The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-06-06

the astounding news that old Sam l Graham had an assistant-a soda | clerk-and- the still more wonderful l tiding that it was the mysterious stranger who had been the subject o- I town talk for weeks because of his | good clothes, his perfect manners. his | regular appearance at church, and the persistency with which he flocked by | himself and avoided his curious neigh bors. Within an hour after Nat mad | undertaken his se1f-imposed tasks in the drugstore, Tracey Tanner, tie livery mans son, stamped noisily into Graham's fora a nickel's worth of Jamaica ginger, discovered the amaz- ing situation and, forgetting wholly 1 his errand, fled to his fathers barn with the news, emitting morsels of 1t l on the way. The town idlers stared
 through the grimy windows in open nlouthed surprise at the spectacle of | somebody working in the ramshackle store besides old Sam and Betty, an1 the shop had such an influx of trade
 as it had not known In weeks from | the curious tOwnspeople who came to
 stare at the new drug clerk while
 they stocked up on porous plasters l and rhubarb
 Thus 1t was that Joae Lockwood, 1 the daughter of .tBlinky" Lockwood. the banker. descended upon. the drug store. radiant in a new summer gown T Angie Willis. Nat was polishing She | tiny soda-fountain which projected | through the counter like the neck of ! a dejected goose, and, ,glancing through the window. espied the girls crossing the road toward the Graham estab- ssCustomers!" he shouted to Betty, 1 lredoubling his efforts on tile tarnish- ed fountain.
 Betty glanced up and moved to- ward the door of the little office be- 'aThat's Josie Lockwood r she said. Fl don't want to meet her. She's the one invited me to her party because | she Knew I had no dress to go iJi.'' She's an heiress. isn't she 2" de- manded Nat, excitedly. Which is l she?p
 sswhy. yes" said Betty, simply. | s'Her father owns the bank and every thing else around here and she's the | only child. She's the tall one.s' Then she's the one!" shouted Not, drumming to hold the door open for the visitors, while the mystified Betty dis Miss Lockwood and her friend ex- changed grim of embarrassment when l they found the Eood-looking clerk lowing Fbefcre them just inside the door and washing his hands with in- vfsible soap like the floorwalker in a dry-goods store. 4 :. But Duncan did not venture beyond an ingratiating smile of welcome He ifelt that he was at last face to face with his fate The heirees, to win tWhooe hand-and fortune-he hac | undertaken such desperate course knew that much depended upon first impr ressiQh1,s but as he had not in the past paid UArtfcular attention to the et1quette obtaining between drug cEefk6 and fheir y6ung wdmaH cus- tomeesg he was obliged to draW upon .ssMay have the, honor of Waiting upon you young ladies?' he inquired, including both in his bow. but keep inx a particularly attentive eye on the heiress
 Mis- Lockwood looked at Miss Wit situation and simpered. Miss Willis l tried to rise to the occasion sOh-how do you do 2" she gasped. as matters seemed to be upon a social rather than Q business footing. Duncan bowed gravely once more "Good-afternoon,~ he said, sweetIy. 1GfsB Lockwood cast an admfring glance from the polite clerk to her giggung friend Angie Radville's genl- poriums of trade had never seen any
 we thought we'd-wesd have some soda" she ventured, with 2 bright emile for Nat. .sCertainly," said that enraptured young man. leading the way to the fountain with as much confidence as # drawing soda had been his daily soda or vanfilai?'' After several false starts he man aged to get 8 mixture of soda, water and syrup into the glasses while the girls watched him with mingled amazement and admiration. Duncan. observed Josie, while he was holding the glasses under the soda nozzle. .sDo you have to go. too ?'' he ask cd, absent-mindedly, and when sur prised gasp from both of them warn ed him of his slip, he spIashed a sud-
 den stream of soda into the glass that flooded the counter.
 q mean, do you attend regularly :' he explained, with winning smile for MissI Lockwood.
 She returned his smile and leaned toward him across the counter.
 "Oh, yes" she said. "You make it rule to 60 every Sunday. don't you ?"' carefully.
 sIt's one of the rulesS' he said. "but didn't make it.
 JOS1c III tcO ASts s SAe1oo alAo AoN1FAco across the bubbles at him as he 1e8n- ed forward deferentia1Iy with both hands on. the counter.
 Won't you join the choir, Mr. Dun-s can 2. she cooed. 'I want you to aw- fully!'
 "Oh, do you ?,' queried Nat, looking into her eyes with his most soulful ex.
 precision.
 Ali the girls. do-don,t they. An.
 gie ?" smiled the heiress. forgetting
 her soda water.
 Angie twisted on her heel and gig .ohf yes. honsetiyt" she spHEIad:
 Theyre all just dying to meet. yoiii"s
 Nat tried to blush and modestiy be- glasses while they slipped the sodas.
 Angie stopped suddenlv with a gasp of surprise and Nat turned solicitous-
 y.
 T hope it's not so very bad" he said, feelingly.
 Josie caught the note of alarm in
 his voice and rallied to his defense as a soda mixer.
 s Niue, ssaperfectiy ioveiy.. she said, ,s with a grateful smile, ssonly-it isn't very sweet" she added.
 s'No, l make them dry, you know he safd. absently
 The charming Miss Lockwood lin- gered over her soda within the thrall of the fascinating MT. Duncan until the last possible moment and then, at the tfmfd suggestion of Miss Willis, moved toward the door. The obse- quious clerk hastened ahead to. open the door for them osfa hlishinc a rro.