Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1902-02-07
81 L HARLOW works in a down

pretty ldlI Suldly NcchlN' hO
trouble with Harlow has been that for
something over year past he spent
more than the stipend which the big
publishers bookkeeper pOked into his
envelope every Saturday night. Al
was born with several generous streaks
in him, and as he approached adoles-
cence he developed an inclination to go
generosity one better or worse, and ac-
tually to throw money away. Harlow
is good-looking and there never was
generous man who lacked friends.
The girls in young Harlow's set all
thOught-it's Il question what they're
thinking now, thOugh-that he was just
about right. They gauged him perhaps
by the candy, flower and theater ticket
standard. If it be not ungallant even
to hint such thing it may be put down
right here that the young women in Al
HarlOw's set played the young fellow
for literally more than the young fellow
was worth.
1t must not be supposed for minute
that there were not many matrOns who
were ready to declare that Al was GO
ing at too swift pace, although not
one of them was found ready to tell
her daughter that it were wise that Il
hint be thrown out to young Harlow
that American beauty roses in Decem-
Der We're too costly Il gift to be sent to
one young woman twice week. There
nrI q -, nd .,1,.
only in the set on Occasion-for the
other girls declared her rather prim
and finicky-who had the courage born
of Il conviction that Al was developing
spendthrift habits, to tell him frankly
one day that neither she nor her moth
er thought it right for him to send as
he did occasionally the expensive hot
house blossoms and the equally eXpen-
sive bonbons.
Al took this in good part and way
down in his heart he thought that Mary
johnson was saying just about the
right thing, and that the saying of it
was prompted by Il delicate considera-
tion for his own good, as well as by an
equally delicate understanding of the
propriety of things.
If Harlow did spend more than his
salary he stuck close to business in the
book establishment, and one day he
was promoted to Il better position and
to more pay, an advancement that gave
him very comfortable income Al sat
down one night to figure it up. His
debts scared him. He thought to him
self that by rigid economy for year
he could square up, but he was not of
the kind to settle down of his own free
will and accord to any economy. let
alone that of the rigid kind. All the
girls in the set knew of APs advance
ment. ana most of them thought of it
as meaning just so many more chrysan-
themums and so many more chocolate
caramelS. There were many of them.
too, it must be said. to whom this adj
vancement gave to Al new value. As
matter of fact, the majority of them
began to set its cap for Al. 1t must not
be supposed. however, that great bur.
den of sense lay with the majority. 1t
could not bring itself to forcgo the
pleasures of the sweets of candy and
the scents of flowers simply because
one of its members hoped to lead the
spendthrift to the altar. Let him
spend" said the girls. when he does
get married he can save money. pay his
debts and become Il model for the COM
munity."
Mary Johnson did not like it when Al
showed tendency to keep OH running
along the road which has a big finger
post marked Ruin" standing all along
the way. There wasn't a grain of self
ishness in Mary Johnson's nature, She
liked the young fellow and she hated
to see him go the way that leads to n
great big precipice.
All the set. Al and lot of other
young fellows included, went TO ST
Dives Church. Most of the members
of st. Dives We're so rich that they
could have each clipped in enough
without missing it to make unnecessary
the holding of Il church fair for the
benefit of the poor of the outlying dis.
tricts of the parish. They gave a church
fair, however, and the young women
prepared to play. as sadly enough they
always do at church fairs, the parts of
harpies.
The girls held a meeting before the
fair and planned Il campaign. Each
one had little book i'm which tI,o -;
tins were to put down their names.
pay quarter for the privilege and
thus secure one chance in 1000 of win.
ning tidy or an impossible whisk
broom holder One of the girls said that
1t should be a matter of conscience