Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1904-10-07

ITuLy Langley 1Ounu DucklnB the lruel |
very Improbable occupation.
Next morning he started for the store |
early. AS he was In the act Of passing |
the one-ttme millinery shop, he heard an
energetic banging at the door. Turning, |
he saw sweet, though rather flushed
face bending over a lock while two |
white dimpled hands were making Wig |
orous, yet vain, efforts to turn a key.
For a moment Langley did very un-
gentlemanly thing. He felt glad that |
his neighbor and rival was in trouble.
But this was only for a moment An
other instant found him saying:
ALLOW me, madam" He took the key
from her hands, and after a mighty
wrench threw open the door.
Thank you, very much, Mr.. Lang
ley" smiled the young woman, who had
now recovered her breath, but on whose
face the blush still fingered. Il don't
believe l ever would have opened II.
Will you not come in? It's too early for
any bushes yet awhile"
Langley stammered an excuse for not
accepting the invitation; then, strange
to say, walked rightin.
No wonder trade had left Langley. 1t
was worth the price Of several cigars
just to enter the dainty little shop.
Everything was spick and span. There
were flowers blooming on the counter
and tall rubber plants and ferns setting
in the corners. Inviting leather-cush-
toned chairs were standing against the
wall, which was dotted here and there
with cute little pictures And there were
curtains, lacy-looking curtains, at the
windows. That was why Langley had
never been able to see inside the place
before. Now that he had seen, 1t was
no longer mystery to him why his GUS
toners, even some Of the most anti
trust ones, had forsaken him To tell
the truth, Langley did not blame them,
either.
Wont you sit down. Mr. Langley"
asked the young woman after enjoying
his evident establishment for a short
time.
Langley sat down. It certainly was a
comfortable chair And the cigar that
she gave him-he did not know that the
trust made such good cigars. Langley
took three or four long draws; then he
sighed. The trust man was right. He
saw his finish.
After that day Langley formed new
habit. which was to come down early
every morning. And it was strange how
often the little used-to-be mililner had
trouble unlocking her door. OF course,
Langley had to stop and help her Near
ly every morning she vowed to have a
new lock put on before night. But for
some unaccountable reason the old lock
remained
After unlocking the door. Langley
would often sit down in one of the COM
Portable chairs almost surrounded by
rubber plants and ferns and smoke a
trust cigar which the young woman had
given him While he smoked they would
. talk. He couldn't help from telling her
something about his troubles, she was SC
sympathetic. And Langley always
sighed heavily when the time came to
leave the comfortable chair for his owr
unattractive shop.
One day, however. Langley stayed 6
full hour later than was his custom. Anc
he forgot to sigh when he left. Instead, b,
hummed merrily TO himself all the tim,
he was sweeping and busting out hi!
store.
Trade was even duller than usual tina
day; but Langley didn't seem to mint
3 one bit. He even bowed and smiled gen
ialy to his old friends whenever he saw
: them going in or coming out the shol
next door-a thing Langley had neve
done before, for he had grown to lool
+ on all who traded there as his enemies
= About three o'clock that afternoon
i when there wasn't soul in the store ex
s. cept himself, Langley saw Rockway. tn
q trusts agent, coming down the street
n He stopped for a moment, with a salts
fled smile on his face, before the sho
q next door. Then he came on to Lang
II ley's.
Hello" he cried, as he stepped il
y noting at the same time that there Wa
1t not single customer in the stor,
h Business pretty good?"
i well, it might be worse" Langle
re answered, with a smile. How are the
d, doing next door,"
8. "Oh, fine. That little woman's got tn
r, best business head on her shoulders
g ever saw. And she's mighty pretty, to
ie don't you think so?"
Very" replied Langley. And h
lie smile broadened.
T, I'm glad We got her to go into tn;
e. ten-year contract. To tell the trut
ut that was our last hope. You'd have ha
lg US but for that And say, Langley" Il
v trust man went on. 81 heard you were e.
ing into new business. What is 1t tn
in t1me?"
We "Matrimony," replied Langley, jerl
ne ing his head toward the shop next doc
lie mo ten-year contract, EITHER. Tn