The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1897-01-07
HIS ROMANCE.

It was two years since Joe Bentley
sad left his home in quiet little Ohio
town to seek his fortune in the west.
Fer two years each working day had
frfSnd him at his desk in a large mer-
r.antiie house in Chicago. He had been
fortunate in securing position at once,
shrough brother of his town postmas-
Ser, who was now chief clerk in the Of
ice Joe will never forget those two
gcnEs-lonesome two years they were,
&ae more lonesome, perhaps, because he
rad never been away from home and
among strangers before.
When he first came to Chicago the
ceurld's fair and other attractions made
Che city wonderful place for the coun-
INV boy, but these soon paled or passed
s4xvay, and the loneliness settled upon
Gifsn as he felt himself a stranger in a
strange land.
9or time he attended church, as had
g,efa his habit at home, but they were
+srFcgl large places, and the congrega-
s.5egn and young folks dressed and acted
50 differently from the church folk at
Glnnle that he finally got in the habit
II staying away. He sorely missed his
eSwu acquaintance, the companion
shin of his sisters and brothers and the
bright smile Of Cousin Fan, who used
AZ pop in so unexpectedly and leave
as,seh Il volume of sunshine behind her
xxlsen her father would come to town to
<3u his marketing. The girls with
Of fo1l
stted, and with whom they tried to make
nim at home. somehow failed to fill the
bUl. Somehow it didn't seem right for
-s!hs- fellows to greet them on the street
-atth a familiar slap on the shoulder
a41st7 Il "Hello, Kit, old girl, how you is p
and in spite of himself he felt too much
VI IN aversion to them to enjoy himself
W make himself entertaining, and
cropped them.
AZ last a change came-gradually to
Eae sure, so slowly that Joe hardly
Knew there had been change till it
xSas there. For several days the seat
at fhe opposite end of the table in the
restaurant where Joe ate lunch haC
T}s,san occupied by a modest-appearine
YiGtEc woman, whose long lashes fringeC
size. darkest of blue eyes, and who's
slightly pouting lips and rounded
cheeks glowed with the natural healtl
which can never be duplicated by ar
zsgad which only country air can give
The next dav she was in the same seat
.1yld the next and the next, and Joe sooI
came TO look forward, unthingingly, t.
see the bright face of the unknown.
Sysla day the chair was vacant, an'
Zoe. with a sense of deep disappoint
grert, knew why it was he looked for
xxaYr! so eagerly to the MONDAY mea.
The next noontime he took particula
yoslr4s with his toilet and was so i'm
xyatirnt that ne was at the table fly
minutes before his accustomed time
Sine was not there, and his heart sanl
y minute later it bounded again as h
reavs the well-known figure coming dow
chg aisle. As she pulled back her chat
Esre paratory to taking her seat, some
f,o,v or other, Joe never quite knew ho'
It, happened, the big blue eyes fiashe
zfor a. moment into his and he was o
his feet, blushing and bowling.
This was the beginning, and it b.
came customary to bow, later to sit sid
rav side and talk during lunch, and,
Eys7e permitted, to walk with her as fl
aqS the Monadnock building, where ST
'SS,ts employed. lie had vainly tried
discover her name, but when he ha
rzalvSly informed her that it was awl
vta1vE TO call her "Say," she had aske
Ellza TO call her simply Miss Margare
zseh9ing that this was what she was mo-
GENERALLY called and was most a
cushioned to-
This went on for several weeks NJ
.ey0c had several times been on the verf
cpf asking for her address, that he mig
call, or asking her to accompany hi
6athe theater, but he kept delaying, fea
fnsy that he might rupture the grown
Friendship and be left again to himst
aad the loncsomeness of feeling that
Ilrlesg almost no one.
One noontime land Joe will alwa
g-.rnrmber it) she was not in her acct
'fnrned place, although the day befo
ssEe. had been specializing what the b
OF fare would be. He ate as slowly
Es could and spent his whole noon no
ffm the restaurant, but when he left t
~.Eair was still vacant. The next d
rEq. same experience. He reproach
himself for not finding out more abe
Rler-perhaps she was sick or had II
with an accident. AtanY rate, 9hc lIn'