The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1917-02-10
THE BEST MAN WINS
BY SUSAN E. cLAoETT.

ScsssssSssSscscssssssssSssSsesSsy
"You have heard of the place paved
with good Intentions. Pauline, dear. !
am afraid many bricks are laid to my
credit, for my intentions are always
good but fail of accomplishment.
mean to write, but somehow never do.
This time you must forgive me, for
am most unhappy. And my unhappi-
ness came from out clear sky. Since
then i have sounded the depths. ia
Their is obdurate. Mother sides with
him.
ut is nothing but pig-headed obsti-
macy In father. Anyone looking nj
Howard would know he. lis gentle
man. He certainly is good to look at,
and, of course, i think the sun rises
and sets In him. But father will not
listen when tell him we are engaged.
He merely says: When you care for
man, Jane, you can marry him as soon
as he asks you, but so long as live
a make believe one shall never have
you
"July 10TH thought my letter had
reached you but have just found 1t In
my portfolio. When l wrote month
ago / thought myself encompassed by
misery, but my feelings were as moth
ing to what they have been the past
few days.
Father told me I must break of
my engagement; that i should not see
Howard again. l stormed. He mere
ly said, Jane, put on your hat and take
a drive with your mother and me-
That was all.
II told myself wouldn't. But
had never disobeyed father in my life
and we started on that drive. 1t was
long one. 1t took us three days to
reach this place; little farm Mt the
end Of nowhere, thirty miles from the
nearest railroad station! There is no
post Office, no telephone, no car!
"July 20th-Pauline, dear, 1t is a
comfort to chat with you, even II my
letter has to wait forever and forever
to reach the office. do get so hungry
for home news. Mother has written
once, but not word from dad, which
shows plainly that / am still in dis
grace. Today Peter told me he might
go to the station for mail. II he didn't,
he thought Dan Isbam would take my
letters. Whoever is Dan Isham? I
haven't seen a man, except Peter, since
father left me here. l wonder if he
is as old and wrinkled as Peter"
"July 21st-He came before / had
finished my letter. Just an ordinary,
farmer sort Of person. He has nice
eyes. / saw that, although he turned
them away at once. wonder what he
thought Of me?
august 10TH am seeing a good
deal of Dan Isham. He lives on the
next place, wherever that is.
"He isn't a bit like Howard, but he
knows where to find the loveliest wood
flowers, and this morning showed me
the cutest little open-mouthed baby
birds; knocking birds, he said they
were.
August 24th-Dan came this morn
ing and asked me to walk to Kings
Greek with him. i don't know what
got into me, but felt must talk of
Howard. told of our engagement
and how determined father is that ii
shall be broken off, but that was de-
termined to marry him when came Of
age.
"And when will that be-? he asked
Your appearance this morning sug-
gests nothing so much rs that Of
pretty spoiled child Of twelve
"'Spoiled childr I gasped. / could
not control my voice, so turned my
back on him. AS / did so l caught
sight of something that turned me cold
with fright. Coming toward us with
/ lowered head was great black bull.
"With q shuddering sob l caught
hold of Dan and hid my face against
his shoulder.
"'Why, child! Then the low NUT
ter of that awful animal made him
turn suddenly. Will you believe me,
Pauline, Dan Isham laughed, but he
didn't let me go. He put his hand I'M
der my chin and made me look at him.
What he saw In my eyes do not
know. What I saw in his made me
again hide my face against that old,
faded blue shirt Even through my
fear was glad father had told How
ard Chandler l should not marry him.
II did not mind Dams laughing,
there was such comfort In feeling his
arms about me, but for propriety's
sake tried to slip from them, when
he said:
"'Jane, that steer Is one of Peters
OK team, and is as gentle as a lamb.
Truly am thankful he put In an mp
pearance just now, for I have been
| wondering ever since you began talk
| ing of Chandler, how long would have
to walt before you found out you loved
me instead. For you do love me-. There
is no question about my feeling for
you. i surrendered the first time !
saw you
'When we at last reached the house
whom should we find but father, and
he shook Dams hand as II lie had
! known him nll his life. 1t seems Dan
had studied law In the Office and had
been associated more or less with dad
L q n H. n