last two or three years had made
in her. Indeed. the last Christmas he
had given her a doll. She had receiv-
ed it affably. but as soo as her ia
theirs back was turned had taken 1t
up to the garnet, where she left it. As
for Mr.. Molynoux. he had no use for
schoolgirls. and his associates were
chiefly men. He was to take his
breakfast at the Archibald home and
his dinner at his club.
. After having breakfasted for the first
time with Grandma Archibald and
Daisy. the latter said. with a smile:'
"Mr. Molynoux. which way do you
go when you leave the house?"
Fright down the avenu Can l do
anything for you?"
"Why no. I 60 down the avenue to
school,"
ooh, you do"
1t didn't occur to Ned Molynoux to
walk to school with a little girl, but
when he came to leave the house the
little girl left it at the same time. She
chirped at him like a bird. as they
walked together, doing most Of the
talking. incoherently, herself and look
ing up at him occasionally with a pair
of soft childish eyes. but with an ex-
preston in them that surprised him.
Now. If there is that in certain girls
which attracts them to men much old
er than themselves there is that in old
er ME which renders them apprecia-
tive Of very young girls. A man ap-
preaching forty is conscious that he Is
passing beyond the sphere Of young
ladies'. even those who have passed
well beyond the teens. and he is be-
ginning to be highly a%ppreciative of
any notice whatever or attention
from them. It was not what Miss
Daisy said to him: it was the fact that
she looked very proud of having him
for a companion.
"Grandma told me to ask you to
dine with us this evening"" she said
when their ways parted. This was
true, but Daisy had suggested the in.
vitation.
"Grandma is very kind. You may
tell her that I'll dine with her with
pleasure
Molynonx dined at the Archibald
home that evening and a number OF
other evenings. After dinner he sal
chatting with the grandmother, some
times smoking and reading the even
ing paper till Daisy had studied her
RESPONSIBLE didn't give them much at
tention-then he would play checkers
or dominos or some other game with
them, she chatting like a maybe all
the while. he falling under an tnfin-
ence that he found very refreshing.
Occasionally when Miss Daisy. who
was lowering the while between child
and woman. would give flashes OF the
latter Molynoux would be frightened.
for he had been asked to afford pro-
lection to a child. and anything like q
complication would be terrible. AT
such times he would contemplate leav-
ing the Archibald home for good. but
he didn't see how he could desert his
post. and vet II he stayed he feared
trouble. But he stayed.
What his friend Archibald learned
on his return Of the proceedings at
home during his absence Molynonx did
not know. 1t may be that grandma
had been more observant than she mp
peared: 1t may be that Daisy herself.
proud Of having captured a grown
man. made no secret Of what had been
going on. Archibald thanked his
friend for having accommodated him
during his absence, but said nothing
further. But Molynonx received a
note from Daisy stating that her ia.
ther had decided to send her to board
ing school and she would go immedi
ately. She said she was broken heart
ed, whatever that meant.
For file next few years Molynoux
was In a condition Of mental unrest.
His club. his men friends. were be-
coming embarrassing to him. He loved
to think of the evenings he had spent
with '..that little mink" Daisy Archi-
bald. still thinking OF her az n little
mink. Her father kept her ut school.
but she returned at last. and he in.
.vited MolynOux to dinner.
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