Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1916-12-29
REUNITED
BY eRAYsoN STONE.


richards when his twenty-first birth
day arrived. He had sold his first
picture as a landscape artist and his
brother artists had found only a little
fault with it. He had money enough
TO struggle along until success came,
out none to make show with Ac-
lualntances had cautioned him not to
hamper himself, and friends had told
him outright that it would not be good
policy to handicap himself with wife.
clyde richards was in love and had
Oeen for year or more, and Marian
Fletcher knew that he was, but no
word had been spoken. He~~was a
regular caller at her fathers house
ana had reason to believe that his
calls were rather looked for, but he
uld not indulge in any hopes. Her
father was broker and reputed to be
well off, and she held her head very
high as daughter Of a rich man.
A girl of nineteen is romantic, how
ever, and had he spoken his love who
could tell what would have happened?
The case stood thus when word or
two from Miss Marian dashed all of
the young artists hopes. One evening
when he was a caller and they had
talked a little of his art she said in a
laughing way:
Father is so practical. He was
talking about you the other day, and
| told him you were landscape paint
er. He answered from his own view
Of things. He asked why you did not
paint houses and barns and thereby
make good living"
1t was a very foolish speech and in
tended more as a joke than to hurt,
and the girl regretted it as soon as
the words had left her lips. 1t was
too late, however. The young man
did not show his resentment, but he
felt it and it brought about restraint
between them. He left the house with
his mind made up not to call again.
Six months later he saw in the pa
pers that the broker had suffered a
complete collapse financially, and was
told by friends that he and his daugh-
ter had retired to the country. A rela-
tive had given him a little farm, and
all their friends soon forgot them.
1t was two years later that Mr..
Clyde Richards was motoring along
country road when he came to coun-
try SchoolhouSe. School was dismissed
for the day. On the steps sat young
woman who was weeping, and beside
her sat an old man whom anybody
would have called skinflint after the
first glance. In a dim way the artist
felt that he had seen the young wom-
an before, but he could not fully recall
her. He was driving his machine slow
Iy and he heard the old man say:
That mortgage and interest has
got to be paid within ten days or /
shall commence proceedings to fore
close! !"
Then we shall have to live in the
fields - sobbed the girl.
The artist stopped his car almost
In front of them, for he saw it was a
case of distress. The old skinhint rose
up and shook his fist at him, and then
said to the girl:
Now, then, remember what 1 have
said. If the money is not paid, out
you go"
For a long minute after he had
walked away, the girl sat blinded by
her tears. Then she wiped them away
! and looked up. She gave sudden
| start of surprise. She left the steps
and walked out to the car and, after
| taking careful look at the occupant,
she tried her best to smile as she said
why, it's Mr.. Richards Who would
have thought of seeing you here?"
Yes, it is Mr.. Richards" was the
reply. DO you live around here?"
About a mile and half down the
road. Hadn't you heard that | was
the schoOlteacher for this district?'
He extended her his hand to help
her into the auto, and, after a mo.
ments hesitation, she was beside him.
They had gone half mile before he
said:
"NOw, then, tell me all about it,
He was almost the last man in the
| world she wanted to tell her troubles
to, but he spoke so kindly and seemed
so strong that she began to talk, and
after a time, he knew all. Her father
had almost collapsed mentally and
| physically. He was able to do little or
no work. They were, in fact, pension.
ers on the bounty of relatives. She
had been a schOolteacher for two or
three years, but the salary was so low
that it did not help much. The old
man with whom she had been talking
was money-lender and had induced
her father to mortgage a little farm
without saying anything to her about
it She was not complaining nor la
menting. She had done the best she
could, and she would bear her troubles
| the best she could.
He on his part told her of his sue
cess but not in q boastfnp way and