Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1907-07-04
The Only Way.

known what the prize was to be, they
would have tried harder for it, al
| though I think none of us would have
gotten that one.
1t came about this way: Ten of us
girls have a sewing club and meet
once a week. We do not accomplish
much, Ned says, because we do too
much gossipping, but then, Ned is
horrid. anyway.
Thornton has his office. and on warm
day when the windows were open, he
could near everything we said, but
we did not realize that until afterward.
We were all slightly acquainted with
him and were dying to know him bet
| ter-he is awfully good looking, You
know, but all taken up with his work.
which made him even more attractive
! to us.
One day we. were busy as bees-if
not with fingers, with our chattering-
when the door opened, and ia walked
| DR.. Thornton. He held a bundle in
| his hand, and, after greeting us, he
walked up to Maude, who is our presi-
| dent (although how he knew | didn't
find out until later), and said: Miss
| Williams, | have rather peculiar re-
| quest to make. but perhaps you will
| overlook it's popularity, as you know
am lone bachelor l am in an
even more lonely state than usual, as
my housekeeper is away, and there is
no one to do my mending for me. This
bundle contains ten pairs Of socks
which need mending most awfully
| (the girls looked scandaliZed), and 1t
struck me to-day that possibly as
yours was a sewing club. you would
| take pity on the lone bachelor and
each darn a pair for me, perhaps one
| pair each will not be too much Of a
tax on you, and l shall not need them
until next week"
Of course, we could not refuse, for
| his loneliness and (apparent) help
lessness appealed to US.
The doctor stayed long enough for
US to feel that he was not SO unap-
| proachable as he had seemed. | re-
membered afterward that he never
| once looked toward Claire or spoke to
| her during his stay. Claire is our shy
one, with the great brown eyes and
| dusky hair with touch of sunshine
in tive call her our wood anemone
the most domestic of us all.
The doctor started to go, but turned
| back and said, as in after-thought, Il
never thought about payment" We
| all protested. Mortified at his wishing
| to pay for what we considered
pleasure" ''Well." said he. "since you
refuse payment. I will let you do the
work on one condition-that the one
| who darns her pair the neatest shall
| accept a prize, and will take whatever
offer for a prize-Of whatever value"
We agreed to this, and he said, laugh
ing, "Will you consider this promise
| binding?" We promised solemnly that
we would, laughing all the while, as
we thought it all an excellent joke.
The next week when we met we
compared our work, and Claire's
mending, as we expected, was SO dain-
tily done that you could hardly tell
where the darns were.
Then the doctor came in, and when
we showed him the socks he declared
Claires the best, and said that the
prize was not quite ready but begged
| to be. allowed to call ON Miss Claire
| that evening to bestow upon her.
| She reluctantly said that he might.
| and the doctor suggested a meeting
next day, in order that we might CHS
| eyes twinkling wickedly) see how we
| liked the prize. So next day we met,
| all eager to see what the mysterious
| prize was to be.
In about half an hour the door
| opened and the doctor and Claire came
in together. he looking very happy
and Claire blushing diyinely, but look
ing not less happy. and what do you
suppose?
The doctor said: Last night l went
| to Miss Claire's home with the prize,
| intending to bestow it upon her, but
when she saw what it was she very
! strongly declined to take 1t. l used
| all sorts of persuasions, telling her
| that she had promised faithfully to
| take whatever was offered, of what
| ever value. At first she said she had
not said a word of promise. but l held,
| and you will all agree with me | know,
that the class had promised for her
| as we'll as for themselves. Last even
| ing l had to give up in despair, but
asked her to sleep on it, and | should
return in the morning to see if she
did not think it would be better to ac-
cept the prize after ALL saying also
that we had promised to show it to
the class this afternoon, and must not
| disappoint them.
cit took a long time, but l have
finally persuaded Claire to accept this
very poor prize-myself- perhaps
she can utilize it in some way, or make
it over.'
We girls were breathless. as we
never even suspected that they were
more than acquaintances, but it turned
out that the doctor had loved Claire
for ever so long, but she had held him
| at distance, SO that he never got
chance to tell of his love. One day
the doctor had been standing at the
window, and overheard the girls talk
ing about the neatness of Claire's
work, when she was mending tear in
Louise's green gown. He decided to
take advantage of this knowledge, and
took this way to get chance to offer
! himself to Claire-you see, he was
pretty sure who would get the prize.
1t was very clever of him, think.
That is all. The wedding is to be
the first of next month, and the doctor
insists that the girls shall all be
] hrid aidc hut 7 cannot. because.