Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-04-28

Winters whicA ~ On exceedingly
ANAL pocket edition, that contained
only the words In most common use.
But somshow = soon u It became
Known that thers was . large diction-
ary In Ars. Culberson's room ON the
second floor end that everybody had
been given free access thereto the do
dire for knowledge was given . WON
derful impetus. ~ = ragi TH
But the person who found occasion
70 refer to the big book most fire.
Quently was Mr.. Winter. Mr.. Winter
was q grocer. OF course in his busi-
ness he daily met with many terms
that required calculation. Hitherto
be had found the pocket edition per-
fectly satisfactory, but after the ad-
vent Of the unabridged dictionary the
much-worn green-backed little book
suddenly lost usefulness and never an
evening passed that Mr.. Winter did
not rap at Mrs. Culberson's door and
politely request to come in and look
at the dictionary q minute"
His prolonged visits annoyed Mrs.
Culberson at first. His presence pre-
vented her scolding at Ruth, and a.
he, himself, seemed deeply immersed
In scholastic lore, thus forbidding
opening conversation with him, tho
poor old lady's evenings became SEES
sions Of exquisite torment. N O. !
II don't know what makes him
come up here so Often" she said pet
tishly, one night after he had cloead
the dictionary and gone away. Hes
an awful bore" 9'9 f4
Its your own ia lit he comes" said
Ruth. you invited him. is5
"Of course, invited him." retorted
Mrs. Culberson. | invited them oil.
Doesn't he annoy your" w .a
NO" said she softly; Il don't
know that he does"
AS the spring days took on the heat
OF summer Mrs. Culberson became
more fretful, Ruth grew younger and
prettier, and Mr.. Winter studied later
each evening in blissful oblivion Of
the added heat Of the gas Jet.
Mrs. Culberson had long since
ceased sitting up waiting for him to
60, but babe him goodnight and went
to bed in the alcove. 4
One evening In early June, 10
o'clock passed and Mr., Winter had az
yet made no movement toward going
away. Ruth watched him closely, Us
she always did when he seemed en-
crossed with the words before him,
and she noticed that he had not turn
ed a page for more than an hour.
He looked up at length and their
eyes met. Ruth fe't her face flushing
again, and with the realization Of her
weakness the flush grew deeper.
ITS a pretty knotty problem that
] have been puzzling over tonight"
he said, with sigh. a5 aa t7li
Couldn't you find what you were
looking for?" she asked softly. aa
II hardly know found the word
] wanted. Whether It will ever mean
to me what | would like it to mean
do not know. Here it is. have been
looking at II a great deal lately"
lie turned the big dictionary
around till she could read the line
over which his finger rested. There
was one word underlined with u
pencil, and she knew II was the one
he wished her to see 1t was spelled
l-o-v-e.
rs that ever to be for me?" he
asked.
The blush had deepened into scarlet
then. For moment look of ex-
ceeding happiness TRANSPORTED her
face, but moment later the old
troubled expression drove It away.
She turned the leaves of the diction-
airy till she came to the word
mother"
That's all right" he said, and
nodded toward the alcove.
Away over near the back of the
book her next answer was found.
Ruth" called out Mrs. Culberson,
a quarter of an hour later, what
made Mr.. Winter stay SO late this
EVENING""
He was looking at the dictionary,
mother" .Y,tN
Did he find what he wanted?"
asked Mrs. Culberson.
Yes mother" said Ruth, IT be-
lieve he did.'-The Chicago Daily
News.