Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1919-10-16

( Reuben, do not cross me in the desire
i. and duty of my life. Within a month
Lois Newton has lost her father, who
has left her penniIess and homeless.
/ She IS the only woman | ever loved,
/ | have made her my wife. Surely"
Cor Old Reuben Merely rose to
his feet pulsating with fury. His
trembling finger pointed to the door,
lis eyes glared. Co" he shouted,
and his fists clenched. "Out of my
heart, out of my hone-forever =
Walton Blair bowed his head in
silence He hurried his steps to escape
the anathemas hurled after him by his
selfish, irrational relative. The dis
misSal meant penury
II was sweet and soothing the sol
ace he received from the bride Of an
I hour The very fact of his great sac
rifice Of home. position, heirship, en-
dcarcd him double fold to the modest,
unasSuming girl who was ready and
willing to 20 hungry, roofleSs, accept
the heaviest burdens of toll so that
she had him by her side.
Reuben Merely. though now recoy-
with his independent nephew, AS 10
Lois, no claims Of preference held her
! to her native village. Her aunt cared
| for them in her humble way during
| the week that they devoted to mapping
ont their future. Walton had no trade
! or profession but he had done some
| clerical work for his uncle and was
! capable of filling the position OF the
! average office clerk There was an
4 old friend of his dead father named
! John Allen. who operated a large man
| ufacturing plant at town called Lup-
1 ton Walton left Lois with her aunt,
| to be received at Lupton with full
consideration and the kindly tender Of
81 position IN the bookkeeping depart
ment Of the great works
Just as Walton was looking around
for modest living quarters, at a crit-
cal moment he saved the two little
children of the wealthy manufactures
from sure death in an automobile ne
cidcnt hut sustained the serious in
jury of n broken arm, and the attend
ing surgeon told him that he would
not be able TO use his right hand for a
year to come.
81 have sent for your wife on my
own initiative" Mr.. Allen told Wal.
ton. as he lay under hospital care. Il
have also planned to show my tasting
gratitude toward you in a way that
cannot offend your sense of the fitness
of things. You have probably noticed
that little oasis of house and garden
at the edge of the mill site It was
where ! and my family passed the
happiest year of our lives. l am going
to fix up the place aud rent it TO YOU
at n nominal price"
"But | shall be unable to pay for IT,"
demonstrated Walton.
80? Hardly. You may not be in
condition to do any office work hut, If
you viii accept It, you shall become
our night Waterman. Ten to five you
make hourly rounds of the signal
boxes and see that all is safe And if
l do not mistake, that charming little
wife of yours will not be too proud to
sit in the timekeeper's office at seven,
twelve, one and five and keep tab on
the mornings and outgoings of the
workmen"
ooh, this Is ideal :" exuherated Lois,
when two weeks later they were In
stalled in the home John Allen had 20
generously provided. 1t was in the
enchanting garden surrounding the
house that they passed many hours of
the day, restoring its former brightness
as far as they could Mr. Allen died
and they lost a good friend but his
son-inlaw, who succeeded to the bust
ness, accepted the old provision made
for the Blairs as sort Of obligation
Of honor, and for five years the happy
and Contented married pair remained
on duty in their respective positions.
little golden haired cherub came
to them and the pretty home became q
haven of delight when Dorothy was
old enough to get around It wa Just |
after her fourth birthday when there |
was a collision on the trolley line that |
ran directly past the house. Several |
were injured. among them an old man |
who with the others was carried into
the Blair home, which afforded the
nearest shelter. II was found that he
was only stunned. When he recovered |
consciousness he was lying on a couch
and little Dorothy whose father and |
mother We're away at the time, was
tanning him and looking startled. but
SolicitouS
"Who are Won? Whose house is
thiS?' The old man almost frightened
Dorothy by starting up suddenly and
fixing his eyes upon a framed photo
graph on the wall "Who are your"
he asked more gently, scanning the
child's face closely.
II nm Dorothy Blair" replied the
little one, "and mamma and papa are
away and that picture you stare at
so IS Uncle Reuben. who Is going 10
come and see me some day. papa
says"
He has come already dear chlldrn
pronounced Reuben Merely IN broken
tones. and ne was holding the little
one on his lap when Walton Blair en-.