Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1892-06-17

should have been given up to the con-
Germs of Beutham Brothers 6 Co., and
her presence where she had not the
slightest business to be threw the rest OF
his mental machinery out of gear.
1t is very generally ad mitted now that
the sprightly Miss Sadie managed the
whole affair. No one who knew Peters
would ever have given him the credit of
proposing an elo2ement-'accuse him
of it" as Johnson puts it. She claimed
that while she could manage her father
all right enough up to a certain point,
yet that in this particular matter she pre-.
ferred to negotiate with him after mar
riage rather than before. She had a
great deal of the old mans shrewdness
had Sadie. He used to say he would
not like to have her as an opponent oa
wheat deal.
Well, to come to the awful point where
Peters's methodicalness nearly upset the
apple cart. The elopement was all set
tied, Peters Quaking most of the time,
and he was to write her a letter giving
an account of how arrangements were
progressing. 1t will hardly be credited
and yet it is possible enough when you
think what a machine a methodical man
gets to be-that Peters wrote this epistlc
to his girl on his desk and put it in the
pile of letters that were to be copied into
the old mau's letter book! The Office
boy picked up the heap at exactly the
usual hour. took them to the copying
press, wet the thin leaves and squeezed
them in; the love letter next to the one
beginning
DEAR SIR-Yours OF the o3l received
an1 contents noted"
Peters got the corner curled letters
still damp, aud put them all in their right
envelopes, aud Sadie got hers in due
time, but did not know enough about
business correspondence to know that
her first love-letter was written in copy
ing ink and had been through the press.
Next day when old man Bsnthan was
looking over the leaves OF the previous
days letters he suddenly began to
chuckle to himself. OH Bentham had
a very comfortable, good-nstured, we'll
to-do chuckle that was a pleasure to
hear. Even Peters almost smiled as he
heard it.
"Peters!"
eyes, sir"
"Have you all the letters, Peters, that
these are the answers to-"
"Certaiuly, sir
"There is one want to see, Peters. -
"What is the name, pleasel"
"Petty. l did not know that we dealt
in this line of goods, Peters" D"
"H. w. Petty, sir"
~ don't know the initials. Here's the
letter"
Peters was stricken. He was appalled,
-dumb-blind. The words "Darling
Petty" danced before his eyes. He felt
his hair beginning to rise. The book did
not fall from his hand simply because he
held it mechanically-methodically. Old
Bentham roared, then closed the door so
that the clerks would not hear his mirth.
"That's one on you, Peters. It's too
good to keep. must tell that down at
the club
81 wouldn't if were you, sir, said
Peters, slowly recovering his senses as he
saw the old mau had no suspicion how
the land Jay.
"No, l suppose it wouldn't be quite
the square thing. But of all men in the
world, Peters you. Why do you elope'
Why not marry her respectfully at the
church or at home. You'll regret going
off like that all your life"
"Miss--she-th is-prefers it that
way, sir"
"Oa, romantic, is she7 1 wouldn't 90
it, Peters"
"There are other reasons"
Father or mother against, as usual,
suppose. Well, you refer them to me,
Peters. I'll speak good word for Jou.
But what am to do while you are
awayi"
T-I thought perhlps perhaps
Johnson would take my place
"All right. can put up with John-
son for a week, maybe, but think Of me
aud get back as soon as she'll let you"
II old Mr. Benthan did not mention it
at the club he cid at home.
"You remember Peters, Sadie. Nol
no. that was johnson. Peters is in my
room, you know. No, the red headed
man is Farnam. He's 10 the other room.
Peters has the desk in the corner. Staid
est fellow on the street. Ever so much
older than l AMIN manner of course.
The last man in the city you would sus-
pect of being in love. Well, he wrote"
and so Mr. Bentham told the story.