The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1902-04-18

wiz IluNi JliSp ilICIlSNA tiSilSSA
lot of letters Mr.. Merton had dictated
to her in the morning, was writing
letter to her brother in college
Strangely enough, it was full of Hen
ry Merton. 1t said:
Dear Ted. You'll excuse me, know
| for writing to you on typewriter; cal
do it so much quicker and easier this way
We have just moved into the new office!
and l am finely fixed. Mr.. Merton ha
given me a nice little room to work in
all by myself, and l have nothing to d.
now but attend to his correspondence
! which is quite enough since he came to b,
general manager, Really he doesn't seen
to have the swelled head bit on accoun
of it, and he's quite a young man, too
not more than 29 or 30, l should say He
hardly looks happy, even.
"He has been very kind to me, ant
raised my salary last month, though
didn't ask him to. That's why | send $3
this month instead of $25, and now l car
do it every month. l like to work for him
He treats me more courteously than any
man 1 ever worked for before. He has
never called me by my first name, but
always Miss TraVers, and instead of tell
ing me to do this and do that, he always
acts as if he were asking favor when he
has work for me to do
He seems a lonesome sort of man.
l often wonder how he lives and what he
does to enjoy himself-if he ever does en-
joy himself. He is hard worker and
men admire him, / don't know whether
he's married or not, but 1 don't believe
he is, for no woman ever comes to see him
at the office.
But there; you'll know him probably
some day. At least / 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 man 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 way that was thorough
ly characteristic Of the man.
He went into Miss Trayers' 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 a sliding shelf with
no place to rest her arm.
''NIiss Travers," he said, and she
noticed queer sound in his voice,
"will you please take letter for me
a letter to my mother"
cat last" thought Miss Travers,
81 am to know something about Mr..
Merton. Inever knew before whether
he had a mother"
''You need not mind to take notes."
said Mr.. Merton. Gust take it on
the machine, for I shall not dictate
rapidly. Are ready?'
''Dear Mother: have been so busy
lately that I have had little time to
write, and now what l have to say will
surprise you; perhaps pain you lit
tie at first. Ever since l left home
and came to this smoky, noisy town,
you have been the only woman in the
world who has really known me, or
anything about me; and now I am
going to get married."
pardon me-" said Miss Travers,
with a slight blush. She had written
the last word "marrdie" and had |
stopped to erase the last three letters
and write them over. 1t was an un-
heard of thing for Alice Travers to
make mistake. With no sign of an
Merton went on:
'"Though no woman knows me, |
know a woman, and one of whom I |
am sure you will approve as a daugh- |
ter. First Of all, she is a lady. l do !
not know her people, but | am sure
from her manner and character that |
they must be most admirable persons.
I am not judge of woman's beauty, |
but | do not think you would call her
a pretty girl. She is something bet
ter than that. There is a womanly
dignity and sweetness about her that
gives her charm far greater than
mere beauty. She is not a girl, really, |
but woman-a gentle, true, sweet |
woman.
Gone thing I know you will like
about her. Shehas younger brother
in. college, and every month shesends
him generous part Of her earnings,
so that he may educate himself. But |
you shall know her soon. As soon as !
we are married you must come and I
visit us. There will be no occasion !
for you to be jealous, mother. She
will welcome you, | am sure.