The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-08-26

hands were making vigorous yet 'a'a' efforts to turn key.
 For a moment Langley did a very ungentlemanly thing. He felt glad that his neighbor and rival was In trouble. But this was only for mos ment Another instant found him saying:
 Allow me, madam" He took the key from her hands. and after mighty wrench threw open the door.
 Thank you. very much, MT. Lang ley" smiled the young woman. who had now recovered her breath but, on whose face the blush still fingered. ' don't believe ever would have opened it. Will you not come in? It's too early for any buriness yet awhile.
 Langley stammered an excuse for not accepting the invitation; then, strange to say. walked right in. No wonder trade had left Langley. It was worth the price of several ci- gars just to enter the dainty little shop Everything was sptck and span. There were flowers blooming on the counter and tall rubber plants and ferns setting in the corners. ln- ivting leacher-cushioned chairs were standing against the wall, which was dotted here and there with cute pictures And there were curtains. at the win dows. That was why Langley had never been able to see inside the place before. Now that he had seen. 1t was | no longer a mystery to him why his customers. even some of the most an- | ti-trust ones, had forsaken him. To tell the truth, Langley did not blame them, either.
 wont you sit down, MT. LangleyT' asked the young women. after enjoy ing his evident astonishment for Q | short time.
 l 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 a new habit. which was to come down | early every morning. And 1t was strange how often the little used to be for his own unattractive shop.
 Of course. Langley had to stop and help her. Nearly every morning she vowed to have new lock put on be- fore night. But for some unaccounta- ble reason the old lock remained.
 After unlocking the door. Langley would often sit down in one of the comfortable chairs almost surrounded l Dy TuDUeT pants ana IeTnS ana STnOKe a trust cigar which the young woman had given him. While he smoked they would talk. He couldn't help from tell ing her something about his troubles she was so sympathetic. And Langley | always sighed heavily when the time came to leave the comfortable chair Trade was even duller than usual | One day, however, Langley stayed a full hour later than was his custom And he forgot to sigh when he left Instead. he hummed merrily to himself all the time he was sweeping and dust ing out his store.
 | smiled genially to his old friends when that day; but Langley didn't seem to mind one bit. He even bowed and was not a single customer in the store | ever he saw them going In or coming out of the shop next door--a thing Langley had never done before. for he had grown to look on all who trad. ed there as his enemies.
 | About three o'clock that afternoon when there wasn't a soul in the store except himself, Langley saw Rockway the trusts agent coming down the street, He stopped for a moment. with a satisfied smile on his face. before the shop next door. Then he came on to Langleys
 Hello" he cried. as he stepped in noting at the same time that there was not a single customer nthe store Business pretty good?"
 Well. 1t might be worse" Langley answered. with a smile. How arc they doing next door?"
 "Oh, fine. That little woman's got the best business head on her shoul- ders I ever saw. And she's mighty pretty. too--don't you think so?"
 Very" replied Langley. And his smile broadened.
 I'm glad we got her to go into that ten-year contract. To tell the truth that was our last hope. You'd have had us but for that. And say, Lang. ley" the trust man went on, T heard you were going into a new business What is 1t this time?"
 "Matrimony." replied Langley jerk ing his head toward the shop mex, door. No ten-year contract, either This ones for life"
 We'll, to Rockway's credit let 1t be said he took defeat with a good grace and danced at Langley's wedding with as light a step as the bridegroom him. self.