The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-11-24
LOTTIE'S
BARGAIN.
BY EDNA BLEEKMAN.
Copyrighted, 1908. by Associated
literary Press


er, and propinquity is a powerful aid
of Cupid.
1t is a matter open to argument and
not worth the arguing. The main
point at issue is the fact that Lottie
was attracted and that Sidney Wisner
repaid that regard with interest.
Undervale had reached that stage OF
growth when the general store" had
commenced to resolve itself into its va
rious component parts, not to be re-
united until at some far distant day.
when the department store repeated
the original shopkeeping on a larger
scale and again one could purchase
dress goods and salt fish, groceries and
harness under one roof.
1t was Wisner who had seen that the
time was ripe, and the Boston store
was the result He rented one of the
rooms In the new Benson block and
with new stock and fixtures gave the
place the aspect of city establish
ment. Undervale was delighted with
the change, none more so than Lottie.
She was a born bargain fiend, and as
her parents were wealthy she had the
money to crafty her passion, with the
result that from the first she had been
Wisner's best customer.
Even after the business reached
point where he was able to put on two
clerks he made 1t 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 prospered, and he determined that
when his profit and loss account show
ed 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 Wisner
wanted to be able to make gooc
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 prospered nightly, and the time
soon came when Wisner began to re-
hearse the speech he should make to
Lottie's father when he should first
have spoken to Lottie.
It was a simple matter to prepare
his speech for the elder Vincent. He
said 1t 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 Glen
mons Comedy company played their
semiannual engagement at the rink
Wisner 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 Glen
mons company, and that was the mod
ell Lottie most admired. He had
vague idea of taking a course in
| 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 loiI 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
Lotties gaze was disconcertingly
frank at times, and, anyhow, he would
have to stand on q. footstool to gain
the proper height, and he was positive
that at the critical moment he would
! fall off and spoil 1t 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. 1t 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.
| huDGIl OOAn40SIOA wac bAC AACt
straw Lottie came away from the per
Torrance Of ''Won by Vendetta" de-
ciaring that after having seen Bon
nington all other lovemaking would
seem tame and fat by comparison.
Wisner went home to spend sleep
less night with despair for company.
and not until the dawn broke did there
come 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 over from the hotel.
bennington was one Of the first to
arrive on the station platform, and
Wisner made an immediate attack.
Around the corner of the depot he
poured out the story Of his troubles,
and, to his credit, bennington did not
laugh.
my dear boy" he said kindly, If
you're the right man and she's the
light girl you don't need to study love
making. It's never that way in real
life. You watch a chance and take her
off her guard Then do and say what
ever comes into your mind, and she's
yours.
"You could study for years, and
you'd forget everything that you had
learned when 1t came to showdown
They wouldn't stand for real proposals
on the stage, and the reason we make
love so well is that we don't care for
the girl That's how we can give all
our attention to the loyemaking.
"When the right time comes you'll
know 1t, and you won't get down on
your knees and say BE mine, be mine!
| You'll just gather her in, and it's all
over before you realize 1t.
bennington accepted the cigars that
Wisner thrust upon him, and Wisner
went back to the store happy in the
possession of expert opinion. He puz-
zled over the comment through the
day. and when Lottie came in to see
about some dress lining he gazed hun
grily at the flushed face and wondered
when the right time would come.
Apparently it was not the right time
yet, for Lottie left the store with
bundle under her arm, and his nearest
approach to sentiment had been to
cut the price Of the lining 2 cents
Vapd
he thought Of dozen clever
speeches he might have made, but not
until she had gone.
He was still thinking them over as
he dressed the window that evening.
Wisner made a point Of frequent
L II. Fri