The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1914-12-25

FOOLED
b. U 3. CUMMINGS

MY DEAR" said Mr.. Phillips 10 BIZ
wife. don't you think that Lucy
should be thinking about providing To-
herself By marrying7"
Lucy marry! Why. my goodness
gracious. the child isn't four months
past fifteen. She won't be thinking
about matrimony for three or foul
years yet at least. and II she goes tt
college it's more likely to be six Of
seven. What put that into your headT
"Why. l was thinking-you know how
much money I have lost iateiy-thi.
Tommy Harding who came home witt
her from school the other day will
come into quite a fortune when he I,
twcnty-one. If the kids could be unit
ed l wouldn't worry about Lucy. Al
1t is I'm constantly wondering What
you and she would do in cas- l should
be cut Of"
you're not going to be cut OF. Al
any rate, nothing can be done about
marrying Lucy till she has got out u
childhood. Why. she's scarcely left Cd
playing with her doll"
We'll, | suppose you're right about
it. Lucy is only a child. and she's 60,
! her education before her."
Nevertheless the husbands sugges.
ton effected a Judgment in his wife's
! mind. and she regretted that the chill.
dren were too young tR, be brought to-
gether. Tommy was a nice boy. and
1t was known that he would come into
a substantial fortune. Mrs. Phillips
would have liked to bridge over three
or four years for her daughter. though.
since Tommy was but u year older
than Lucy. he would need wen more
time than this to develop into full man.
hood.
However. the matter of uniting the
children when they should become old.
er had got into Mrs. Phillips bead.
and she couldn't let the matter alone.
One day MI. Phillips said to her:
"What's become Of Tommy ! have
not seer him around here for q long
while"
Hes not coming 80 much now as he
did,
whats the trOuble?"
"Well. it's your fault. You seemed
to be 30 anxious that Lucy should Sc
cure his fortune that In order to help
the matter out I sort Of teased Lucy
about him.
"You mean iu order to crafty your
curiosity"
Anyway. what I said proved that
thy claim that she was too young to
think about such things is correct. A
childish friendship has been broken by
suggesting love-"
II see."
IF you hadn't got 1t into your head
that a marriage could be arranged be-
tween two children 1t all might nave
come about In time of ITSELF"
Rather II you had stuck to your
own opinion and let the matter alone
lucy might have in the end been pro-
vided for"
A month or two later another dia-
logue took place between Mi and Mrs.
Phillips about what the former called
.scaring tile children or"
Pa said the lady. II think what
ever damage I did when spoke to
Lucy about Tommy may have passed.
met them coming home from school
the other day. and they were walking
together. Tommy was carrying Lu.
cy's books. She looked put out when
she say me. And Tommy handed her
her books aud went off in another d.
rection. I'm sorry ! said anything to
make them feel embarrassment Sucn
things should never be suggested be-
tween children. 1t takes away the
freedom, the sweet innocence Of child
hood
II expressed a wish. and you acted
upon it. which was the worst thing
you could have done Don't think any
more about 1t. BY the time the Kids
get old enough to marry they'll both
have changed and each will marry
some n else"
The last conversation between these
fond parents was In this wise. Mr..
Phillips had arisen and WIS standing
before the glass shaving. His wife
q gone IOrlu III h W'ut'p<s ""o vs.
papers to waken Lucy:
"Oh. my goodness gracious. pal!
what il itr' turning sharply with
a razor In his hand and one-half bis
face ,athered. the other side smooth
His wife staggered to a chair.
Lucy % not In her room"
"Where 10 sheY"
.she isn't In the house."
mot In the houseg'
mo" - pathet1caliy - ''ahes eun
away"
"How do you knowr
The lady extended a bit Ut paper
from which, she read:
Dear Mamma and Papa-Fosgtvo e.
We know we're doing very wrong. out
we can't help II. We love each other JUS
too dearly Tor anything. "
"What does It mean1'
II don't know. II Lucy wasn't o
very young would think she had
eloped."
"She has sioped: Of courss she has
Don't you Gee she says We love eact
other and all thatr'
A maid entered with . telegram