The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1908-11-26
LOTTlE'S
BARGAIN.
By EDNA BLEEKMAN.
Copyrighted, 1908. by Associated
Literary Press.

the proprietor Of the only dry goods
store in Undervale that Lottie vincent
was attracted to him, perhaps
Lottie was an inveterate bargain hunt
er, and propinquity Is a powerful elo
Of Cupid.
1t Is q matter open to argument II
not worth the arguing. The main
point at issue is the fact hal Louie
was attracted and that Sidney Wlsner
repaid that regard with interest.
Undervale had reached that stage OF
growth when the general store had
commenced to resolve itself into It's va
rious component parts, not TO De re-
united until at some far distant Gay,
when the department store repeated
he original shopkeeping on a larger
scale and again n could purchase
dress goods and salt fish, groceries ana
harness under n roo
1t was Wisner who had seer that the
time was ripe, and the Boston store
was the result. He rented one or the
rooms In the new Benson block ana
with new stock and fixtures gave the
place the aspect of a city establish
ment. Tndervale was delighted with
the change, none more so b a Louie
She was a born bargain tiend, and as
her parents were wealthy she had the
money to crafty her passion. with the
result that from the first she had peeh
Wisner's best customer.
Even after the business reached a
point where he was able to put on two
clerks he made it a point to wait upon
her himself.
Lottie delighted in her personally
conducted shopping tours, and from
visiting in the store Wisner passed to
visits to her home.
Wisner also began to watch his bank
account grow. From the first his store
had p~rospered. and he determined that
when his profit and loss account show
ed a fair balance on the proper side he
would put his fate to the test.
Homer Vincent was president of the
bank and trust company, and Nisner
wanted to be able to make a good
showing when he went to ask for Lot
ties hand. though he could not hope
TO equal the Vincent fortune.
He had not long to wait, for the new
store p~rospcred nightly. and the time
soon came when WiSner began to re-
hearSe the speech he should make 10
Lottie's father when he should first
have spoken to Lottie.
1t vas a simple matter to prepare
his speech for the elder Vincent. He
said it over until he believed that he
must repeat it in his sleep. The trou-
Bile now was to speak to Lottie.
He knew that Lottie would not be
won by the simple suggestion that
they get married. When the Glenn
mons Comedy company played their
semiannual engagement at h rink
Wlsner shut up shop and took Lottie
to the performance every evening for
the week. Lottie's keen appreciation
Of the romantic leading man dashed
his hopes.
He never could hope to make love
like Ralph Rascovar Of the Glenn
mons company, and that was the mod
ell Lottie most admired. He had a
vague idea of taking a curse in a
dramatic school, but he could not
spare the time from his business, so he
contended himself with studying the
methods Of the leading men Of the
tenth rate companies that visited I'm
dervale, and the more he studied the
more hopeless he grew.
Leading men were tall and slender
and had dark. romantic eyes. Wisner
was short and inclined to plumpness,
and his eyes were shrewd and gray.
He could not loll over the back Of a
sofa and look into Lottie's eyes as she
raised her timid orbs to his.
That was all right on the stage, but
Lottie's gaze. was discOncertingly
frank at times, and. anyhow, he would
have to stand on a footstool to gain
the proper height, and he was positive
that at the critical moment he would
fall off and spoil it all.
Lottie herself was just a shade too
rounded in her curves to be called
willowy. and she, too, was below the
medium height.
Taken by the large, it seemed an
impossible task, and the advent of
each theatrical company seemed to set
a higher standard by which his feeble
efforts were to be judged.
Hubert bennington was the last
straw. Lottie came away from the per.
Torrance Of won by a Vendetta" de-
claring that after having seer Bon
nington all other lovemaking would
seem tame and fat by comparison.
Wisner went home to spend a sleep
less night with despair for company,
n not until the dawn broke did there
come a ray of hope. The company was
playing not forty miles away ON Satur-
day.
He might get bennington to let him
come over and take some lessons. He
went to the store to see that 1t was
opened, and then he hurried to the sta
ton to catch the company when they
should come yer from the hotel.
bennington vas one Of the frst to
arrive on the station platform, and
Wtsner made an immediate attack.
Around the orner Of the depot he
poured out the story Of his trouhlos