Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1909-01-15
LOTTIE'S
BARGAIN.
BY EDNA BLEEKMAN.

M1-1~1~1~1-111~
Perhaps It was because Wisner was
the proprietor of the only dry goods
store in Undervale that Lottie Vincent
was attracted to him, perhaps because
Lottie was an inveterate bargain hunt
er, and proplnquity 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 shopkeeplng on 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 a city establish
ment. Undervale was delighted with
the change none more so than Lottic.
She was a born bargain fiend, and as
her parents were wealthy she bad the
money TO crafty her passion, with the
result that from the first she had been
| Wisners best customer.
Even after the business reached a
point where he was able to put on two
clerks he made it 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
cd 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 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-
bearse the speech he should make to
I,otties father when he should first
have spoken to Lottie.
1t was a simple matter to prepare
his speech Cor the elder Vincent. He
said 1t over until he believed that he
must repeat 1t in his sleep. The trou
bic now was to speak to Lottie.
He knew that Lottie would not be
won by the simple suggestion that
they get married. When the Glenn
mons Comedy company played their
scmiannual 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 Glenn
mons company. and that was the mod
el Lottic most admired. He had
vague idea Of taking n course in a
dramatic school, but he could not
spare the tire from his business, so he
contended himself with studying the
methods of the leading men of the
tenth rate companies that visited I'm
dcryale, and the more he studied the
more hopeless he grew.
Leading men were tall and slender
and had dart, romantic eyes. Wisner
was short ard inclined TO plumpness,
ard his eyes were shrewd and gray.
He could not loll over the back Of
sofa and look into Lottie's eyes as she
raised her timid. orbs to his.
That was all right on tho stage, but
Lottie's gaze was discOncertingly
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 it all.
Lottie herself was just Il shade too
rounded in her curves to be called
wlllowy, and she. toe, was below the
medium height.
Taken by the large, it seemed an
impossible task, and the advent Of
each theatrical company seemed to set
higher standard by which his feeble
efforts were to be judged
Hubert bennington was the last
straw Lottie came away from the per.
Torrance Of "Won by Vendetta" de-
claring that after having seen Bon'
nington all other loyemaking would
seem tame and fat by comparison.
Wisner went home to spend a sleep
less night with despair for company,
and not nntil fhn dnMn hr0l,a did thpra.