Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1900-09-21
EsMSasA OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
, The Man Of Her Choice y
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In
lvI chambermad in the hotel, and
Mr. Doan was the oldest boardcr
NOT Oldest in point of years, but in
point OF occupancy, although he was
not as young as he was when
he passed his fiftieth birthday. He
roomed on the floor that Mary had
The care of, and after a years ac-
qualntance with her he had decided
IN his own mind that she was a very
nice girl. Mary liked Mr.. Doan well
enough, but that was all, for he was
bachelor, and she rather had her
doubts about such old bachelors as he
was. But Mr.. Doan was rich and
liberal, and so polite always that he
gradually won favor in Mary's eyes.
One Sunday when she was fixing
up his room, which was the only time
she ever saw him there, he began talk
ing to her.
DO you know, Mary" he said, with
evident sincerity, "that you are the
prettiest girl in the hotel?"
Yes, sir" replied Mary.
Mr.. Doan was somewhat staggered
by this unexpected frankness.
"Oh, you do, do you?" he responded,
little nettled.
Il ought to-" she said; "every man
l have seen in this hotel has told me
SO, except you, and now you have, so
they can't all be telling stories"
This explanation did not quite suit
Mr.. Doan, but Mary was quick-wit-
ted, and he let it so as she put it.
81 presume" he said, alphabetically.
VI ought to have told you so before,
because l have known it ever since the
first day i saw you, but you seemed
to me to be lady, and / did not
want you to think that l was not a
gentleman"
And l am lady, Mr.. Doan, as my
mother was and still is, but / am a
lady in distress, as the story-tellers
have 1t. Two years ugo my father
died, leaving us nothing but little
house away out in the suburbs, where
my mother and brother live. lie never
was rich. but he was n gentleman,
and when he left us poor, somebody
had to do something, and / took this
place. 1t was the only thing / could
do for wages right from the start,
and we needed something to live on.
My brother found place in n store,
mud hot nc 10 1.-Two ~
"You're as good a girl as you are
pretty, Mary" said Mr.. Doan, "and [
must go out and see that mother Of
yours
So he did, too, and came back with
very agreeable impressions of the
sweet old lady of 60 that he had met.
MARY" he said on the following
Sunday, chow would you like me to
be your father?"
You are quite old enough to be"
she said, sharply, "but you are not
old enough to be my mothers hus-
band, if that is what you are leading
up to-"
81 don't know about that" he
laughed. "a woman's heart is always
young"
But Mary did not like the subject,
and went out without continuing the
conversation. Half an hour later as
she was carrying a roll of quilts across
the hall in front of the elevator, into
which Mr.. Doan had just stepped, that
always uncertain method OF locomo-
ton rot loose and started down the
shaft for the bottom, seven floors be-
low. Mary knew what was coming, or
going, rather, and with scream she
dashed the roll of quilts into the open
door. The cage had only slight start
and the quilts were caught and
wedged in between the floor and the
elevator roof and the downward move
ment stopped with noise like wheel
taking a rubber brake. Mary dropped
in a faint. Mr.. Doan almost had a
spasm in the elevator where he was
boxed up, the elevator boy came run
ming from a room where he had gone
TO deliver message, somebody turned
in a fire alarm and the whole place
was in an uproar. The fremen were
restrained from turning the hose
on Mr.. Doan, and bu-ied themselves
rigring timbers in the elevator shaft
below the cage to catch it, when the
quilts were withdrawn, and presently
Mr.. Doan came down with a thump
and walked out scared almost white
The pa )ers next morning had g
whole column about 1T, with large
picture of Mary, the big headlines
about the heroism of chambermaid
1t happened on Friday, and on Sunday
Mary was at her post again. Wher
Mr.. Doan saw her he did not wait tC
ask her about the flowers he had sent
TO her house, nor about his having
called to see her without seeing her.
"Mary." he said, in the matter o.
fact way of man of so, you saved
nv life. and l want to do something
TO show n appreciation of it,
ooh. Mr.. Doan," she almost pleaded
"don't say anything more about it
/ didn't do anything
"You saved my life. Isn't that any
thing? 1t is to me if it isn't to you'll
81 would have done just the same
for Tom"
Tom was the elevator boy.
"Well, I'm going to offer you some
thing kid like Tom couldn't offei
YOU. and that is the heart and thu
hand of an elderly man."
"You man you want to marry mi
for saving your lifs?' asked Mar.
completely dazed
"Not exactly, Mary. I--1---l,' hes
itated Mr.. Doan'
.u.s met the same thing, and