The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1921-07-02
THE ALLY,
81 IoR STORY
sHoRr STORY (
AN Old m ANS GOLD
81 4. AYlpAkIER

M made sup her mind. Her love
~ Tor athryn, ller daughter,
Lag riunph led over her ayarice.
perhap ayiarce Is TO harsh a term
Ms, spaf ks by no means worship
PED money Il was simply . cues
uon 81 haying 70 get money some
way, Gle the Sparks family, CON
sitting 81 Frances der Ia.year.oId
dsushter, would founder In The
rocks on itnancial qrulns Their last
Resource had been consumed In the
desperate effort % keep The Cd
home and continue lfathtyn's COL
lsges education, and the mother had
gone 70 work IN d millinery store.
Y stu the EXPENSES over balanced
the income.
erovidenti allysi II seemed, Nathan
Gordon returned from Alaska will
supplied will! ecionus metal or It's
equivalent ~ paper about the time
Kathryn came home for her sum.
l1er vacation. Mrs Sparks had
kneyn Nathati years ago when they
vent 10 The same school and natur-
ally she de Kathryn acquainted
with3the returned prospector when
the three met on the main street Of
rutherford
Nh Gordon seemed strangely at
tractea to- Kathryn at the start, and
before Mr.. Sparks woke up to the
meaning OF things he was calling
At the Sparks home and occupying
cpnsiderable Of Kathryn's time.
When shadld realize what 1t meant
Ms. Sparks felt ipbilant at first.
believing 10 way out OF the fInan-
eial ldiletnma In which she found her
y self had been opened. If*Kathryn
would marry Mr.. Gordon the Spark
family would be on easy street
y made no difference, at first,
that kathryn Was only IS while Ma
Khan was "a! He did not look more
than 80 and might have passed for
that only Mrs Sparks remembered
. school birthday party long ago in
!, which she and Nathan had been the
principal figures because their an
niFersaries came on the same day,
although he was three years her
elder! Frances In her younger day
had heetaa bright pupil and forged
ahead q others OF her own age.
whenlloyei came toihe considered
MES, Sparks was skeptical. She did
not say there was no such thing as
love. but she was rather inclined to
the view that marriage wasla bust
tess partnership. Kathryn's father
mad been killed In ID railroad wreck
n tiio West after leaving his wife
and baby during one OF the periodi.
cal dnnestic disagreement to which
The SPARKS househald had grown &C
eustomed. Fortunately his life had
heer we'll insured and thus the wild
oN and her child had been able to
keep the wolf a safe distance from
Then suddenly one day Mrs.
Sparks came toshefselt. Could such
a girl of 9Ssett tie down with man
pl another generation? Could his
wealth possibly atone for the wide
difference In their ages? She re-
called the song, which told OF a
giFt's beauty being sold for an old
mans gold and sit;made her afraid.
i What had she been thinking Of?
She must interfere
Bitshow could she interfere? Ger
tainly q would not be quite right
for her 70 take up the matter with
1Kathryn after she had permitted
I the attairto 60 this far, yes and ev
en- encouraged II with her retIcence'
n would be undiplomatic too, tor
such inter erences usually defeat its
oagn aims But KathFyn's beauty
stnot be cold for an old mans
lde q there was any way to avoid
Nathan was not an old man by
v means, from Mrs Sparks view
pdtnt but in contrast with her
daughter he was.
As Mrs Sparks thus cogltated
she 100 led out Of the window Of her
bedroom and saw Nathan. Gordon
get ont ot his roadster and start up
the walk TO the house. He progress
ed with etermined gait and some
thing told Francis that the crisis
Was at hand. This was substant tia
ted presently when she heard Mr..
5ordon downstairs asking for your
uothey tnasmuch as Kathryn was
he person .ad dressed. Frances was
he one sought.
y believe she's upstairs but she
nay have gone OUT she heard