Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1895-12-05

I boy. \ poor clerk who repulSeS the
advances of a prospective millionaire
must be worth winning" 1t was after
that that the proprietor begun to take
an unusual interest in his drug de-
engage Miss Choatc in conversation +;
1 TO consult her opinion with regard TO
/ the relative merits of different brands
OF olive oils, soaps, complexion, pastes,
( etc. Miss Choate was an engaging
/ talker and displayed u technical
knowledge OF her stock gratifying to
business man accustomed TO careless
clerks. MIR. Ormsbee had long consid-
cred her Invaluable as q saleswoman,
and respected her for her dignity, but
it took just this circumstance of his
nephew's infatuation for the perfum
cry girl to fully open the eyes of the
elder OrmSbee TO the surprising at
fractions of Miss Choate, the young
woman. For it was not TO be sus-
pected for a moment that the limited
brain power of Fred Ormsbee had
comprehended in its length, breadth
and thickness the excellence of Miss
Choate's character. 1t was not char
acter that Fred Ormsbee made spe
cialty of, but form-style, and he had
never, he thought, beheld anything in
that line that quite eQualed Miss
Choate'S. Perhaps at first he bad not
been perfectly in earnest in his atten-
tons to his uncle's clerk, but it took
Isl, II tad ,lN.,
from her to convince him that there
was nothing in the wide world so emf
nently desirable as Miss Choate's ia.
vor. Hence his appeal to his uncle,
who had always procured for him
every coveted thing, and could, beyond
Miss Choate.
Mr.. Ormsbee, ST., stood there i'll front
of the drug counter attentively listen
ing to what Miss Choate was saying
about olive oils, and presently some
, question arose as to perfumeries, ne
cessitating Mr. Ormsbee's presence be
hind the counter instead OF in front.
/ This, by the way, was three months or
more after the services of the uncle
had been enlisted in behalf of the
nephew, and Mr.. Ormsbee had been
making almost daily visits to the drug
counter.
There is no reason why this per
/ fumery should sell better than the
/ other" Miss Choate was saying, only
/ that it has a fashionable name. The
! other is finer scent, but the faddists
have started rush for this, and Gus
toners haven't discrimination enough
| to see-Oh, Mr.. Ormsbee, what have
| done!'
/ She had made a quick movement in
! the earnestness of her speech and
smashed the cut glass bottle of per-
fumery she held, deluging him with
/ the contents and badly cutting her
hand.
Three dollars out of my wages"
was her first thought, and then she
saw the accident was even more dis
astrous than that, for the blood was
/ flowing over her dress in a bright
stream.
"Heavens! exclaimed Mr.. Ormsbee,
and whipped out his handkerchief. He
bound up the cut as deity and tender
ly as woman could, and perceiving
Miss Choate's paleness, went himself
and got her glass of wine.
You must go home" said he in
tones of authority. "Ill get you car
riage." Miss Choate tried TO protest,
for the accident was all her own fault,
and she could not afford to go driving
about in carriages, but her employer
would not listen. He had a carriage
at the side door in moment, himself
/ put Miss Choate into it. and then
wonderful-got in beside her. What
did it mean? 1t meant one thing to
Miss Choate, i. e., that in spite of her
bleeding hand, her ruined gown and SO
out of her weekly wages she felt
strangely but calmly happy.
The clergyman's widow came to the
door in alarm at seeing her daughter
brought home by her employer and
supported by him in manner which
indicated that she must be seriously
indispo3ed. Really manner uncalled
. lOl, NOtISldNl lhS ludI IL hd6 OILY ii
hand that was hurt, and her two
handsome feet were intact and as
spring. as ever. But the ridiculous
ness of it did not seem to strike Mr..
Ormsbee. He half lifted her along,
as if she were mortally injured and
about 10 die, and the sorrowful ten
derness in his eyes and tone would
have led one TO think him responsible
for her critical state, when, in truth,
it was wholly and entirely her own
fault.
When they had explained the cir
cumstances between them, and Mrs.
Choate had dressed the wound, with
the knowledge always possessed by
clergymens wives, she, Mrs. Choate,
invited the gentleman TO be seated,
and tall ed with him in the easy dig
nified way Mr.. Ormsbee had come to
know SO we'll in his perlumery girl.