The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1912-07-18

SIapplng MS own WrlSt. She gave the
perpleXed advice.
Conniving with the foreman, she set
an attractive box head, "Heart-Throbs
and Things" She filled a column
with the letters and her answers, with
paragraphs she clipped and wrote, and
with some of Johns snappy editorial
squibs. Launched in the "Tidings," it
made an unmistakabe hit. John, who
had been waiting the chance, raised
her salary
Winter deepened So did Johns
love for Edith Kimball He longed
to take her in his arms and kiss
away her capable, self-reliant air,
to pet and tease and adore her out
Of the status of a valued employee
into that Of wife and comrade Many
times he started upstairs, grimly de-
termined to take her busy dimpled
hand off the keyboard and say mas
terfully, Put on your hat; we're go
ing 10 be married."
An inspiration came to him one
evening as he smoked in his office
after hours. He selected a cheap,
plain envelope from his stock of
samples. put on his hat and hurried
to the office Of Bob Sears. a young
lawyer with whom he was friendly
There he cut the business card of
one OF Bob's letterheads and wrote
an appeal to the "Heart-Throbs
Editor"
Dear sir he wrote, Il am a
very much in love with a young lady
who works in the same place l do.
l am not at all good-looking, and
there are several paying her atten-
ton that are, 80 l fear she does no.
regard me favorably. I feel that
would make her a good husband but
am afraid to ask her to marry me,
as l do not know that she cares any
thing for me. What would you ad-
wise me to do?" He signed Nathan"
and mailed the missive in the plain,
typewriter envelope in train
that passed through Trenton at mid
night.
When it came back to him a day
later decorated with foreign post.
marks and addressed to Heart
Throbs,' he sent it guiltily up the
chute without opening Then be
fidgeted like a schoolgirl until the
long, slim galley proof brought It
back in type with Ediths comment
attached:
"A true woman does not care for
beauty in man; don't let lack OF
it worry YOU l infer from your let
ter you are difident and have not
shown that you care for her. Until
you do, she will not cheaper herself
by expressing any preference"
John heaved long sigh and
wiped his moist forehead. When
the issue containing his letter had
been out two days. long enough to
reach the mythical Nathan" he
wrote another letter. the gist OF
which was: Would you advise me-
to put my fate 10 the test? How
shall l ask herr"
They We're late that week with
the second issue Of the "Tidings,"
and Edith was working evenings 10
catch up. 1t was eight o'clock Thurs
day night when the answer came
down along with other Heart
Throbs' stun. The editor of
'HeartThrobs' refuses to propose
for you. If you really care for the
young woman. you will muster cour-
age enough to ask her"
John turned deathly pale his lank
jaw dropped. Suddenly the air of the
Office was sitting. He jerked off his
coat and rolled up the sleeves OF his
shirt
In two minutes he had rolled down
his sleeves and put on his coat He
closed the stove, wiped his wet face
with his handkerchief, and then
noiselessly he opened the rear door
Of the Office and headed for the stair
way.
With his foot on the first step he
shivered and returned panic-stricken,
to the office. He corrected the proof
and sent that up. He rumpled his
hair with both hands. as if trying to
force a decision into his brain. That
seemed 10 be effective. for with des-
perare haste he seized a square OF
copy paper and a pencil, scrawled
single sentence and sent it flying up
the chute
He heard Edith leave her machine
and go to the chute. the Tin carrier
rustled as she took the single sheet
out Of it, He wiped his forehead
again.
There was silence. Then the ma
chine resumed its song. He slumped
into his chair
Another proof came down He
swept its length at a single glance.
At the bottom he found what he
sought, in cold impersonal type, his
sentence and her answer:
a am coming upstairs to ask you
to marry me-
We'll. I don't know how can pre-.
vent you"
John hurried to the stairs again,
went up four steps at a time. and hur-
ried the length of the room. Ediths
fingers were fitting buslly over the
keyboard (She still had the line she
was setting at that particular mo-