The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1914-03-13
A Well Constructed
Plan
Conceived In Life and Car
ried Out After Death
By r. A. mitchell

Edward Travers was left an orphan
when he was unable to take any care
of himself whatever. but he was well
taken care of. He lived with the
family of Il clergyman who took espe-
cial pains to bring him up properly,
and. as for education. most of the time
he taught the boy himself. When Ned
passed TO an age where it might be
expected he would be curious as to his
antecedents he asked the clergyman
about them. The only reply he re-
ceived was that his father had left
the course to be pursued with his son.
but they were to be communicated to
him only as each link in the chain of
the plan came up.
One day the man who had thus far
had the care of the boy said to him:
you are now prepared for college and
my work in your education is ended.
1t was arranged on your coming to
us that when your college preparation
should be completed was to notify a
certain person to that effect, who
would provide the means to give you
a university education"
Must | go to college?"
You must follow the course laid out
for you or provide for yourself If
you refuse to do the former you will
make sacrifice. | have written the
person it is my duty to notify that you
will enter college in June next. You
will hear from her within few days
Her? Who Is she?"
~ have only her name, Miss Arabela
Twitchell. Your father. have been
told, was very methodical business
man. who thought out every step to
be taken in what concerned him in ad-
vance. Those about him never thought
of asking him questions. but followed
his directions to the letter"
Ned received this information with
deep thought. He did not like being
ground out through Il mill like pound
of coffee. He waited impatiently for
n communication from Miss Twitcb-
ell. When it came it brought no
more information than was absolutely
to enter certain college. where he
was to follow Il certain course of study
which had been infinitely laid out for
him. He noticed that the subjects
would give him general though not
a classical education.
One thing Miss Twitchel warned
him against-the forming OF any matri
monial alliance Your future career
is provided for in every particular
she wrote. "even in the matter of
wife. But this can only be in case
the young lady it has been arranged
you shall marry is living when you
have reached the age of twenty-one,
If she is dead. you will be at liberty to
marry whom you please
Young Travers was not more affected
by this part of what had been provided
for him than any other. At the time
he was informed of it he was seven
teen years old and had no sweetheart.
Consequently the effect upon him was
different from what it would have
been had he been older and not fancy
ing q girl in the world who was to be
his wife. He wondered what she was
like. He pictured her according to his
fancy. a willowy creature with golden
hair and mild blue eyes. She was
amiable. kind. loving. The likeness he
had drawn in his imagination was the
last object be saw before going to
sleep at night and the first when he
awoke in the morning-that is, when
he was not especially interested in
something tangible.
Edward Travers during his student
days was In no great danger of break
ing i'm upon what his father had pre-
arranged for him so far as marriage
was concerned. College students are
ut n mating age. but they seldom mar
ry. In the first place. they are not al
lowed to marry by the college laws; in
the second. their time is spent with
members of their own sex. and in the
third few OF them have the means
with which to support wife. Be this
as 1t may. Ned Travers went through
the course without forming any espe-
cial attachment with Il girl. though he
had hosts of friends Of his own sex.
Just before graduating he wrote to
Miss Twitchell to ask what was the
next thing on the program that bad
been laid out for him. To his surprise
the reply came back. Marriage" Why
be should I've married before entering
upon his life's work he could not I'M
derstand. And what means would he
have on which TO support wife?
Surely some income would be provided.
But would 1t come from the girl he
was to marry or property that he
would inherit?
This matrimonial part Of his career
now began to loom up before him In its
true importance. 1t had ceased to be
a romance and had become reality.
He had begun to dread lest he find the
girl who was intended for him unat-
tractive. She might be homely: she
might be some old maid whom he was
to marry because she had money and
nothing but money to recommend her.
Another feature was displeasing.
Suppose the girl did not wish to marry
him. Nothing had been said about this.
but he had often thought about 1t. He
did not see how girl could be forced
TO marry him II she did not wish It