The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-21
A SODA COUNTER COURTSHIP.
One Young Man Who Won . wife While
Booming . Drug Store.

How did win my wife?' said young
man who had been asked IL he would mind
telling what had prospered him most in
IL now blessed We'll. I won her 10 the
when I was about the poorest had ever
been in my life, and when also was out Of
work.
There was a nice young fellow in our
town, clerk In drug store, who started a
drug store OF his own with an exceptionally
knew the profits of the soda water business,
and he set out to get his share Of that.
But II didn't come in. Day after day
the grand new soda fountain stood there
lonesome a. could be with nobody in front
Of II. the white jacketed soda clerk standing
back Of It with his arms folded.
You know how It Is about these things.
1t gets to be the fashion to 60 to one place,
and it's hard to get that trade. But there
was my friend with the best outfit In the
bunch. and as good goods as anybody, do
ing nothing; Ice cream melting every day.
and renewed every day. but nobody coming
in to buy. And one day my friend says to
me:
Dave. Why don't you come in''
Il had mighty little money to spend, but
blowing in thoughtlessly at the other foun-
tain, where the crowd went. quite forgetting
my friend But that little remark Of his
set us both a-thinking. and the upshot was
that he asked me to come in often and order
look there as though they were doing some
thing, to give EN- an ar Of buainess; the
emptiness was getting monotonois. I.
We'll. wasn't the foolishest looking man
In town at that time. nor did wear the
/ before intimAted. I had very little 10 my
pockets; but l suppose, my friend might
have found . worse looking man to come
in and stand up In front Of the counter and
order soda and then dawdle over It In pleased
soda the young ay @Se Is no%
SShe was very fond Of loo cream soda.
Court was being paid TO her at that time
by young man, . solid young man he
Tss TOO ,d T1r,h more q H. P9E :hSt than
with better prospects. and he was pretty
strong sutton. But he was little stingy.
or, as you might say close about his money;
he never wasted any.
Now here was young lady very fond
OF Toe cream soda and with q siitor we'll
able to buy 1t for her but who didn't. and
then here just at the moment l como
along. presentable enough to her in my
personal appearance. and with a whole soda
fountain at my back.
Imagine the result. took her into
my friends beautiful new drug store often,
and 1t would have been hard to Get up in
'front.' OF It a more attractive figure.
You We seen her, and you know how she
looks now; she was, II possible. more at
tract We then.
People used to look At her from the
street and admire her; and there we used
TO sit and eat or drink. whichever II il, or
both, Ice cream soda, taking plenty of time
over 1t. and ! not neglecting the chance;
l may say that most of my counting I did
sitting In front OF the soda fountain
Meantime was not idle In OF her WAYS.
NO doubt. as matter Of cold truth. ehe
and l helped to draw people 10; Just the
sight OF anybody there would do for that.
but brought in my men friends, and pretty
soon she began to bring in her young
women friends: and then things began to
look up decidedly.
These new people, in turn, brought In
tnelr friends and so on, you know, q sort
OF an endless chain business. And NV
friend the druggist put up the proper goods.
ana the trick was DONE
AT the end Of year she and I, that h To
say, the young lady now my wife. and I.
VINO twelve months before had had the
whole counter all to ourselves. were oon-
PEELED often to wait to get a cha nee 10
stand at II. But before that happy time
Tor the druggist-I had wooed and won
her' and some time before that had found
lucrative employment and could afford
10 marry; 30 now we were married. with
my friend the druggist for best man. he
more pleased than he could nut in words
Tor what ] had done for the fountain. and
! more pleased than could possibly tell
over what the fountain had done for ME.