Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 January 1919 — Love’s Security [ARTICLE]

Love’s Security

By BERTHA R. McDONALD

(Copyright, 1918, by McClure Newspaper Syndicate.) “j ap,v a ysTold your mother that She was a little fool to marry a man old enough to be her father!” exploded Jane Portsmouth. ; “RIIL. Aunt Jane, father arid mother were ideally happy.” "Happy enough—yes-—but the difference in tiieir ages made him shelter and slileFd her from all sense of responsibility, until now, when he’s gone, tbe«<wq of you are left with next door to nothing and neither of you any more fitted to earn a living than a butterfly I" “Please don’t say that. I know mother isn't strong, but I am and I’m going’ to find some way to keep the wolf from the door, tod-’* - -‘‘Don’t worry about the wolf. You can sell your house and come and live right here with me. I’ll tell you, Beth, why don’t you set your cap for the young duel or that’s just bought your father’s office?” “Don’t ever mention such a tiling to me'again, auntie’ I’m -not going to marry anybody, and besides, if I were my cap Tor Doctor Danforth and he saw fit to be caught he’d be taking me out of sheer pity, I’m sure.” “There, little girl, I didn’t mean to be hard, but I would so like to see you nicely settled, and that doctor man certainly is charming.” Neither of them heard the approach of the visitor who now appeared and coughed to attract their attention. “Oh, good morning, Doctor Danforth,” greeted Miss .Portsmouth. “I whs just congratulating Niece Beth on the good hands into which her father’s business has fallen. —Will yotr hard a chair?” “No, thank you, Miss Portsmouth.” replied the young man, openly admiring Beth; “I’ve only a moment. I called to ask about Doctor Longstreet’s office safe.” “What is’ it you wish to know?” “Your father’s safe—do you wish it sent to your home?” - .■ “The safe was included in the purchase of the office, and I went through the contents before I turned it over. I bid you good morning.” She sailed past the astonished pair down the flower-bordered path-toward. the gate, and Doctor Danforth was about to speak to Miss Portsmouth, when a frightened cry caused them to turn just as Beth fluttered into a senseless heap beside the path. The young doctor flew down the path, and lifting the limp figure in his strong, young arms, bore her tenderly into the house. Cool water quickly revived her, but an examination and the discovery that her ankle was really broken sent her promptly Into another faint, which lasted until her Aunt Jane had made her comfortable in the little guest chamber off the parlor. When- she regained consciousness this time Doctor Danforth was sitting beside her with one of her hands in his. “Home —I must go home to mother !” she moaned. “You must He right here for a fewdays. Your foot turned on one of the cobblestones in the walk and your ankle has been broken. Miss »’ortsmouth has telephoned your mother and I am going to bring her over this evening in my runabout.” "It will not be necessary to trouble you. Mother can come over with Joe Mead when he goes to the station for the mail.” “Please don’t be unkind, Miss Long-’ street. It really doesn’t seem like you, and my heartiest wish is to be of some service to you and your mother.” “I —I didn’t mean to seem ungrateful, or rude, but I —” In another moment she was sobbing among the pillows,Tmd,while the man longed to stay and comfort her, the physician knew it was best to leave her alone just now. so he slipped quietly through the door to the porch, just as Aunt Jane came la to take his place. While he was drawing on his gloves he heard her cry out hysterically: . “He’ll think I did this purposely—he’ll —he’ll think I’m setting my cap for him, like all the rest of the silly girls In town.” The man on the porch smiled and thought, “How I wish she would!” Beth’s ankle kept her at her hunt’s for almost a month, and during this time she was under Doctor Danforth’s constant care and attention. Gradually, day by day, he managed to penetrate the reserve behind which she had Intrenched herself, and then one day when be was taking her for a little spin into the country, he asked her to marry him.. ' > “But, doctor —Ned—l can’t marry anybody. Mother and I haven’t a cent. If dear old dad hadn’t lost what he had put by_to protect mother and me. things might have been different, for I do like you, Ned.'.’ "What did your father lose, and how?” “Oh, some papers—stocks—securities — bonds and things. I guess. Whatever they were he had the papers out on his desk one day when he received an urgent call, and while he was out the colored man took care of the place When daddy rame back the papers were gone. We questioned Jackson, but he swore he put everything back into the safe, and there yon are. Jarikson Was too ignorant of ta-ar vftlua to. take them, ao

after a fruitless search we decided they must have blown out the window.” . ... , __ “You are sure you have examined the safe thoroughly?” “Absolutely. There’s another thing of dad’s I haven't been able to find —a copy of the first edition pf ‘The Vicar of Wakefield,’ of which he was very Jfond.” “But—you aren’t going to make this final, are you, Beth?” “Please, Nqd, don't ask me again until I’ve found some way to take care of .mother,” ■ " —— That night Doctor Danforth sat (done in his office, trying to study, but, the pages were filled with visions ot Beth. —Hie ffdnd wandered to her story, of Doctor Longstreet’s investments and he began to wonder if possibly there might not be some fiir corner of the. safe which had not. been explored. He took his flashlight, and, kneeling before it, began half-hearted-ly to pile- the contents on the floor. He sighed as nothing came to light, and began to put the tilings back. The first thing he picked up was a box of rubber stamps, andr- feeling they would not be needed soon he thrust them tis far hack into the safe as possible.. —Tn —doing so hts hand -wr scratched by a piece of the zinc lining of the safe, and using his flashlight so see how badly ft_ was torn, lie discovered the end of something sticking up behind it. He pulled it out and found it to be a copy of "The Vicar of Wakefield." ' . ' The next day was the one set for Beth’s return to her homel and Doctor Ned was to take her in the.runaboul. lie found her waiting for him . ou—t he- front -steps-and- she like a breath of spring as she sat' there that —he leaned over mnd kissed her without a word of warning. “I’m asking you again, Beth, in spite of what you said, to be my wife. Before you. answer this time look through this old book.” She took the book wonderingly and opened it. “It’s dad’s ‘Vicar of Wakefield !’ ” she cried. “And what are all these papers. \’ed?” —“Don’t you seep~dear? They’re the papers which we all thought were lost. Jackson must have placed them between the leaves of this book and the book got wedged in behind a torn place in the lining of the safe. Now you won’t have to find any way to take care of your mother!” “Ned, you—you darling!”