Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1902-03-04

woman, Tor that matter.
In the next room Alice Travers,
who had just finished transcribing a
lot Of letters Mr. Merton had dictated
to her in the morning, was writing a (
letter to her brother in college
Strangely enough, it wa. fullot Hen I
~ Merton. 1t said:
"Dear Ted Youth excuse me I know /
for writing TO you on a typewriter; ] can [
60 IT so much quicker and easier this way |
We have just moved into The new ohices
and am finely fxtd Mr. Merton has
given me a nice little room 70 Work lh' l
all by myself and | have nothing 10 90
now but attend to his correspondence, /
which Is quite enough since he came to be
general manager Really he doesn't seem
to have the swelled head a bit on account
of it. and he's quite a young man. TOO;
not more than % or 30, / should say. He
hardly looks happy even
"He has baen very Kind to me- ano
raised my salary last month"; though
didn't ask him TO- That's why ] send So
this month instead of SIS, and now l can
do IL every month. ] like to work for him
lie treats me more cOurteouslY than any
man ! ever worked for before lie has
never called me by my FIRST name. but
ing me TO do this and 90 that. he always
acts as IL he were asking a favor when be
has work for me to do
He seems q lonesome sort of man.
I often wonder how he lives and what he
does to enjoy himselt-if he ever does en-
JOY himself lie IS hard worker and
men admire him / don't know whether
he's married or not but ] don't believe
he is. for no woman ever comes to see him
al the Office.
But there; you'll know him probably
some day At least I want you to. when
you get ready to go into business. for
there's no man l would rather have you
take for a pattern than Mr.. Merton.
Let me know how you are getting
along and save what you can. for you
will need a little TO go on when you get
through college in June. Write soon.
Lovingly ALICE"
Henry Merton was not aman to de-
lay matters With him, a problem no
sooner presented itself than he set
about to solve it. and decision to do
a certain thing was always followed at
once with the doing. While'he was
listening to the click of Miss Travers'
typewriter, which to him was music
for a reason he had not realized be-
fore, he had reached an important de-
cision-the most important Of his life
thus far-and he set about putting it
into effect in a way that was thorough
/ ly characteristic of the man.
He went into Miss Travers' room
and seated himself in the chair he al
ways occupied when debating letters.
He did not as some business men
would have done, call her to his desk
to take notes on sliding shelf with
no place to rest her arm.
"Miss Travers," he said, and Shit
noticed a queer sound in his voice
"will you please take letter for me
a letter to nv mother"
"At LAST thought Miss Travers
81 am to know something about MI
= Merton. l never knew before whethe
| he had mother"
q "You need not mind to take notes,
said Mr.. Merton. Gust take it OIL
: the machine, for l shall not dictat,
rapidly Are you ready?"
"Dear Mother l have been so busy
lately that l have had little time t.
write. and now what l have to saywil
surprise you; perhaps pain you lit
tie at first. Ever since | left hom
and came to this smoky, noisy town
you have been the only woman in thr
, world who has really known me. o,
anything about me; and now l an
going to get married"
, pardon me-" said Miss Travers
with slight blush. She had writer
: the last word marble and ha,
stopped to erase the last three letter
and write them over twas an IN
heard Of thing for Alice Travers t
; make a mistake With no sign Of an
noyance Merton went on:
"Though no woman knows me,
know a woman, and one of whom
am sure you will approve as a daugt
ter. First of all, she is a lady d
! not know her people, but am sur
from her manner and character tina
:. they must be most admirable persons
I am not a judge Of wOman's beauty
! but l do not think you would call he
a pretty girl. She is something BET
ter than that. There is a womanl
{ dignity and sweetness about her tina
gives her a charm far greater tina
. mere beauty. She is not a girl, reall!
but a woman-a gentle, true, swe6
woman.
z Gone thing I know you will lik
" about her. She has younger brothe
!, in college, and every month sheSend
L him generous part of her earning
d co 4bo4 no ,,,ov oduoato binoenlf RI