Show mandys mandy s emancipation by E la peace pea ce copyright by joseph B bowles mandy did not resemble either of her parents so far as appearances were concerned one might tiace 5 sort of composite likeness there wag was the osborn nose but the prominent hump of that feature was modified in her case to an aristocratic litti curve and the straight red would have been the alger mouth but for the dimples at the corners As mandy grew up the same aniag oristle spirit grew with her parents she was very pretty and her childish ways clung to her at 19 she was slight and undeveloped with her soft blue eyes vide mide open and innocent as a babas under their curling brown lashes her cheeks round and pink frank day and mandy had been like brother and sister since frank had appeared at the jersey farm house a poor forlorn orphan boy from the city and asked for work nathan alger gave him a chance on the farm and he proved such a quiet trusty active worker that he kept him allowing him to go to the village school with mandy during the winter and treating him as one of his house hold he ile was only two years older than mandy and he said pa and ma just as she did and considered him self lucky that he escaped parental disputation bout time mandy was mas chinkin of gettin married alif t ita said nathan one ine evening married that child replied the wife are you in such a great hurry to get rid of hera rid of her hera lor no keep her right here all her life an let her be a lonely spiteful old maid nice future for a pretty young girl nathan smiled covertly mandy is pretty be he said an I 1 guess others see it mother crell C rell newman can t keep his eyes off her at C rell newman repeated mrs al ger contempt isly he needa t make eyes at my daughter the matter with him I 1 don t like his family they re rich said nathan who was inclined to place a high estimate upon an extensive tract of fertile land 11 in I 1 don t like the newmans an C rell s wild mrs phebe had her plans tor for amandy mandy I 1 but it was useless to broach them then she had not been visiting the manasquan store tor for nothing when she could buy goods cheaper in As bury park she knew why she al waa was s took mandy with her and why a deep delight possessed her soul when the proprietors son a pale slender light haired young man who sat at the desk peered out between the wires that surrounded him and forgot to attend to his accounts acco ints until after mother and daughter had left the store arthur gleason was dignified and in tel and his natty attire and debonair air had made a deep imbres sion upon manasquan belles corell was really very fond of the slender golden haired girl and the newmans had always been known to be very sot in their ways young gleason from new york was a captive to mandy s fresh charms also and despite his languid eufemin acy he was not without a will of his own he had been a spoiled child at home and used to having his way in ill all matters now he was determined that no jersey farmer should triumph over him frank came out of the barn one day he ile saw a blue skirt whisking into the summer kitchen which was used only for storage stora e purposes then walk wall ing up to the little square window he peered in TO his surprise he saw mandy sitting in the little rush hot tomed chair near the table with her face faco buried in her apron in an in stant he was as beside her the muter m in uter itter sisa sis he asked gently mandy raised her tearstained tear stained face oh frank I 1 in so wretched retched she said I 1 aa pa and ma at it it its s nothing new replied the girl hopelessly you see wl at they re trying to do they think I 1 haven t got any feelings v which one do you like best asked frank as he be had done once before I 1 don dont t know I 1 don dont t know walled mandy they re both nice and they both want to marry me but it if I 1 marry one pa 11 disown me and it if I 1 marry the other ma 11 never speak to me again oh I 1 wish I 1 wad was dead she covered her face with her apron again there sis don t worry said frank stroking her rippling hair and trying to comfort her just as he used to do in the old school days day I 1 w wish vr h I 1 could help you come ats let s talk 1 it t over the next day during mand s teci horary absence from borne home her h nor at af fairs approached a cris crisis I 1 arth arthur ur gleason and corell newman ne aman hal driven up to the alger gate at th same time and alighted together UD uni pleasant words were exchanged and corell mho had been indulging the newman Isie thirst struck the er ers s sob son whereupon young gleason had drawn his whip from its socket and his opponent whose whip was not at hand had snatched a billet of wood from the woodpile then alter after a fur ther exchange of hostilities the young men had strung si rung into their respective vehicles and driven aay at a furious rate in opposite directions mr and mrs alger witnessing the scene from the sitting room windows felt that the time had come for becis ive action at five 0 clock that after noon mandy landy returned on either side ol 01 the fireplace her parents were respect respectively iely seated seated grim ad hostile all the brightness died out ot of the girls girl s face mandy began her mother sol ernal mr gleason an C rell new man were here to day an that mis rl ri ble druel drunken en vre x re h struck mr glea gies son in the face I 1 don t b lieve he will ever come here again gleason brought it on hissett re ported nathan with the alger mouth tense he drew mm him to it I 1 don t blame C rell a bit mandy pursued her mother you must write a note to mr gleason an tell him how sorry you are tell him that C rell newman will never darken your door again tell him you re goin to marry C rell newman shouted her father feeling that strategy was no longer available do as I 1 tell you said phebe he voice rising and her eyes snapping I 1 ve promised you to mr gleason an alive if I 1 ve promised ou to crell rell thundered nathan bringing his fist down upon the oaken table mandy stood in the center of the room with her head bent her lashes touching her cheeks her arms hang ing before her interlaced fingers her lips moved once as it if to speak and closed again then her slender shoulders seemed to square them selnes and her fingers gripped each othe othet closer pa ila ma you can t promise me you cant dispose of me either of you she said in low faltering but clear tones I 1 m married married an awful silence followed phebe alger said afterward that she felt as though mandy had slapped her in the r I 1 to his surprise he saw mandy face undoubtedly that action would not have left the mother without an idea of a punishment fitting the crime but now she sat forward in her chair dazed and speechless 0 nathan looked helplessly from mo me ther to daughter it ain aln t true mandy he asked at last yes pa came in the girls girl s soft tones and beneath the drooping lashes a tear crept leaving a shining trail across one flushed cheek check I 1 was mar ried to day mrs alger s eyes began to sparkle again which one of the belligerent had sought mandy that day and persuaded her into hasty wed locka are we lookin at mrs gleason or mrs C rell newman 9 she asked sar caustically casti cally I 1 d like to know scein as I 1 in interested if I 1 wasn gasn t asked to the wed weddin din mandy looked up then straight into her mother s eyes and for the first time in her life the osborn nose and the alger mouth seemed to torm an aggressive combination I 1 im in married to frank she said s beadily I 1 didn dian t want either of those other two I 1 liked frank bet ter than anyone I 1 knew you both wanted me to get married but I 1 could rit t marry two men frank mantea to tell you but I 1 said no we d get married first I 1 knew how atwould be it if we told you P raps aps you 11 both be mad I 1 cant help it all my life ive tried to please you but 1 I 1 I couldn coulden t mar ry t tw oo 00 o o 0 then she broke down and as the door opened she turned and ran to ward it ad and laid her face against her young husbands broad shoulder and frank put his arm around her and stood there with uplifted head calm ly facing the eted parents it was six months before mrs phebe alger spoke to either of them but nathan was so rejoiced over his cifes defeat that he forgot his own and gave the young couple a tract of land upon which young day had a small neat cottage speedily erected |