Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1905-01-05


Next morning he started for the store
early. AS he was In the act Of passing
the one-time millinery shop. heheard an
energetic banging at the door. Turning.
be saw a sweet, though rather flushed
face bending over a lock while two
white dimpied hands y ere making VIC
orous. yet vain. efforts 70 turn key.
For a moment Langley did a very un-
gentlemanly thing He felt glad that
bis 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. II don't
believe | ever would have opened it.
| VIII you not come in? It's too early for
any bushes yet awhile"
Langley slammered an excuse for not
accepting the invitation; then. strange
| 10 say, walked riRhtin.
No wonder trade had left Langley. Il
was worth the price OF several cigars
Just to enter the dainty little shop.
\ Everything was spiek and span. There
were flowers blooming on the counter,
and tail rubber pla-ts and ferns setting
in the corners. LIFTING leather-cush-
Toned chairs were standing against the
wall. which was dotted here and there
with cute little pictures. And there were
curtains. lacy-loohng curtains. at the
windows. That was why Langley had
never been able 10 see inside the place
before Now that he had seen, It 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.
Won't you sit down. Mr. Langley"
asked the young woman, after enjoying
his evident establishment for a short
time
Langley sat down II 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 10 come down early
every morning. And It was strange how
often the little used-to-be nililner had
trouble unlocking her door. OF course,
Langley had 10 stop and help her Near
Nv every morning she vowed 10 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 so
sympathetic And Langley always
sighed heavily when the time came to
leave the comfortable chair for his own
unattractive shop
One day, however. Langley stayed q
ful hour later than was his custom. And
heforgot TO sigh when he left Instead he
.hummed merrily TO himself all the time
he was sweeping and busting out his
store.
Trade was even duller than usual that
day: but Langley didn't seem to mind
one bit. He even bow ed and smiled gem
ialy to his old friends whenever he saw
them going in or coming out the shop
next door-a thing Langley had never
done before. for he had grown to look
on all who traded there as his enemies.
About three O'Clock that afternoon.
when there wasn't q soul In the store e1-
cept himself, Langley saw Rockway, the
trusts agent, coming down the street.
He stopped for a moment, with a salts
fed smile on his face, before the shop
next door Then be came on to Lang
ley's.
Hello" he cried. as he stepped in,
noting at the same time that there WAS
not a single customer in the store.
Business pretty good?
We'll. II might be worse" Langley
III EN CT ENs Win 2 eAAAAAFs AAkW u AAAN y
doing next door,"
ooh. fine That little woman's got the
best business head on her shoulders |
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, Langley" the
trust man went on. Il heard you were go
4 ing into new business. What is It this
time?"
"Matrimony," replied Langley, jerk
ing his head toward the shop next door.
mo ten-year contract, either. This
ones for life"
Wei. TO Rockvay's credit let II be said
took defeat with a good grace and
danced at Langley's wedding with as
light a step as the bridegroom himself.