Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1921-08-04
REFUSING, BARTON
BY MOLLIE MATHER.
9, 1921 Western Newspaper Union.)

| end. This, to Barton, was an uneX-
pected honor, for he was but hum
BILE seryitor of the great mans office.
| Old Armstrong, as the Office force
J privately dubbed their head, and who
was not old III years but in the I'M
abated seriousness of his demeanor,
| had long been a grudging friend of
Barton s-grudging in his approval of
work we'll done and in natural pleas
ahtry. Yet, Armstrong had formed
| deep liking after all, for the syste-
matte sensible bachelor. For Barton
gave no thought to marriage. And had
his weekend invitation been offered
from a less pretentious home. Barton
would have refused in Self-defense.
He would take no chance OF meeting
on a footing of equality some charm
er fair.
The Young women to whom he
might be presented at Avon Arm
strong's, would be Of wealth and po-
sition above possibility of considering
his humble self with matrimonial in
| tent.
SO in anticipation of a happy day
| or two of freedom, the favored young
| friend of old Armstrong, opened his
| paper and settled back to read in the
| train that bore him OH toward Arm
strong Park He had barely begun,
| when a feminine creature OF sweet
scents and frills, crossed the aisle to
deliberately seat herself at his side.
Barton, half turning, found himself
looking into young woman's excited
face, dark eyes flashed at him indig-
nantly, while the girls color deepened
as she spoke.
"I want you to understand" she said
surprisingly, that I positively will
not consider you as husband, either
now, or at any other time"
II do not understand" he said cold
ly, why you should trouble me with
the remark | have never seen you
before"
"Of course, you haven't" the girl
went on unmoved, "And seeing me
would make no difference in your
purpose. If / looked as-as desper-
ately ugly as felt, you'd still propose
to marry me for my money. You need
not try to, dissemble. I heard Dad
talking the abominable plan over in
the library last evening; that's why
hurried into the city today, and came
out on this car to fOrestall YOU
dad was talking to Uncle Bob, and;
no thOllOht
might be a good thing, in a business
way, to get together as father-ln-'
law and SON / was to be the sacrifice,
only Dad didn't put it that way. He
said, instead, TriX would be well
taken care of as that mans wife,
could trust him. Dad further said
that he intended to ask you out Tor
this weekend, and give you full oppor-
>-tunity to WOO. Said you had begged
the favor Well it won't do any good
that's what I came On to tell YOU
He sat looking at her, then smiled
irresistibly at the situation. Of course
this tempestuOus creature had mis-
taken him for some other person.
"And who," he inquired sarcastical~
ly, ''may I ask, are you?"
81 am BeatriX Armstrong, daughter
of Avon Armstrong" the girl replied.
DO not pretend that you don't know.
Dad says. you profess to have fallen in
love with my photo, which he mad
vertently showed you one day-in love
with the advantage Of a business con-,
nectiOn I told him"
But Barton was staring.
miss Armstrong" he repeated UNI
believing
The girl laughed.
$50" she said, you are not, after
all, ignorant concerning the name
Are You, or are you not on the way
to my fathers home to spend the
week end?'
81 am" Barton confusedly replied.
The girl rose.
"Then keep away from me," she
warned him, II have no use for for
tune hunters, even when encouraged
by my father"
Barton put forth a OBTAINING hand.
''Now look here" he said quietly,
Won are ullSLdkcu. 1OuE "OuiN
never encourage me as possible hus-
band for his daughter. My name is
Barton cambridge. l am but one or
his insignificant employees"
The girl sat down again in conster-
Lation.
"But Aunt Lydia positively pointed
you out to me as the man whom IA
ther had asked out at his own re-
quest. The name of the man TO
whom father referred last night was
Allan Atherton."
The girl was visibly distressed,
'If I have made some horrld mis-
take" she said, please forgive ne"
A acknowledgements and gray
haired man upon the adjacent seat
turned slowly about.
II believe" he said calmly, "that
can straighten that matter. / could
not help over-hearing your converse
ton. though your tone was low
To IooIyod down at Miss BpatriX