The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-11-02
THE EVENING STORY
Lottie's Bargain.
(By Edna Bleekman.l

(By Edna Bleekman.)
Perhaps it was because wisner was
the proprietor Of the only dry goods
store in Undervale that Lottie Vim
cent was attracted to him; perhaps
because Lottie was an inveterate bar
gain hunter, and propinquity is a
powerful aid of Cupid.
1t is 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 luxurious in
terest.
Undervale had reached that stage
of growth when the general store"
had commenced to resolve itself into
its various component parts, not to be
reunited until at some far distant
day, when the department store re-
peated the original Shopkeeping on a
larger scale. and again one could pur-
chase dress goods and salt fish, gro
cerieS 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 a city estab-
lishment.- Undervale was delighted
with the change. none more so than
Lottie.s ~
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 a
point where he was able to put on
two clerks, he made 1t q 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
hank account From the first
his store had prospered, and he de-
termined that when his profit and loss
account showed 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 a
good showing when he went to ask
for Lotties 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 rehearse the speech he should
make to Lottie's father. when he
should first have spoken to Lottie.
1t was a simple matter to prepare
his speech for the elder Vincent. He
said it over until he believed that he
must repeat il in his sleep. The trou-
BILE now was to speak to Lottie.
He knew that Lottie would not be
won Dy the simple susSeStion THAT
they get married. When the Glenn
mons Comedy company played their
semi-annual 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 men dashed
HIS hopes.
He never could hope to make love
like Ralph Rascovar. of the Glenn
mons company. and that was the
model Lottie most admired. He had
a vague idea of taking course in
dramatic school, but he could not
spare the time from his business. so
he contented 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 Lottfe'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 footstool to gain the
proper height, and he was positive
that at the critical moment he would
fail 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
performance of "Won by Vendetta"
declaring that after having seen Bon
nington, all other lOve-making would
seem tame and fiat by comparison.
Wisner went home to spend sleep
less night with despair for company.
and not until the dawn broke did
there come a ray of hope. The COM
pany was playing not forty miles away
on Saturday.
He might get Bennington to let
him come over and take some les
sons. He went to the store to see that
IL was opened, and then he hurried to
the station 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 anu sic . tHC
right 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
whatever comes into your mind. and
she's yours.
"You could study for, years rand
you'd forget everything that you had
learned when it came to a showdown.
They wouldn't stand for = real pro-
posals on the stage, and the reason
we make love so we'll is that we don't
care for the girl. That's how we can
give all our attention to the love-
making.
when the right time comes you'll
know it and you won't get down on
your knees and say BE mine! Be
mine,'s You'll just gather her in and
it's all over before you realize it,
bennington accepted the cigars that
went back to the store happy in the
possession of expert opinion. He puz-