Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1917-10-09
REUNITED
BY cRAYsoN STONE.

This was the situation with Clyde
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 n little
fault with ii. He had money enough
to struggle along until success came,
but none to make show with. Ac-
quslntances had cautioned him not to
hamper himself, and friends had told
him outright that IL would not be good
policy to handicap himself with wife.
Clyde Richards was in love aud had
been for year or more, and Marian
Fletcher knew thst he was, but no
word had been spoken. He was n
regular caller at her fathers house
and had reason to believe that his
calls were rather looked for, but he
did 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 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 wood or
twa from Miss Marian dashed All of
tho young artists hopes. One evening
when he was q caller and they had
talked 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 very foolish speech and in
tended more as 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 1t 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 little farm. and
all their friends soon forget them.
Ii was two years later that Mr..
Clyde Richards was motoring along a
country road when he came TO coun.
try sehoolhouse. School was dismissed
for the day. ON the steps sat a young
woman who was weeping. and beside
her sat an Oh maa ws.q4n anybody
would have called a skinhint after the
first glance. IN a dim way the artist
felt that he had seen the young WON
an before. but be could not fully recall
her. lie was driving his machine slow.
~ and he heard the old man say:
THAT mortgage and Interest has
got to DC paid within ten days or
shall commence proceedings to fore,
close"
Then We shall have TO live 10 the
nelds :" sobbed the girl.
The artist stopped his car almost
In front Of them, for he saw II was a
case CT distress. The old skinnlnt rose
up and shook his fist at him, aud then
said to the girl:
Now, then. remember what, | have
said. II the money Is not paid, out
you got"
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 a sudden
start of surprise. She left the steps
and walked OFT TO the car and. after
taking carefcl 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?e
About a mile and half down the
road Hadn't you heard that | was
the sehcolteacher for this dlstrict?n
lie 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:
He was almost the last man ia 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 schoolteacher for two or
three years, but the salary was SO low
that 1t did not help much. The old
man with whom she had been talking
was a money-lender and had induced
her father to mortgage a little farm
without saying anything to her about
1t. 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 Boosting way, and
the past between them was not re-
ferred TO. When they arrived at the
little farm, he helped her out of the
car and, instead of driving on, he
walked into the house with her. After
he had greeted her father, he sat
down and said:
Mr.. Fletcher, listen carefully to
me. am going to marry your daugh-
ter. am going to pay up that mort
gage AID then you are to deed the
place over to her. You shall live with
US, and Wen make you as comfortable
as we can. This shall be my studio In
the summer. and In the winter we viii
live In town, Marian, what do you
say to thisT"
And Marian's tears and bushes
made the answer plain.
Copyright, 1916, by the Mcclure News
I, paper syndicate.l