The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1901-02-01

A LBERT WHITNEY knew that he
| n could not marry. He was a sensi-
bic fellow, on the whole, and realized
that it would be sheer idiocy to ask a
woman to share his hall bedroom.
Yet Albert was in love.
Every Sunday in church he sat OPP
posite Miss Gladys Pennington, and
thought of her far more than he did
| of the sermon.
Miss Pennington's father was re-
tired carpet manufacturer, with a
tidy fortune, to which Gladys and her
brother James were sole heirs.
| Albert was a clerk in a wholesale
hardware store and, by hard labor,
earned ten dollars a week. Of this
five dollars went to his landlady.
The moth sighed for the star, and
Albert sighed for Miss Pennington.
The moth and the star were hardly
further apart than Albert Whiting
and Gladys Pennington. Albert had
never spoken to her; she barely knew
that he existed.
| What, then, were Albert's feelings
when, one day, after church, Mr.. Amos
Pennington pompously approached him
and invited him to dine at mis- house
on the following Sunday? He blushed
like girl, and stammered out an ac-
ceptance. Fortunately, Mr.. Penning-
| ton did not wait for more. The invi-
| tation which meant so much for AL
| bert to him meant only the discharge
of rather disagreeable duty which
he admired himself for performing.
| He would have been thunderstruck at
refusal. Every year he obtained
from the pastor of the congregation,
of which he had long been senior
deacon, list of the young men who
| were punctual at church and sum-
| moned them to dinner. The good
man liked to encourage piety and be-
slowed invitations on these exemplary
young men in precisely the same spir-
it with which he awarded prize books
for regular attendance at Sabbath
school,
The following Sunday, when Albert
entered the Pennington drawing
| room, punctually at two, be was sur
prised to find already there, besides
the host, his wife, his son and daugh-
| ter, Is black-coated individuals with
| all of whom he was pretty well ac-
| him of special meeting of the
"Young Men s union"
1t fell to Albert to escort Miss Pen
nington in to dinner. He, poor lad,
was overwhelmed with the honor
| He did not know that father Penning-
| ton, who exercised a strict supervi-
sion of his daughters acquaintance,
had chosen him as the most harmless
and unassuming of the 16 young men.
Albert could think of absolutely no
remark with which to open CONVEX
sation. Miss Pennington. entirely at
| ease, saw his bushes with more pity
| than wonder. She was accustomed
to her fathers duty dinner parties
| and rather expected the guests to be
awed. Mr.. Whitney's shyness spoke
in his favor, as tribute of respect
to her father. Mr.. Pennington had
brought his children up to strict OBJ
servance of the fifth commandment
''It is rather warm for the time of
year." quoth the young lady, break
ing the ice.
Albert raised his eyes and assent
ed. He would have done so had Miss
Pennington said that it was cold.
"What nice eyes he has," thought
she. 1t was unusual for Gladys to
notice mans eyes. cit was fright
fully hot at the lake last August
she said, aloud. 81 think it could
hardy have been warmer in town."
at wasn't bad in town, except in
the middle of the day." replied AL
bert, bravely.
$50 you were not fortunate enough
to be away on your vacation?''
Albert laughed. "No, l have. my
vacations in November" 1t was then
October.
THAT must be nice for shooting"
murmured Miss Pennington, vaguely.
"You hunt, don't your
81 fish little" answered Albert.
There was another silence. Miss
Pennington turned to her other
neighbor. Then Albert. found cour-
age to speak to his, young man
| whom he knew quite well.
| November vacation was Hobson's
choice with Albert. Sometimes, if
trade was active, he got none at all.
He came last on the list of clerks at
Jobson's. But, when he could, he
thankfully packed his bag and went
to spend two weeks in the Wisconsin
| woods with his ONLY living relative. a
| great-uncle.
| Great-uncle Morris was fond of the
boy and good to him. His log cabin
and little farm would hardly support
one, and Uncle Morris held it the duty
| of every man to do his share of the
| worlds work. Albert did what he
could for Uncle Morris. He bought a
small stock of groceries and shipped
them ahead of his annual visits in