The Van Buren press., 1897-01-23
HIS ROMANCE.

II WIS lhO yours SLilct Joe DEBILITY
had left his home in quiet little Ohio
town to seek his fortune in the west
For two years each working day had
found him at his desk in large mer.
camille house in Chicago. He had been
fortuna e in securing position at once
through brother of his town postmas-
ter, who was now chief clerk in the of
fee. Joe will never forget those two
years-lonesome two years they were,
the more lonesome, perhaps, because he
among strangers before.
When he first came to Chicago the
worlds fair and other attractions made
the city wonderful place for the coun-
try boy, but these soon paled or passed
away and the loneliness settled upon
him as he felt himself a stranger in a
strange land.
For time he attended church, as had
been his habit at home, but they were
such large places, and the congrega-
ton and young folks dressed and acted
80 differently from the church folk at
home that he finally got in the habit
of staying away. He sorely missed his
town acquaintance, the companions
ship of his sisters and brothers and the
bright smile of Cousin Fan, who used
TO pop in so unexpectedly and leave
such volume of sunshine behind her
when her father would come to town to
do his marketing. The girls with
whom some of his fellow clerks associ-
ated, and with whom they tried to make
him at home, somehow failed to fill the
bill. Somehow it didn't seem right for
the fellows to greet them on the street
with familiar slap on the shoulder
and a Hello, Kit, old girl, how you is ~
and in spite of himself he felt too much
of an aversion to them to enjoy himself
or make himself entertaining, and
dropped them.
At last a change came-gradually to
be sure, so slowly that Joe hardly
knew there had been a change till it
was there. For several days the seat
Mt the opposite end of the table in the
restaurant where Joe ate lunch had
been occupied by a modest-appearing
little woman, whose long lashes fringed
the darkest of blue eyes, and whose
slightly pouting lips and rounded
cheeks glowed with the natural health
which can never be duplicated by art
and which only country air can give.
The next day she was in the same seat,
and the next and the next, and Joe soon
came to look forward, unthingingly, to
see the bright face of the unknown.
One day the chair was vacant, and
Joe, with sense of deep disappoint T.
ment, knew why it was he looked for
ward 30 eagerly to the MONDAY meal.
The next noontime he took particular
rvirs with his toilet and was so inn
patient that he was at the table five
minutes before his accustomed time.
SIZE was not there, and his heart sank.
A minute later it bounded again as he
ssw the well-llnown figure coming down
the aisle. AS she pulled back her chair
preparatory to taking her seat, some
how or other, Joe never quite knew how
IL happened. the big blue eyes flashed
his feet, blushing and bowling.
This was the beginning, and it be-
came customary to bow, later to sit side
by side and talk during lunch, ard, il
time permitted, to walk with her as far
as the Monadnocll building, where she
was employed. He had vainly tried to
discover her name, but when he had
naively informed her that 1t was awl-
ward to call her "Say," she had asked
him TO call her simply Miss Margaret,
adding that this was what she was most
generally called and was most ae-
customed to.
This went on for several weeks and
Joe had several times been on the verge
OF asking for her address, that he might
cali, or asking her to accompany him
,othethcater. but he kept delaying. fear
ing that he might rupture the growing
friendship and be left again TO himself
and the lonesomeness OF feeling that he
knew almost no one.
One nooutime (and Joe win always
remember iO she was not in her accus-
toned place, although the day before
she lad been specializing what the bill
OF fare would be. lie ate as slowly as
he could and spent his whole noon hour
in the restaurant, but when he left the
chair was still vacant. The next day
the same ezperiepce. He reproacbed
himself fer rot finding out more about
lcr--pcrlans she was sick or had msi
w.tl OIL argia 7r AtGnY rate, she knew