Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1908-12-05
LOTTIE'S
BARGAIN.
BY EDNA BLEEKMAN.
Copyrighted, 1908, by Associated
Literary Press.


the proprietor Of the only dry goods
store In Undervale that Live Vincent
was attracted to him, perhaps because
Iottse was an inveterate bargain hunt
er, and proplnquity is a powerful aid
of Cupid.
1t IS a matter open to argument ana
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 larger
scale and again one could purchase
dress goods and salt fish, groceries ana
harness under one roof.
1t vas Wisner who had seen 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
ments Underyale 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 it point to walt upon
her himself.
I.ottie delighted in her personally
conducted shopping tours, and from
visiting In the store Wisner passed 10
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
cd n fair balance on the proper side he
would nut his fate to the test
Homer Vincent was president Of the
banl, and trust company, and Wisner
wanted to be able to make good
showing when he went to ask Tor Lot
ties hand. though he could not hope
70 ecual the Vincent fortune.
lie 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.
II was n simple matter to prepare
his speech for the elder Vincent. He
said 1t over until he believed that he
must repeat 1t in his sleep. The trou-
BILE now was to speak TO Lottie.
re 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 the 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
el Lottie most admired. He had a
vague idea Of taking a course 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 IN
dervale. and the more he studied the
more hopeless he grew.
Leading men were tall and slender
and had dark, romantic eyes. Nlsner
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
Iotties gaze was disconcertlngly
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 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.
Hubert bennington was the last
straw. Lottie came away from the per
formance Of "NVon by a Vendetta" de-
cIaring that after having seen 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
, and 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 hin
come over and take some lessons. Ht
went to the store to see that it 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 t(
arrive on the station platform, anC
Wisner made an immediate attack
Around the corner of the depot h'
poured out the story Of his troubles
and. to his credit, Bennington did no
laugh.
"My dear boy" he said kindly, "t
you're the right man and she's th'
right girl you don't need to study love
making. It's never that way in rea
life You watch a chance and take hel
off her guard. Then do and say what
ever comes into your mind, and she's
yours.
you could study for years, anC
A1.ok r~nI