Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1899-08-03

busy over her cooking utensils, and
imagine how she would look in little
kitchen of her own manipulating SINH
lar implements in the preparation of
his own supper.
The thought was intoxicating. Here
at last he had found girl who would
be willing to share his humble lot, he
told himself. A plain little thing like
her would probably regard a tiny
three-room fiat such as he had in mind
as palace of luxury. He himself
would seem to her sort of special
providence through whose benevolent
intervention she would realize all
those dreams of home and husband
most girls indulge in.
This thought he found even more
agreeable than the other, and he found
himself assuming a protecting and
even patronizing air with her at times.
The enamored young man went so
far as to hint to the object of his affec-
tion his hopes of having modest
home of his own one day, and while
he could not recall afterward that she
had betrayed any great interest in his
plans, he took comfort in thinking
that girls are shy about showing their
feelings and that probably it had not
occurred to her that he would notice a
little clerk in the graniteware depart
ment.
So William dreamed his dreams and
even began to inquire around about
the rent of fats such as he would be
apt to require.
But he did not tell his love. There
was no hurry about that. He would
wait till spring-when rents were
cheaper
And besides she was probably not
prepared to hear of the honor
he proposed to pay he,
She might faint or something. Girls
were apt to do those things when
you take them unawares, he had
heard.
SO the winter wore on, and William
spent more and more of his time talk
ing to his fair neighbor, and fell more
deeply in love with every interview.
To be sure lie did most of the talk
ing.
He often confided to her his views
on extravaganza and high living, and
took occasion to ridicule those who
spent their money on good clothes
and theatre tickets instead of laying it
up for a rainy day.
And while Miss Thompson never
said anything he could construe into
an admission that she thought he was
right, she always listened with grave
attention, and with her soft-eyes fixed
on him he remained bllssfully certain
| that here was a woman who would
thankfully devote her life to helping
him save his income and provide for
his old age.
At last the spring drew near.
The flower counter in the main
aisle began to glow with golden sun
shine of datfodils and jonquils, and
odors of hyacinth and Easter lilies
were waited down the stairway to the
dim basement where the bathtubs and
the teakettles had their home.
And then one day William had a
shock. The cross-eyed girl at the
crockery department told him that
Miss Thompson was going to leave.
He could not believe it. But in
quiry at the glassware department re-
,ealed the fact that the rumor had
spread the day before, and had been
confirmed by the young lady herself.
William was astounded. She had
made up her mind to leave without
telling himl What did it mean, he
wondered?
Then he had an idea. Perhaps she
had grown to care so much for him
that seeing him every day was painful.
He had read of such things in novels.
He resolved to tell her that very day
of the plans he had made for her and
ask her to become Mrs. William
French.
1t was long, however, before his OPP
portunity came.
1t seemed to him that every fat
woman in the city had decided to lay
in supply of graniteware that par
ticular day.
Atlast he encountered Miss Thomp-
son behind a hugh pile of coffeepots.
I'll hear you're going away, ,"
he began, surprised to find himself
feeling decidedly nervous.
eyes," she said pleasantly, as she
made an entry in her little cashbook.
'Im going tomorrow.
"Well, l didn't know-that is, 1
thought hope, 1 mean, that I've
not had anything to do with your
going" he went on, beginning to be
appalled, at the miserable figure he
was cutting.
"You, Mr.. French-how could You
I don't understand, I'm afraid,
she replied, in evident bewilderment.
"Oh, you see--I thought maybe
you'd been expecting, you know-that
is. you might have known that l was
going to ask you to marry me, you
know. I'd have asked you before
only
"Pray, don't apologize, she ex-
claimed, quickly. "Its much better,
that you didn't. A man with your
ideas would be making great mistake
1