The Bolivar County Democrat. (Rosedale, Miss.) 1887-1969, 1923-05-05
HUSTLER'S WOO!NG
BY H. IRVING KING

|
CORNELIUS HINTON was the rich
est man in town and president of
the town council. His fortune was
made and his political future assured.
Into Cornelius well-ordered life
burst Sandford Burton as the suitor for
bis daughters hand. Matilda favored
| him and it was popularity of this
happy family that while Matilda al
ways deferred to her fathers wishes
his wishes and hers coincided-eventr
young man who had recently opened
a real estate office in the town and
carried things by storm. He had
bought neglected piece of land called
The Neck, tract covered with triars
ands sand, inclosed by two shallow
creeks, and transformed 1t into -four.
ishing seaside" colony. Burton was a
hustler" Burton looked upon Matil-
da Hinton and saw that she was fair.
He also looked up her fathers finan-
cial standing and found 1t fairer still
If that were possible. To Burton 1t
must be owned 1t had greater appeal
than Matilda's bright eyes even. Hin
tons political prominence and political
future also stood greatly in his favor
in the mind Of Sandford Burton.
Matilda had probably first been at
tracted to Sandford because he came
from somewhere else" To small
town girl there Is always a glamor
about young man from somewhere
else" But very soon Matilda found
that she loved Sandford because he
was Sandford, and for nothing else.
SO the husuer's wooing progressed
smoothly up to the popping point" and
just beyond-and then 1t struck snag.
Strange to say that snag was Sand
ford Burton's conscience. True he had
heretofore kept his conscience well
under control. but now, at a critical
moment, it broke out of bounds and
raised hob. For Sanford had come to
love Matilda even above her fathers
gold, and now he was ruined man
and felt that he could not, honOrably,
marry her. The money he had made by
his manipulation Of the Neck property
he had spent In improvements and part
payments on another tract Of land, and
this last speculation had proved fail
ure The house lots had sold slowly
and now the people who held the blan-
ket mortgage he had put upon the
property were about to foreclose. Ten
thousand dollars would tide him over.
But he had no $4,000 nor knew where
he could get it. AS Cornelius Hinton's
son-in-law he might arrange 1t; but to
this his conscience barred the way.
Ruin. swift and immediate stared
him in the face-ruin and the loss of
Matilda whom he must give up for
ever. He sat in his Office alone and
helpless and thought with shudder
Of pistol in locked drawer Of his
desk. No, not that He would dis
appear clear out, go West, change his
name and begin over again. Perhaps
| In few years he might make another
fortune and then-but why indulge In
faint and far-off hope? No, 1t was
all up with him and the sooner the
end came the better. There came a
light knock at the office door and In
tripped Matilda dressed and equipped
/ for one Of those long walks In which
she was so found of indulging. She
swung sunshade jauntily from her
hand and said, gayly, "And how Is the
Napoleon Of real estate today7 Get
your hat and come for stroll Of few
hundred miles Or So"
''The Napoleon of real estate" re-
piled Sandford, with CHASTITY smile,
"has met his Moscow and his Water
loo rolled into one Matte, deceived
you at first, and now it is my punish
ment that because love you and am
ruined man we must part" And
then he poured out his soul in truthful
if somewhat incoherent speech.
Matilda, tapping the floor with her
I sunshade, listened with downcast eyes.
When he had done she looked up with
uuizzical smile and said: well, l
suppose | am an acquired taste-like
olives. But when one once gets to like
olives one becomes very fond OF them
indeed. Don't worry. l forgive you
for placing fathers dollars first at the
beginning because you place me first
now. AS to your financial affairs, why
bless your unsuspecting soul, don't you
suppose father knows all about thatY
He has been keeping a watchfui eye
upon the transactions Of his future SON.
in-law and knows to penny just how
YOU stand. He says $4,000 would see
YOU through and eventually you would
make good thing out of your Prospect
Heights proposition
Sandford blushed. SO the "old man"
had been excepting tabs" on him.
"And now," she went on, what are
you going to give me for a wedding
| PRESENT.
"weddng PRESENT." stammered Sand
ford
"Yes. It's customary. isn't it, for the
bride and groom to exchange gifts?
Give me something pretty Here's my
nresent now" And she threw on the
desk her fathers check for $4,000.
"Father wants to 90 into partnership
with you," she explained. go up to
the house tonight and fix 1t up and
listen TO the lecture he is going to give
YOU on overexpansion.
That's about all concerning sandford
and Matilda. Their married life was
| Hinton