Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1892-07-15

the whole affair. No one who knew
Peters would ever have given him the
credit of proposing an eIopement--''ac.
cuse him of it," as johnson puts it,
| She claimed that while she could man.
age her father all right enough up to a
certain point, yet that in this particular
matter she preferred to negotiate with
him after marriage rather than before
She had great deal Of the old mans
shrewdness-ha Sadie. He used to say
he would not like to have Der ss an OPP
ponent on a wheat deal.
Then the clerks say-but hang the
clerks What do they know about it7
AS Farnam truly remarked, casting a
gloom over the rest as he spoke: You
may say what you like about Peters,
but you can't get over the unwholesome
fact Shat 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 applicant The elopement
was all settled, Peters quaking most of
the time, and he was to write her a let
ter giving an account Of how arrange
ments were progressing. 1t will hard
ly be credited-and yet it is possible
enough when you think what ma
chine methodical man gets to be
that Peters wrote this epistle to his girl
on his desk and put it in the pile Of let
ters that were to be copied into the old
mans 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 be-
ginning:
DEAR SIR-Yours OF the sd received and
contents noted"
Peters got the corner-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-letter was written in
copying ink and had been through the
press.
Next day when old man Bcntham
WAS looking over the leaves of the
previous days letters he suddenly be-
gan to chucl1le to himself. Old Bent
ham had very comfortable, good-na-
tured, well-to-do chuckle that was a
pleasure to hear. Even Peters almost
smiled as he heard it.
"Peters!"
"Yes, sir"
"Have you all the letters, Peters,
that these letters are tho answers TOP"
Certainly, sir"
"There is one want to see, Peters,
"What is the name, please?'
"Pctty. did not know that we dealt
in this line of goods, Peters"
III. w. Petty, sir?"
81 don't know the initials Here's
the letter"
Peters was stricken. Ho was up
: ed-dumb--blind. The words Oar
ling Petty" danced before his eyes. He
felt his hair beginning to raise. The
; book did not fall from his hand simply
because he held it acknowledgement
odically. Old Bentham roared; theI
: 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 a
> the club"
IL wouldn't if were you, sis," sale
Peters, slowly recovering his senses a
he saw the old man had no suspicion
how the land lay.
mo, suppose it wouldn't be quit,
the square thing. But Of all men in tn,
world, Peters-you! Why do you clope
: Why not marry her respectfully at tn,
church or at home? You'll regret goins
off like that all your life"
}, Miss --she-t that is-prefers it thai
way
: ''Oh. romantic, issshe? l wouldn't d.
!, it, Peters" e.
There are other reasons"
y, Father or mother against, as usual
j. Isupposc. Well, you refer them to me
Peters. I'll speak good word for you
But what am to do while you ar
'. awayP'
u IL thought perhaps - perhaps
johnson would take my place"
"All right. can put up with John
son for week, maybe, but think o
me and get back rs soon as shelf lie
you"
= II old Mr.. Beutham did not mentio
. it at the club he did at home.
~ "You remember Peters, Sadie. Nc
u, no! that was johnson. Peters Is in m
:, room, you know. No, the red-heade
man is Farnam. He's in the othe
room. Peters has the desk in the COZ
ner. Staidest fellow on the street
> Ever so much older than amin mar
ner, of course. The last man in the cit
: you would suspect of being in love
Well, he wrote"-arid so Mr.. BcnthaI
' told the story.
Sadie kissed him somewhat hysteriC
=. ally when he promised to say goo
word for Peters, and said he was yer
y kind-hearted.
X Besides, papa, you ought to have
. partner in the business. This is no Co
Z you know"
blcSS mt CHllu, Wlldt mas cJeT'
wedding to do with the company? Il
u is taking the partner, not me. | can
take Peters into partnership merely b.
y cause he chooses to get married"
. ''0h, thought that was customary,
II said Sadie.
There was no elopement after al
. The clerks say that it was the conscier
i tious Peters that persuaded Sadie on
II of it. But MS the old man found he ha
{ to give way, it came to the same thing
) Sadie" the old man said, III thin
c I'll change the name of the firm. /
retire and it will be after this 'Bentl
e Sm, Husband & Co.'"-Lukc Sharp,
" Detroit Free Press.
N A Great General.