The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-12-29
JOHN VANDYKE.
o. N. oUAo.

hood up be had been a hard worker.
For tho first thirty years Of his life
he had been compelled to practice
economy, and when bachelorhood came
he had seen little Of society and found
himself sort of machine. His days
We're spent IN bis warehouse and his
nights In his den His Office was q
dreary old landmark. He arrived at
such an hour and departed at such an
hour. Old Roberts, bis assistant, did
the same. His half dozen workmen
did the same
Time may 90 on and on, but some
day the routine Of things takes a
change. 1t Is so even with the mead
ows and the mountains. The change
came to John vandyke. He entered
bis Office one morning to End old Rob-
erts dead on the floor. 1t was a case
Of heart disease. For three or four
days Vandyke was bewildered. Then
business friend Of long standing
dared to talk to him as he had never
been talked to before.
Get young man for your book
keeper. and get young woman for
stenography and typewriting. was the
advice Of the friend.
The words fairly frightened the old
man at first What an Innovation.
He had always written bis own let
sers. He had not spoken to female
for years--no wife. no home, no chill
aren. no amusement. no sentiment
Was this to continue9 No. He had
paved the way for more changes
They frightened him, but yet he was
determined.
Why not get married.
Married? He get married? To
whom? He was slxty-seven years old.
Women would sneer and laugh a bin.
He had come part way out Of his SHE'LL
and he was glad he had. But mar
riage- no, no! He dismissed the sub
ject from his mind. but Il returned.
It annoyed him: 1t provoked him: it
would not down. Well, why not? he
asked himself after d week. He was
sixty seven, but every day he read in
the papers Of older men than that en-
tering into the bonds OF matrimony.
But where was the woman! He
thought over that for day. and then
the answer came--his stenographer.
She was a young woman OF about
twenty-three: she was Of respecta
BILE family; her demeanor was quiet.
He could give her a good home and
leave her money. and bis money would
lift her family up. He had got over
his fear Of her. and he thought she
rather liked him as an employer. lie
had always spoken gently to her, and
her pay had been good and Der work
not too hard. Yes, he would ask her
TO be his wife, and he would seek for
happiness and comfort the rest Of his
days.
A week went by before John Van
dyke had settled IN bis mind just how
he ought to approach the young lady.
He had not studied the conventions.
Should ne enter her room as Il on
business and ask for her hand Should
he make call at her home Of an
evening? should he buy her books
and flowers as preliminary Must
he at his age spend months IN court
ahlp9 These queries make you smile,
but they bothered the old man. He
finally came to the decision that the
business waF-the only way he was
used fo-was the best. The bookkeep-
err was to have q day off. aud be would
call Miss Wheeler IN and say he wished
her to become bis wife, Yes. that was
the best way, and he felt relieved
when he made his decision. But It
was not to be.
Gu the forenoon Of the day his fate
was to be decided John Vandyke step
ped out 90 an errand He returned Ia
his noiseiess way and found the ste
nographer and the bookkeeper talking
together with their backs TO him.
queer old chap, isn't hep queried
the young man.
Eyes. very was the answer.
ssBeen sprucIng up lately"
..And how silly OF hlnll'
.Oh. / don't know. Maybe he's think
ing of getting married.
what. hal Why, he's over seventy. "
Hardly an old as that, and he's got
the money, you know Il he y after
wife bet he gets young one.
.The girl who would ink herself 70
him ought to be sent 70 prison
sHe may ask you-ha ha, hat
.sLet him try IT.
joan Vandyke softly retreated and
walked the streets for half an hour
Then be returned with noisy steps and
sat down at bis desk and leaned bis
head Oh his hand. BY and BY the ste
nographer came out for some instruc-
lions and found him softly weeping
ssYou you are ill?' she said.
.No. Miss Wheeler"
.But youyoup
s0h, IT'S nothing serious. Perhaps
walked TOO fast. Perhaps the sun was
too hot. Perhaps I've lived too long
and grown too old"
shall | call doctor? VIII you go
home? Can do anythingY
Thanks. but I'll be better soon.
Foolish Of me-yery foolish Yes. You
may tell them that the warehonsing
will be rs cents a barrel In small lots"
Two weeks later when the old man
lay on his bed in the place he had
called bis home fer 50 many years
lar there, looking pinched and drawn
and his lamp Of life Pickering low
tie doctor looked at bin long time
and then said:
"You have not lived as the world