The Southern herald., 1912-07-19


Conniving with the foreman, she set
an attractive box head. "Heart-Thro6s
and Things" She filed a column
with the letters and her answers With
paragraphs she clipped and wrote, and
with some OF Johns snappy editorial
souibs. Launched in the 'TidingS, It
made an unmistakable hit John. who
had been waiting the chance, raised
her salary.
Winter deepened. So did Johns
love for Edith Kimball He longed
10 take her in his arms and kiss
away her capable. self-reliant air,
70 pet and tease and adore her out
Of the status Of q valued employe
into that Of wife and comrade. Many
times he started upstairs, grimly de-
termined to take her busy, dimpled
hand on the keyboard and say mas
terfully, Put on your hat; were go
ing to be married."
An inspiration came to him one
evening as he smoked in his othce
after hours. He selected a cbeSP
plain envelope from his stock n
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 on
one Of Bob's letterheads and wrote
an appeal to the "Heart-Throbs
Editor"
Dear sir" he wrote, Il am a
young man of twenty-one and ! am
very much in love with a young lady
who works In the same place | do.
/ am not at all good-looking, and
there are several paying her atten-
tion that are, so fear she does not
regard me fayorably. l feel that
would make her a good husband, but
am afraid to ask her to marry me,
as | 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,
typewritten 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 1t guiltily up the
chute without opening Then he
fdgeted like a schoolgirl until the
long, slim galley proof brought i
back in type with Ediths commen
attached:
"A true woman does not care foi
beauty in a man; don't let lack o
it worry you infer from your let
ter you are difHdent, and have no
shown that you care for her. Unit
you do, she will not cheaper hersel
by expressing any preference"
John heaved a long sigh AM
wiped his moist forehead. Whel
the issue containing his letter ha'
been out two days, long enough Il
reach the mythical Nathan" h
wrote another letter, the gist o
which was: Would you advise m
to put my fate to the testH How
shall l ask herr
They were late that week witt
the second issue Of the "Tidings,
and Edith was working evenings t
catch up. 1t was eight o'clock Thur
day night when the answer cam
down along with other Hear
Throbs' stuff: THE editor Q
Heart.Throbs' refuses to propos
for you. If you really care for tn
young woman, you will muster coul
age enough to ask her."
John turned deathly pale; his Ian
jaw dropped. Suddenly the air Of tn
Office was sitting. He jerked off hi
coat and rolled up the sleeves of hi
shirt.
In two minutes he had rolled dow
/, his sleeves and put on his coat. H
\ closed the stove, wiped his wet fac
with his handkerchief, and the
!. noiselessly he opened the rear doc
h Of the office and headed for the stat
y way.
h With his foot on the first step b
r shivered and returned, panic-strickel
r to the Office. He corrected the proc
, and sent that up. He rumpled. hI
O hair with both hands, as If trying
Y force decision into his brain. Tht
. seemed to be effective, for with de
g perate haste he seized a square
d copy paper and pencil, scrawled
O single sentence and sent It flying L
the chute.
a He heard Edith leave her machir
r, and go to the chute; the tin carrie
2 rustled as she took the single sheC
g out Of 1t. He wiped his forehea
l. again.
There was silence. Then the m
e chine resumed Its song. He slumpe
t. into his chair.
It Another proof came down. +