The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1892-06-23


the whole affair. No one who knew
Peters would ever have given him the
credit Of proposing an elopement-"ac
cuse him of it." as johnson puts It,
She claimed that while she could man.
age her father all right enough up TO
certain pcint, yet that In this particular
matter she preferred to negotiate with
him after marriage rather than before.
She had q great deal OF the old mans
shrcwdness--had Sadie. He used to say
he would not like to have her as an op-
ponent on q wheat deal.
Then the clerks say-but hang tho
clerksl What do they know about it3
AS Farnan truly remarked, casting
gloom over the rest as he spoke: "You
may say what you like about Peters,
but you can't get over the unwholesome
fact that none of us got her."
The gallingness Of this undoubted
truth was that each of the clerks
thought himself better looking man
than Peters.
Well, to come to the awful point
where Peters methodicalness nearly
upset the apple-cnrt. The elopement
was nll settled. Peters cnaleing most Of
the time, and he was to write her q let
ter giving an account Of how arrange
ments were progressing. II will hard
ly be creditcd-and yet It Is possible
enough when you think what ma
chine mcthodical man gets TO be-
that Peters wrote this epistle to his girl
on his desk and put it in the pile OF let
tcrs that were to be copied into the old
mans letter bookl The Office boy
picked up the heap at exactly the usual
hour, took them 10 the copying press,
wet the thin leaves and squeezed them
in; the love letter next to the one bo-
| ginning:
DEAR srn-Yours OF the soi rccesced and
| contents noted"
Peters got the corncr-curled letters,
still damp, and put them all in their
right envelopes and Sadie got hers in
due time, but did not know enough
about business correspondence to know
that her first love-lcttcr was written in
copying ink aud had been through tho
! pfsss.
Next day when old man Dentham
was looking over tho leaves Of the
previous days letters he suddenly be-
gan to chuclsle to himself. Old Bent
ham had very comfortable, good-na-
tured, well-to-do chuckle that was q
pleasure to hear. Even Peters almost
smiled as he heard it.
| "Pe.crs."
Eyes sir"
Have you all tho letters. Peters.
that these letters arc the answers toY'
Certainly, sir"
"There is one want 10 sec, Peters
what Is the name pleaseT'
petty. drd not know that u'c dealt
in this line Of goods, Pcters-"
81. w. Petty, sir?"
II don't know the initials Here's
the letter.
Peters was stricken. lie was ap-
palled-dumb--b blind The words "Dar.
ling Petty" danced before his eyes He
felt his hair bcginning to raise. The
book did not fall from his hand simply
because he hold it acknowledgement
odical,y. Old Dcntham roarcd; then
not hear his nirth.
THAT'S onc on you, netcra It's toe
good to keep l must tell thas down q,
the club"
II wouldn't If were you. SIR" said
Peters, slowly recovering his senses ns
he saw the old man had no suspicion
how the land lay.
mo. suppose tt wouldn't be quite
the square thing. But Of all men in the
world, Pcters-yos! Why do you elope:
Why not marry her respectfully At the
church or at homer You'll regret going
off like that all your life"
"Miss is-prefcrs IL that
way"
"Oh. romantic. is slseT wouldn't Dc
it, Peters"
"Therc ere other reasons"
Father or mother against. a. r,eual
suppose. We'll, you refer them "a me
Peters. III speak good word for you
But what am TO do while you an
away?"
III thought perhaps = perhape-
johnson would take ray place.
IAN right can put up with John
son for week, maybe, but think O,
me and get book a. soon q sheu ie'
you:r 20 ts''~m. =. So r'''r.
II old Mr. Bcnthasn did not rneossos
It at the club he did ut home.
"You remember Peters. Sadie. No
no! that was johnson. Peters is In my
room, you know. No. the rcd-heodet
man is Farpam. He's tn the othe,
room. Peters has the desk In tho cor
ncr. Staidest fellow on the street
Ever so much older than AMIN man
ner, Of course. The tast man In the cits
you would suspect Of being in love
Well, he wrote"-snd % Mr.. Benthau
told the story.
Sadie kissed him sornewha& hystertc
ally when he promised TO cay . eoot
word for Peters, and aaid be Wa ves,
kind-hearted.
"Besidcs, papa, you ought 20 have'i
partner in the business This IL no %.
you know" ~
BLESS me, child. what has Peters
wedding to do with the company II