The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1903-01-09
4 GAS BILL
ROMANCE.

THE big black figure 2 on the cal
endar on Abbott's desk remind
ed that young man that it was the
second OF the month, and hat he had
a disagreeable duty to perform. He
rang a bell.
Il want to get the delinquent no.
tees out this morning, Samuel" he
said to the youth who answered his
summons. Just write to those peo-
pie to the effect that upon examining
u books we find that their bills are
over a month in arrears, and hat I'M
less they arc paid in three days we
shall be compelled to cut off their
supply of gas. Sign my name, and get
the notices into the mail as soon as
you cam"
His ste~nographer and general fac
totum disappeared, and Abbott's
mind turned into another channel.
He was a very capable young business
man, having gradually risen to the
position of secretary and general
manager Of the Evans City Consoli-
dated Gas company through his close
attention to the company's affairs.
But it wa not of business that he
began to think when Samuel had
gone back to his typewriter in the
outer Office. He saw in his minds
eye a sweet feminine face, with a
clear complexion through which the
red glowed ~delicately, a sensitive pro-
file, and big eyes that were not as
%carefree as such eyes should have
been.
Its hard lines for that poor girl
to have to struggle along as she
does" said Abbott to himself. "She's
not cut out for that sort of thing at
all. She hasn't the strength for it.
Almost every cent of the little they
pay her for her school teaching, and
almost every minute Of her time out
side of school hours, goes to the care
OF that father of hers. It's prettv
hard lines, and she is a little heroine,
that's what she is"
This was by no means a new train
of thought for Abbott. For several
months the image of the fluffy
haired little sc~hool-teacher with the
big blue eyes had been engaging his
attention in season and out. When
ever he dreamed a day dream this
image would be the central figure of
it, and often the dreams would go to
considerable length. For example,
he Would picture a pretty house, with
a pretty lawn around it, and the i'm
age acting with charming grace and
dignity the role of hostess to their
friends; or the image out in the
front yard picking roses, or lacking
up strings for the morning glory
vines, with the breeze ripping her
fluffy hair, perhaps.
lie sometimes wondered what the
girl herself would think if she knew
he took such liberties with her i'm
age. His acquaintance with her was
rather slight. He had called on her
q few times, but had never been able
to break through the reserve which
was the result of her sensitiveness and
her aloofness in her devotion to her
invalid father, from the society of
the young people of the town. The
truth OF h matter was that. in
spite of Abbott's ability in affairs of
the head, he was a bungler when it
came to matters of the heart. No
body knew this better than he did
himself. Before every call he had
made a resolution to be light and
easy in manner, to joke with her. to
tell her in an off-hand way about
himself-he doubted if she even
knew what his business was. But it
was no USE. In the interval between
his ringing the doorbell and her de-
scent into the parlor his resolutions
would take fight like a flock of
frightened sheep, and he would be
more i'll at cas- than ever. So lie
had lnade up his mind to take the bull
By the horns, as he expressed it to
himself, to write her . letter telling