Show n joe finally saw the amt int I 1 by H KING I 1 JOSEPH scarborough was rather of the lie opinion that minerva had thrown him iowa down 11 but tie lie was not quite sure lie ile hall hail known tier her it seemed to him for al ua eways und and for some time lie ile had find been taking it for granted that lie he should oine soine s day ask tier her to be hla his wife and slie she would accept but then came caine that dashing martin van beekman ar around aund and joe began to think mini that lie hall had taken too much for granted el shnte whatever er a man of the world Is van la n beekman Bee kinan was that ile he had a most engaging personality talked it nu antly und and dressed perfectly joe on oil the other land hand while refreshingly wholesome was not much of a con and sartorially left much to be desired van bookman beikman had become it constant visitor it tit the fairbanks home and the girls minerva and her younger sister susan found him its as sue expressed it perfectly fascinating when joe jod happened to be calling at the same came time van Beekma fr fl was it was as much us as he could do to get in a word edgeways and when he did his best thought out remark seemed to act ds as a damper on the company Illon minnie le after one of these af attempts tempts of joes joea would loo look li at him doubtfully for or a moment and then resume tier lier repartee ei of wit wisdom and allegory with van ut ekman joe hoped at ai first that it was sister sue that van beekman admired but minnie appeared to be much fonder of van berkmans Beek mans society than her sister joe ventured to expostulate in a blundering way with rith minerva only to be told th that at sho ha did not know what right he had to criticize or control tier her actions ending with why by joe you talk as it you and I 1 were engaged e figac e d that was waa joes joe opportunity but he did not seize it and it was waa two hours houra after that he thought of what he ought to have said wiles when he did think hilink of it lie resolved to go to minnie and have a straight out talk with tier her hut but when he h arrived at tile the fairbanks home bome that evor lanting van beekman was there anti and he went awny away leaving unsaid unald what he be had come to say he would keep away from tha fairbanks h hejl 2 and let em so go it he thought anny thing ab about out that van beckman fellow ile he was wag nn at adventurer joe was willing to bet on oil it and was trying flo to capture till nn ll heiress elress joe kept to his resolution of abstention lo sten tion for it a whole week and ami then called upon the lie fairbanks girls with the usual unsatisfactory results susan talked to him unit tried to cheer him tip P but minerva erva kept chatting awny away with van ali beekman Ke ekman only giving joe a curious s I 1 look CIO k now and then which lie he could nut not in tile lie least understand the tha import of anti and once saying saving joe wily why dont you talk tile the mat ter with you ou lately nothing said joe and presently took his leave now Miti alnena erva and susan were orp orphans lians they had no near relations at ons und their fathi father L r halt had left them both very aall off joe felt like say tug ing to van beekman it if its merel merely V it 11 fortune you are after why dont you take sue anti and let my illy minnie alone I 1 but bat it makem make any ily difference it If I 1 did thought joe minnie le Is so allue inucci the prettier As a matter of fact sho shi was bowl now heit ere near its as looking as aa susan but in joes eyes eye she he was fur far superior things drugged dragged along lit in this tann tier ner for some unie time joe begun began to lour lose weight lie ile dont cut cat enough to keep it kinary t alive his fond mother declared then one day to ills his grout grent surprise yan van beekman beek man called upon joe fit at the office of the little yarn mill which jue joe hall had inherited from ills him fit ther and the business of which lie witia rapidly extending quite an important person was joe in ili the community financially ile he received van vall beek man mail rather coldly and asked alint he could to do for him you probably have noticed bald the suave van Beek beekman ninn my lily alteri eions alons to the beautiful alliss fairbanks 1 I have glowered joe 1 I have and ibi allow me to tell you iou that I 1 have not no seen theta them with pleasure who are you sir to co come nie into this community and try to captivate the best beat and prettiest girl in town what are your credentials that la just what I 1 came to show you replied van beekman ekman ne you may look me up in au bradstreets anti anil here are letters documents and references which I 1 think will satisfy you joe looked at the documents and lie he looked at bradstreets Brad streeta Il humph said he seems to be all right but what have I 1 got to LIO do with will it why returned van bookman beekman when I 1 told miss fairbanks that hoi her sister susan and myself had come to an understanding and requested her consent to our marriage as head of 0 the family faintly she said that she and you had been long engaged and were soon to be ma married aried and therefore us its tier her husband you would be the real alend hem of the family anti and were the ono one io to be consulted oh I 1 see yes certainly of course gasped joe your credentials are perfectly satisfactory sir air I 1 congratulate you jou ah then ell he put on his hat and went right up to see minerva what hu ht said to tier her neither of them ever told but they were married a month bo b fore susan and van beekman wera wem |