The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-07-11
BR OUGaT BACK.
CHAPTER l

There was une, SsnCe l have 5Sca . man, trat hardly kne~ my name, but am please 10 say thu, klo z it now am John P.mo-rtoA O4Ss. My fa;her always called me Pen; ol: th4, makes no d,deaeuec, l.; ..y :-:1o- I'd n"'S,"s to do ~iin the 4~fai ex ,eren-e which am going to relate
 Al the age of,~eay. was the tr0se1 osok-xeeper tor the large whole sale hrm of Plgman X Gray. P.gmar, who really earned on tne basi aess. made TO Atiemp; 10 disguise his appreciation of me. You may kao~ tha: appreciated this, when ,ei you that I was in love with C4r-ie ? SmAn. h st met her whi'e occu pied " rouS,About" position in ,he store, ou. even then she smiled upon me She used to come to the store nearly every afternoon and Ii was DO, long until l began 70 eagerly watch for her. Oae day whea sa= came in, her father was oul Passing by every one sue appro2caei me anu sad:
 Mf. P>m, Go you kno~ where papa has gone .
 No. 70 ro,.
 ~Dl >ol know how soon he iii De hack:@
 No lie said no:hng 10 me about his gong. When he has information 10 impsr; he communicA;e il 10 some one oc>upyts higher position than the position hil'
 "Oh, yes, ,hs, is true, bu; I'll sit here until he comes, that IS If you don't care" ~Of course, do ID: care You must please ex-use me as l am compelled 10 go about my duties"
 "On, DO. stay here and talk to me Mir. Penn
 "l really cannot. If do. your father will give me blowing up when he comes back"
 'Oh, no. he is DO, so bad as that
 ' He IS very s,uct
 No, with anything that concerns me- can, help II, Mss Carrie, mus: go aoOut my OoICSs
 She ppu:ed in a mos, charming pre- tense of anger as l turned a~ay. and was haf inclined to return and talk 10 her, but knowing ,ha, my daily bread de- pended on my posi ion, l shu; ou, the bngh, picture. When Mr P.gman re- turned, l heard her say:
 Papa, Mir. Fem Is such a stubborn young man"
 Why do you think so, Carrie?7
 Because l asked hum to talk to me and he said iha, he was compelled to do his work"
 He acted rightly, my daughter, and respect him for it"
 But l was 10 aesome
 "That makes no difference The young man has duties to p-rfcrm, duties with which lhave entrusted him and any neglect on his part would prove him to be unworthy of my confidence"
 These declarations made me addition ally careful in the future, and it was no, very long until l was promoted to the position of head book.keeper.
 One afternoon, Mir. P.gman invited me to take dinAer with him at his house. l, was the first time that he had ever ex- tened such an invitation, and the eager ness with which accepted i, must have been ill disguised, for Mir, Plgman looked al me and smiled Carrie was radiant and Mrs P,gman whom had never be- fore seen, beAmed upon me cordial vel come Af:er dinner we had music, and when evening came, Carrie and l went to the theatre. How joyous she was :; how hgh,-heared and gay. loved her and could see that she loved me. ln- deed, she made no attempt to conceal il. :. AS we were going home, told her of my love-zsked her to marry me. We kissed each other at the gate.
 The next morning was much sur prised and not little embarrassed when Mir. Pigman said to me:
 "So you and Carrie are engagedf"
 ~Yes, sir," faltered.
 @Well, sir, she will make you a good wife. Have you drawn of the Halpin Brothers' account?"
 looked wonderingiy at him. Surely he could not be SO unconcerned.
 ~Yes, sir, have drawn oF the ac- counts
 "An right"
 "Mr. Pigman, you de not seem to be mncA concerned about our engagemezt.1 D