The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1914-09-26


ceived no answer he was completely
demOralized. Then followed periods of
sensitive fear, calnness. shame and
pride.
written his proposal they did meet In
Il crowded street. Marcia passed him
with a constrained bow.
One day Ned's father fell and was
picked up unconscious. He never
spoke again and died within two days.
Ned now became the head of Ferguson
& Co. and began his administration Of
vestigation as to its finances. What
was Edward Ferguson's surprise to
find that his father had been engaged
In speculations that had caused an
enormous gap in the firms finances.
There was nothing to do but for Ned
to wind up the affairs Of the concern.
While Ned was awakening from a
dream of wealth, Marcia Fosdick was
awakening from a dream of poverty.
Her father had at last struck a scheme
that paid him very largely.
Ned Ferguson saw In the newspapers
an account Of the invention and the
change 1t made in Marcia's affairs.
When he had written that condescend.
ing letter he was rich and she was
poor. Now the conditions were revers-
ed. He had lost his fortune and the
girl he loved.
One morning Marcia Fosdick receiv-
ed a letter postmarked San Francisco.
Withdrawing 1t from the envelope, she
found two letters. One was from q
lady whom she had met several times
socially. who said: The inclosed has
been going the rounds of this state for
a long while and has finally come I'M
der my notice. l think it must be In.
tended for you. At any rate. l send it
to you"
The moment Marcia saw the address
on the Enclosure, covered with stamped
finger pointers, TRY this'' and TRY
that place." she recognized Ned Fer
guson's handwriting.
Ferguson anne home one evening
with a heavy heart. He had placed
the affairs Of Ferguson & Co. in liqui-
dation and had offered the family home
for sale. He found a letter in the hall
awaiting him and. taking it up, saw
at once that 1t was from Marcia. He
opened 1t and read 1t:
Your lovely letter was only received this
morning after having Travelled all over the
state of California. I regret that it did
not come to me in time to show you how
0Qaply / hQVo felt for Won from tho w.
ment l heard OF your afiiction and mis-
fortune. ! give you all the consolation ]
ean-my own unworthy self.
Ferguson stood dazed. In an instant
the fabric he had built up about his
relations with Marcia Fosdick had col
lapsed. He had nothing to fear from
her on account Of his condescension In
Offering to marry her. But the fact
that he had SO considered it came
down upon him with sledgehammer
force. Singular 1t is that. while he
had then considered her poverty a bar
rier between them, he now considered
her affluence in the same light.
However. Marcia Fosdick had no de-
sire for anything more than the COM
fort and comparative Independence
that wealth can give. She loved Ned
Ferguson with her whole heart. and
she would accept no withdrawal Of his
proposal.
Ferguson often thinks of the day that
he wrote his proposal and was CORE.
spending with parties in California at
the same time. He blesses the fact that
d two fell together and an interval
elapsed between the writing Of the note
n Its reply. What occurred during
that Interval doubtless gave him an