Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1910-01-29
JOHN VANDYEE.
D. b. ouAp.

~Es-teNes ASvSf oF Associated Iifararv
Press
John Vandyke had reached the age
q sixty-seven years without having
had romance In his life. From boy.
hood up be had been hard worker
For the first thirty years Of hia lifa
ne had been compelled to practice
economy. and when bachelorhood came
ne mad seen little Of society and found
himself a sort Of machine. His DAYS
were spent in his warehouse and his
nights in his den. His ONCE was x
dreary old landmark. He arrived nj
such an hour and departed at such an
hour. Old Roberts. his assistant. did
the same. His half dozen woskmen
did the same.
Time may go on and on. but some
day the routine OF things takes 4
change. 1t Is so even with the mead
ows aud the mountains. The change
came to John Vandyke. He entered
his ONCE one morning to find old Rob-
erts dead on the door. II was case
OF heart disease. For three or four
days vandyke was bewIldered. Then
2 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 his own let
tiers. He had not spoken to female
for years-no wife. no home, no chill
dren. no amusement. no sentiment.
Was this to continue? 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 sixty-seven years Old
Women would sneer and laugh at him.
He had come part way out Of his shell,
and he was glad he had. But mar
riage-no. no. He dismissed the sub
ject from his mind. but ii returned.
1t annoyed him; ii provoked him; 1t
would not down. Well. why not? he
asked himself after a week. He was
sixty-seyen, but every day he read In
the papers Of older men than that en-
tering into the bonds of matrlmony.
But where was the woman? He
thought over that for day. and then
the answer came-his stenographer.
She was q 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 his money would
lift her family up. He had got over
his fear of her. and he thought she
rather liked him as an employer. He
had always spoken gently to her. and
her pay had been good and her work
not too hard Yes, he would ask her
TO be his wife. aud he would seek for
happiness and comfort the rest OF his
days.
A week went by before John Van
dyke had settled In his mind just how
he ought to approach the young lady.
He had not studied the conventions.
Should he enter her room as If 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 a preliminary Must
I.he at his age spend months In court
ship? These queries make you smile,
but they bothered the old man. lie
finally came to the decision that the
J business way-the only way he was
: used to-was the best The bookkeep'
er was to have day of. and he would
, call Miss Wheeler in and say he wished
her to become his wife. Yes, that was
the best way, and he felt relieved
e when he made his decision. But II
!, was not to be.
a On the forenoon of the day his fate
: was TO be decided John Vandyke step
ned out on an errand. He returned II
his noiseless way and found the ste
nographer and the bookkeeper talking
n together with their backs to him
g "Oueer old chap, isn't heT querieC
the young man.
4 ayes, very" was the answer.
Been sprucing up lately"
And how silly Of him.!
"Oh. / don't know. Maybe he's think
: ing of getting married.
d "What. he. why, he's over seventy.
r Hardly as old as that. aud he's go
e the money, you know. IL he Is aIteF
. wife | bet he gets young one
! .sThe girl who would link herself .
him ought to be sent to prison.
= ..He may ask yOu-ha. ha. ha!
LET him try it,
John vandyke softly retreated AM
O walked the streets for half an houi
q Then he returned with noisy steps an
sat down at his desk and leaned al
head on his hand. by and by the SIC
nographer came out for some instruC
.,o2s ara found him softly weeping