The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1899-05-31
ROMANCE OF
A DEPARTMENT Store,
by Epohn TEMPLE FIELD.

the fact that he was not an ambitious
man.
He was wont to say that envy and
| discomfort are the twin roots of al
evil, aud that TO be satisfied with ones
lot in life is the sum total of all earthl,
philosophy.
William did not put IL in that way,
exactly, for he hadn't much more edu
cation than he had ambition. But
that was what he meant when he
would occasionally announce to his
fellow clerks over the bowl Of mush
and milk that formed his MONDAY
meal Mt the "quick lunch" counter.
"What I can get is good enough foi
me, and don't you forget it,"
And his fellow clerks, mostly un.
ambitious mon like himself, would
generally reply, with laconic vague
ness OF assent, "rhats what"
Williams lot in life was sufficiently
humble.
He sold tin bath tubs in the poorly
lighted basement of q big department
store six days in the week. His Sun
days he spent in riding second. hand
bicycle, if it was fine, and reading the
pictorial pnpors or sewing refractory
buttons and reluctant patches on his
clothing when the weather precluded
any idea of outdoor amusement
For William was bachelor and
looked askance Mt the fair sex, az the
lovely promoters of much of the dis
content he so sternly deprecated and
the gentle meters of the reckless and
wicked extravaganza whose existence
in the world he so greatly doplored.
SO when he caught the fitter Of n
skirt on any stray bicyc he chanced
to pass on lonely rad he would
scorch sternly ahead and never once
glance around to see if the fair trav-
eler was riding for fun or to reduce
her waist measure.
From which it may be seen that
Mr.. French was very much of a philos-
opher.
But, alas, even philosophers are not
exempt from the visitings of the ten
der passion, and il CHANGED one day
that Cupid, for want of something
better to do, chose to visit the base
ment of that particular store and plant
his dart deep in the heart of the
young man who sol d tin bath tubs.
1t happened this way.
A young woman came to gil n
vacancy in the graniteware depart
ment, next TO Williams own, and he
80 lone indifferent and even callous
to the charms of woman, no sooner
saw the new clerk busy over her
saucepans and teakettles than he was
smitten with desire to possess her
for his own.
Miss Thompson was not beautiful,
to be sure, nor was she at all imposing
of appearance, that she should thus
captivate the heart of this severe critic
at first sight And she trotted about
with brisk alertness of movement
quite incompatible with grace and
elegance of movement.
But she suited William right down
to the ground.
To begin with, she had soft eyes,
OF no particular color, perhaps, but
somehow when their gaze rested on
William he felt that here, at last, was
one who could appreciate his true
value almost as keenly ms he did him
self Her brown hair, of very ordi-
nary shade, was parted very neatly
over her smooth brow in fashion ex-
tremely plain and unambitious COM
pared to the imposing pompadours
worn by the magnificent young ladies'
who sold ribbons and neckties at the
counters upstairs, and whose airs and
graces made William so uncomfortable
that he frequently went to a rival es-
tablishment to purchase the modest
''made-up" cravat which completed
his humble toilet.
Moreover, Miss Thompson's simple
black alpaca gown, with it's trim
belted waist and spotless cuffs anu
collar, betrayed none of the wickedly
extravagant ideas William had long
considered the prevalent weakness OF
the sex.
1t wasn't very long before the two
young people became very friendly.
Stewpans and teakettles being more
in demand than bathtubs, William was
frequently called upon to assist Miss
Thompson in, her department, and this
association with her afforded the
young man moments of exquisite JOY.
At other times he would watch her,
busy over her cooking utensils, and
imagine how she would look in little
kitchen OF her own manipulating sini-
lar implements in the preparation OF
his own supper.
The thought was intoxicating. Here
at last he had found a girl who would
be willing to share his humble lot, he
told himself. A plain little thing like
her would probably regard tiny
three-room fiat such as he had in mind
as palace of luxury. He himself