Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1909-07-17
A RIVAL s DOWN. ALL
Out of Bitterness the Lovers
Snatched Happiness.
BY ESTHER AlNSLEE.

SlIh iIcSS SoouS Ill lIlc holudS lSSut
Of the RoSCmont Banner it was a GER
tainty that the papers Tuesday night
number would contain an ad. from
ThompsOn'S store across the street tell
ing of bargains in satins. with a side
line of cmDroidcries, ut which Rose
mont smiled appreciativcly and rcaped
the benefit
The town was proud of the proprie
tors of the two leading dry goods
stores, for most of the young men left
for the adjacent big city when it came
time to maze their way in the world,
out Malcolm DalZcll and Lewis Thomp-
son within a year of each other set
tied down to make Il living In their
home town.
Perhaps it were better to say Rose
mont was proud of their enterprise, for
Lewis Thompson was not the type to
inspire affection in the hearts of his
townSmcn. \ man cannot be blamed
for lack of magnetism and an attrac
tive nature, but nevertheless he Suf
fers for it, and Thompson possessed
besides these drawbacks hot headed,
Quarrclsome disposition and n theory
that every man had a right to look out
for himself to the exclusion of any pos
siblc rights of others.
His ag%rcSSivcncSs made him enc
mics where Malcolm DalZell won
friends by his mere chccrfulness and
diplomacy. But each flourishcd on his
own side of the street
Not only were they rivals in bust
ness. but from the days of carrying
schoolbookS there had seemingly been
but one girl In the world In the eyes
of each, Milly Wainwright, with the
waves of soft brown hair and eyes
that matched, with the sweet voice
and appealing little ways.
ShrcWd people even said the reason
both boys stayed in Roscmont was that
each was afraid to leave the other a
clear field with Milly, who had never
shown any preference beRveen the
two.
Lewis Thompson was different
man with her. Her mere presence
Smoothcd and softcncd the aggressive
young business man, and she smiled
incrcduously when stories of his cold
ShrcWdncSS and ovcrrcaChing deals
came to her ears.
Yet unknown to herself Malcolm
Dalzcll occupied place in her life
from which no one could dislodge him.
Nilly was in the delicious and dreamy
state Of indcciSion which girl always
proIongs unwittingly. Life was sweet
to her. and even the growing wildness
OF her younger brother, Dick which
was aging her father and mother, had
not power to do more than deprcSS her
mOmentarily.
Its only because Dick is young"
she told her mother half Indignantly.
"IIe will see the mistake of his ways
before he ever does anything really
wrong. Why, Dick wouldn't be really
bad. It's absurd"
She was great chumS with the hand
some eightccn-ycar-old brother, and
because she did have faith in him the
boy turned to her always In his rare
spells of repentance. At present he
had gone to work in a bank in the next
town. six miles distant.
The ROScmOnt Banner had two col
umnS of description, speculation and
denunciation when ThompSon's store
was robbed. Malefactors were rare in
RoScmont, and the night watchman's )
work was pcrfunctory, but ncvcrthe-
less Lewis Thompson discovered n
back window pricd open and nearly
5000 worth of silks and laccS missing.
Three weeks later he was reduced to
explosive rage by the discovery that
again his store had been entered. This
time Il hundred dollars worth OF goods
vanished. In his wrath the owner Of
the store tclcgraphed for city de-
tcctive and established Il night patrol
for the block The city detective look
ed important, smoked good cigars Of
the leading citizens, who wanted to
tell him their theories as to the rob
berry, had very pleasant time and de-
parted with dark hints as to future
developments.
at any rate" Lewis Thompson said
' I5'l'bSlS, WIN -'A''i'iiN 'ii L'iiA 80
Il Waterman the thief won't get an
other chance
Its hard luck, Lewis" sympathized
Malcolm Dalzell with his business RI
val. Thompson regarded him coldly.
OF late Milly had been in DalZells
company more than he liked.
"Thanks," he said. ITS funny the
thief doesn't attack your premises,
Malcolm | don't understand such ia
foritism unless it's because he knows
where the best goods are" He smiled
somewhat maliciously as he made the
fling.
"Superiority has its drawbacks,
then" Dalzell said quietly, holding his
temper He understood ThOmpson's
grudge against him and could afford to
be magnanimous, for he had begun to
cherish Il certainty that he had dis
tanced Thompson with Milly For her
he would endure much.
Lewis Thompson did not relax his
vigilance as the weeks went by. One
Thursday night, as he made one of his
personal trips of inspection, about l
o'clock he started for his store on a
run after finding the watchman, Ma
lOney. knocked senseless at the corner
And he was rewarded. The revolver
I'm his hand covered the dark form Of