Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1911-12-07

of unframed coquetry He lowered
his tone for her benefit, thereby add
ing new weight to his bombardment
of her amateur defenSeS
"Rcmember you promised to call
again
Her Cicgles tore his eardrums
"Ththank YOU. I'm sure" she STAN
mered and fed
They disappeared. He wandered to
the chair and threw himself Imply
into it. THAT voice!" he said stupid
~ ''That giggle! I've got to WOO and
win that! 1t serves me right" he con
,luded
The most hopeless of humors as
sailed him. and he yielded to II with
out struggle His attitude express.
ed his mood with relentless verify
Chin sunken upon his breast. eyes
fairly distsling gloom. legs stretched
out carelessly before him. he sat mo-
tionless. suffocating at the bottom Of
a gulf of discomfort. His lips moved.
sometimes noiselessly. again In whis
pers barely audible.
Years of this. A matter Of human
enduraEe--no. superhuman. If 1t
wasn't for the bargain I'd chuck 1t all
and Well the only way to forget
your misery is to work. suppose
He pulled himself together and
stood up, wondering where he had
left his broom, and simultaneously
stiffened with surprise. aware that he
was not alone. A glance, however.
established the connection between the
rear door. which stood ajar. and the
young woman who stood staring at
him in interest stupefaction,
He was quick to see the intelligence
in Betty Grahams mutinous eyes and
the sweet lines of her mouth, too often
SHAPED in sulleu mold. and no less
quick to recognize that she would car
~ herself well. with spirit and dignity.
once she were relieved Of household
toll and MOL. once given the chance
to discard her shapeless, bedraggled
and threadbare garments for those
dainty and beautiful things for which
her starved heart must be sick with
longing
Good Lord" he thought. pitiful
Its worse here than | dreamed, Old
Graham must need keeper. and this
child has been trying to be that with
nothing to keep him on"
"Who are you?" the girl demanded
sullenly in voice little harsh and
toneless What are you doing here!
Where's my father?"
MIR. Graham has stepped out on
business" Duncan replied. You are
his daughter. believer"
Yes. I'm his daughter, but
"My name is Nathaniel Duncan. Mr.
Graham has been kind enough to take
me on as apprentice. so to speak"
Her stare continued. intense, resent.
full, undertaking.
you mean you're going to work
here?"
He nodded gravely.
"What for?''
ITO learn the drug business"
"Oh-h!" She flung herself q pace
away impatiently. I'm not child,
and don't want to be talked to like
one."
II didn't mean to annoy you
"Well. you do. You've got no bust
ness in rundown place like this, you
with your fine clothes and your fine
airs You didn't come here to learn
the drug business. You know as well
as do you've got some other motive. "
There was truth in that to sting
him. He smarted under its lash. but
held his temper in check because he
was sorry for the girl. perhaps
you're right" he conceded-"perhaps
have some other motive. But that's
neither here nor there. I'm here, and
it is my present intention to learn the
drug business in your fathers store"
II don't believe you. Mr.. Duncan, OF
whatever your name IT,"
I'm sorry" he said patiently.
Betty's lips twitched contemptuously
"Well, saying you do mean to worl
here"-
II do"
you're making mistake" she
snapped "Father can't pay you moth
Ing"
He'll pay me all I'm WORTH" sait
Duncan meekly.
She glared at him an instant longer
then. mute for lack of sufficiently
scornful retort. turned and ran back
up the steps. slamming the door be
hind her.