Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1919-02-12
Iel|'l|, /
4, GEORGE & cooo


to.,,r,eAt. lsls. wssters Nswslaper Uaiss,
Because he was getting past his
prime and worried good deal about
the future Of his daughter. Reuben
Cole decided that he had solved a
troublesome enigma. His health was
not Of the best, Beulah was motheriess
and he hoped there would be some
way of settling her in life while he
was alive.
She had never seemed to care par
ticularly for company of the other sex
OF course there was Barry Lane, q
handsome, ambitious young fellow
whom Mr.. Cole really liked. But Barry
had gone to France to fight the battle
for freedom, and while her father
knew that Beulah corresponded with
him he did not consider that there was
more than casual friendship between
them. >~.. ....-4
Mr.. Cole had an old bachelor friend
who lived in the city fifty miles dis
tant. This was Arson Brooks. Twice
when he had visited Upton he had
taken a great fancy to Beulah. Indeed,
he had spoken of this to Mr.. Cole and
had intimated that in the near future
he would be pleased to pay his ad-
dresses to her.
"You remember my friend, Mr..
Brooks?" he asked.
eyes, papa" replied Beulah, "a dull
but conceited person who did not i'm
press me very favorably."
"You must not say that" objected
her father. "Mr. Brooks is a man Of
some substance, he has twice filled 4
public Office and, as you have perhaps
! heard, was one of a committee that
went to Paris to look over the Red
| Cross situation"
II read about that in the papers,"
| said Beulah, "and I didn't see that
| there was much excuse for his being
with the committee, except to make
himself conspicuous"
"You are prejudiced, my dear" ad-
| judged Mr.. Cole. AT all events, he
has written ME that he Is coming to
Upton for few days and intimates
that, besides wishing to celebrate his
doing his bit for the government, he
is anxious to see you"
Beulah looked uncomfortable. Il
| hope" she said, "that he has not go1
| the idea that l am looking out for Q
| husband"
Il think he is very much interested
| in you, and hope you will treat him
with consideration"
Beulah said nothing. She was dis
trait and upset the day that her aged
admirer arrived at their home. Beu-
lah had read vast self-approbation in
the boasts of Brooks as to his public
duties well done, and she felt certain
that the mention of his services"
abroad in the city newspapers were
puffs.
Arson Brooks threw out his chest
and strutted pompously about when a
reporter on the local newspaper called
at the house. Grandiloquently he
dwelt upon his impressions of the war.
To hear him talk one would have con-
sidered that the destiny of half q
dozen nations was affected by his junk
etings tour abroad.
Beulah was relieved when with eve
ming their distinguished guest left to
meet some of his friends at banquet
at the town hotel. After he Nad gone,
her father again pressed the suit Of
the man he had selected as a safe and
indulgent husband for her. Beulah
said little. She looked troubled and
showed it, and her father left her with
the soliloquy:
"She has good home and loves it,
and hates to think Of change, but
am thinking of her permanent good"
Beulah, left to herself, choked down
mysterious sob. Then she laughed.
Her emotions ran a vivid gamut, end
ing In the declaration:
"Well, the truth has got to come at
last, suppose. Papa will storm and
scold, but he will soon get over it. No
one can long be at odds with Barry
dear, handsome, loving Barry Lane!"
She gave utterance to another laugh
as she took up the local newspaper
next morning. There was a full col
umn describing the hotel banquet.
That was all we'll enough, but tipsy
compositor or a careless one, had
made the line "a son Of the battle
read "a son of the bottle" and "our
war-scarred hero" was transformed
into "our' war-scared heror
Mr.. Brooks did not put ~ IN a.
pearance at the Cole home that day
and Beulah's father looked serious and
disturbed all the morning. To an In
quiry Beulah made concerning Their
guest he gruffly replied that BROOKE
had left for the city. ~, ~ Is S.
The truth was known to Beulah 10
fore nightfall. The banquet had gona
well enough, but afterward Brook
and his companions had started OF
on wild race to see who could a
the most reckless and foolish thines
The friends of Brooks had prumpay
shipped him back to the city In IN 6.
tempt to hush up the adventure.
i II think" observed Mr.. Cole neul
day, 'that we may consider n.
Brooks out Of the question, Beulah.s
i ~n-13na ss-.