The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1909-01-07
LOTTIE'S
BARGAIN.
By EDNA BLEEkMAN.
Copyrighted. 1903, by Associated
Literary Press.

IL
the proprietor Of the only dry goods
store in Underrale that Lottie Vincent
was attracted to him, perhaps because
Lottie was AL inyeterate bargain hunt
er, and propinquity Is 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 Lott1e
was attracted and that Sidney Wisner
repaid that regard with interest.
Underyale had reached that stage OF
growth when the general store had
commenced TO resolve itself into It's 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 was 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 city establish
ment Cndervale was delighted with
the change, none more so than 14ottie.
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 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
ed 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 W1sner
wanted TO lie able to make good
showing when he went TO ask for Lot
ties hand. though he could not hope
10 equal the Vincent fortune.
He had not long to wait, for the new
store prosperpd nightly. and the time
soon came when Wisner began to re-
hearse the speech he should make to
Lotties father when he should first
have spoken to I.Ottie.
1t was Il simple matter to prepare
his speech for the elder Vincent. He
said ii over until he believed that he
must repeat it in his sleep. The trou-
bic now was 70 speak to Lottie.
He knew that Lottie would not be
Won by the simple suggestion that
they get married When the Glen
mons Comedy company played their
seuliannual engagement at the rink
WiSner shut up shop and took Lottte
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 Glen
mons company. and that was the mod
81 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
contended himself with studying the
methods Of the leading men OF the
tenth rate companies that visited I'm
deryale, 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 Toll over the back Of
sofa and look into Lottie's eyes as she
raised her timid orbs TO his
That was all right on the stage but
I.Ottie's gaze was diSconcertingly
frank al times. and. anyhow, he would
have 10 stand on footstool to gain
the proper height. and he was positive
that at the critical moment he would
fall off and spoil it ALL
I.ottie herself was Just shade too
rounded in her curves to be called
willowy, aud 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
higher standard by which his feeble
efforts We're 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 lovemaking would
seem tame and fiat 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 him
come over and take some lessons. he
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 to
A4s