The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-05-08
The Dancer
Who Paid
BY MARTIN M. CHESTER
d. 1925. western Newspaper Union.)

a LII Glenvllle knew tnat Judge
Smith sent his wife through
school before he married her; and all
Chenille, including Lora Stone, knew
no happier family than the judge, his
wife, and their adopted son. "Stubby."
OF course the Smiths were happy,
Lora refiected-with all that money.
Stubby was rich enough to go TO the
State university for twenty years IL
he so wanted, while she, Lora, poor
and an orphan, had no right even to
think Of going
Here Lora had an inspiration for
recklessness. Why not adyertise-in
q city paper, and giving Chenille
post office box-that she would marry
any man who would first send her
through the State university. Before
the answers came she could confide
in the postmaster.
Her advertisement brought Lora
several offers, only one of which
she thought sincere. j. Algernon
Macfadden wrote little and to the
point He was preparing for the for
,eign field He suggested course of
pre-missionary study for Lora. If she
felt called to share his life, she would
for four years receive each month a
bank draft for one hundred dollars. A
personal interview was inconvenient
at this time, but when her education
was finished, they could meet, pre-
liminary to their wedding, and ex-
change credentials.
THE old mummy Lora exclaimed,
and decided almost at once to accept
his offer. When she sent him her
name and address she pasted to the
sheet little snapshot Of herself.
Three weeks later, along with sew
eral girl friends and "Stubby" Smith,
Lora went up to college. ]. Algernon
Macfadden was four long years away.
and this was life! But with }. Alger-
mons hundred swelling her monthly
pittance, she was-she knew 1t beyond
Notwithstanding and as gay as
"Stubby" Smith himself And "Stub-
BY" now registered as John M. Smith,
freshman, while nice to all the girls,
rather specialized on Lora. This
gave her an added thrill. He had not
done that in Chenille.
In her sophomore year "Stubby"
tried to propose to her, but she would
not let him. She didn't want to tell
him about j. Algernon. In her Junior
year, however, "Stubby" definitely
asked her to marry him. and Lora,
concealing all the PARTICULARS" Stub
by would despise her If he knew
told him she was engaged to mis-
sionary.
"Stubby" listened patiently. "Pooh.
Poohp he said. The reverend hasn't
scored yet-isn't even in the game
and I'm going to be right here till the
last tinkle of the wedding bell"
AS commencement day drew nearer
and nearer, she realized that her debt
would be exceedingly difficult to pay.
Her dance was at an end and she did
not want to face the piper. When she
thought of life in Abyssinia the merry
smile of "Stubby" and the love in his
steady eyes blotted the picture. When
she read over the letters ]. Algernon
had written she felt even more sorry
for herself.
Then came the day when-though
she never intended it-she found her
self in "Stubby's" arms admitting
she loved him and confessing all her
shameful bargain with J.. Algernon.
Again "Stubby" waved trouble
away. "Pooh, pooh!'' he said. Easy,
easy! Just you watch us! You owe
this Macfadden man, or will when you
graduate, forty-eight hundred dollars.
Wen pay him five thousand-two hun
dred to the good for the emaciated lit
tie Abyssinian babies"
"But, 'Stubby,' Lora demonstrated.
There's interest, and it is compound
interest on debts like that. Don't
think / haven't counted it up.
wanted to earn the money and pay
Il back; but it's almost thousand
dollars more, 'Stubby'; it's too much.
I'll just have to marry him."
"What's thousand dollars, when we
love each other, Lora? Well pay the
man off. He'll be satisfied"
but the money isn't everything,
'Stubby.' 1 owe more than that. He
risked his money and his faith on
strange girl just because she wanted
an education. He may be queer, but
/ think he must be noble"
"Noble." "Stubby's" voice had
scorn. "Lora, listen to me- I've
learned a good deal about this ]. Al
gernon fellow, and the Chenille post
master knows what l know. This
Macfadden deceived a girl he expect
ed to marry-made her believe that he
was holy-out to save souls-when in
fact he was planning to be an engi-
neer. It's gospel truth. Now what
do you think of himY'
.sI think you're all wrong, 'Stubby.'
told the old postmaster everything.
He would have said so If J. Algernon
Macfadden Is bad man. Anyway
/ promised to meet him after / gradu-
ate and talk things over. 1t would be
cowardly to let even you straighten
things out for me until have seen
| him."
'That settles It." said "Stubby'
gloomily. "If you must see him, you
must: but look at this first" He
opened an old letter and handed It to
| her Pasted on the page was a little