The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-06-19
Lox,e Behind
TIE Counter.
[original1

4AN poet say All tlAiES IRE tune.
o Death" This is equally true Of love
making. If man is bent on telling
a girl he loves her, there is no earthly
power TO stop him. The field of battle
is not too noisy. nor is the ehurchyard
too quiet On land and on sea, at noon,
Ut twilight. in the ballroom and in the
death chamber lovers have wooed and
will continue To WOO so long as the
human race is on the earth.
Johnny Bounce was clerk In n de-
partment store in large city. lie sold
goods from the mems underwear coun-
ter which adjoined the department of
! ladies' hosiery. Johnny's place was on
the right of the underwear, and on the
left of the ladies' hosiery stood Lucy
Crowfutt, a dainty blond. who from
the moment she had taken her place
there and had brought her robins egg
! eyes to bear upon 'him had melted a
way with them straight into the under
wear clerks heart They had found
/ opportunity to speak scattered sen
/ fences or fragments of sentences on
/ bright days when the store was full
of customers and to chat continuously
ON rainy days when the store was de-
serted. but in this chat there was no
word Of love. Love had been looked,
but not spoken. Nevertheless. after
several weeks Of propinquity, the two
young hearts had become welded.
Then came new man Mt the glove
counter. directly opposite the mems
! frn1arxrpar nd II.
was Byronic in his appearance. espe-
cially his collar. which. If IT was no.
cut in Byronic collar fashion. was
equally ample. A mass OF raven curls
We're tossed up on the top OF his head.
one Of them falling down upon his
forehead, nearly touching a hook nose.
He had hardly taken his place before
the fioorwalker was obliged to admon-
fish him to attend to his customers and
keep his eyes off the little girl at the
counter opposite
Johnny Bounce was panic stricken.
No woman is insensible to admiration.
and the blue eyed beauty from the mo-
ment the clerk at the glove counter
cast his flashing black eyes upon her
threw up her hands-not in token of
surrender, but to make sure her hair
was properly adjusted. Johnny saw
the admiring glance and its effect He
= cursed himself for fool that he had
not secured the prize while there was
} no one Mt the glove counter except two
J commonplace middle aged men and an
I old maid. Now 1t might be too late.
| Not moment was to be lost
1 Tho leaaa4ffrI TIM
: windows were full Of spring goods.
9 The wax ladies donned In the habili-
r ments Of the opening season seemed
; to smile more contentedly than usual.
| But this has nothing to do with an
! artistic setting for this romance, for
within the store was crowded and, the
weather being mild, overheated. John.
ny Bounce's cheek glowed not only
with the temperature of the building
but with anxiety. He was keeping one
eye on some union suits he was show
ing to q customer, the other on the
S flashing eyed man opposite. The Gus
: toner, not finding what he wanted
e moved on. A lady to whom Miss
T. Crowfutt had been showing stockings
!. moved on at the same time. Johnn,
= determined to seize the opportunity.
: Miss Crowfutt," he began, do yol
n know that it seems a very short tim,
q since you came into the place besid.
4 me, but 1t isn't It's q month That
;, long enough for me to find out a Sc
n cret. I've found out Blankets, sir
:. Sixth floor. Take the elevator Fv,
= found out that If / don't Wooden
If you don't Mems underwear? RICH
q here. What size, sir? Thirty-tw,
= waist IS too large for twenty eigh
\ length. Undershirt thirty four? Thinl
4. you'll find thirty-slx more satisfac
= tory. No, the goods don't shrink, bu
q thirty-six viii be easier Don't Xix
q the quality? They're all wool, sir. W
= haven't a better line in the house
u Sorry l can't suit you. You'll fin
bath robes IN the back of the store
four aisles that way"
AS the man moved off q lady an
y preached Miss Crowfutt's counter. an
: 1t was half an hour before the tw
4 were again free. Then Johnny sidle
! up to Lucy. This time he spoke fror
= the heart.
"a I'm nearly crazy"
ia whats the matter with you? You
II find lace curtains over on that sids
II madam"
n THAT fellow opposite is rubberin
you"
''Pshaw! Do you think I'd look 6
him? What size, madam? Iisl
TX thread? We have-very fine article
Y You'll find the advertised goods oye
v there. sir. That'n fit you. Openwork
of We haven't any of these in openwork
In The customer passed on and wa
d succeeded by another This time Nj:
ne Crowfutt made a sale, but the lad
" turned away for a moment to speak
a friend. Johnny whispered:
Lucy, l love you awful. II yc