The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1896-01-08
SOMERSET, PA. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY g. 1896


school, and felt herself well equipped
for the position, but so far she had not
secured il.
OF course her aunt laughed at her.
So did Gregory, too, for that matter,
for she had been quite society girl
and both predicted she would be pick
ed up and married off before she ever
got place as stenographer. thought
so myself.
L remember il was the last day of 1913
that / was sitting in the smoking-room
and all the others were i'm the next
room (which they called the "warm
room" because it wasn't quite as cold
as the others) when the next mail
came, Gregory brought me letter
from the "boss," and | was reading it
when / heard Maud say in her quiet
way: "Auntie, 1 may as well tell you,
l am engaged"
Then | heard Mrs. Gregory get up
and go over and kiss Maud, and as |
don't like to overhear conversation
meant for other ears l went up to my
room and stocked up the fire.
/ may as well own that was cut up
quite little, for / had begun to like
Maud little too well for my own COM
fort, and, while | had no real hope of
ever winning her, il was rather shock
to learn that she was actually engaged,
and that / was to have no chance at all.
pulled out my writing material with
a jerk, and answered the letter had
received in a pretty bad mood, and
then smoked a pipe aud read a bit, and
before | knew it il was late.
Gregory came in and sat on the bed
awhile and talked about a curling
match that was TO come off the next
day, and then he incidentally remark
ed: "You heard Maud say she was en-
gagged at last, didn't you?' "Yes,"
said, 81 did hear something of the
kind. Who's got her?' simpsons
his name," said Gregory; "rich old
fellow, runs a furniture factory in
Toronto"
"Oh ~ / said.
Then Gregory left and pulled out
my note book. | took new leaf and
set about writing some resolutions for
'9i. | do it every year-and usually |
keep them. This time / thought for
quite while before / could think of
any reforming / needed and at length |
gave it up and simply wrote: "Resolv-
ed: That l will be bachelor all my
life"
Then | shut the book and went to
bed and naturally dreamed of Maud.
You see how far gone | was. 1
The next morning we were all at
breakfast when some one introduced
the subject of Maud's engagement.
"You are the only one to neglect to
congratulate me, Mr.. Butler" she said,
feigning offense.
''But / do congratulate you. Miss
Maud" / said, sincerely, "and hope
your engagement may be leading TO
nothing but happiness for you"
"Oh it will ~ she said. ''If you
knew Mr.. Simpson, you could no doubt
it. He is the kindest man. He is just
the man / should have picked of all the
men | know"
Indeed l imagined that you did
choose him in way? In such mat
ter one usually"
"Of course" she said, "I chose him,
but still it lay with him, too, for with
out his consent"
"His consent ~ / cried.
"Why, yes" she said, she had to ac-
cept me before"
accept you, Miss Maud ~ / ex-
claimed. "You certainly did not pro-
pose to him?'
Certainly, did," she said. "You
don't think | could have got the posi-
tom
''The position ~ I said, amazed.
"What position?
''Why, as stenographer of course.
What did you think | had" and then
she must have seen through my stupid
blunder, for she blushed.
And as for HE, there was no staying
at the same table with Gregory after
that, so | went up to my room and tore |
up the only resolution | had made for
the New Year and, to make long
story short, we were married at Sutton |
West, Maud and |, that summer, and /
Gregory was my best man, which posi-
ton he filled very well, in spite of Il
boil on his neck.