Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1913-01-23
SHE GOT RID OF HIM
by HELEN MILLER.

int SlSHOSfdpHST AfOul dSiOSS int ht.tt,
as they ate their noon sandwiches To-
gether behind the files. 1T nearly
drives a girl crazy trying to discour-
! age EN-. / don't know whether they
are so stuck on themselves they can't
believe any human woman wouldn't
choke to death with JOY at being no.
ticed by them or whether they are just
ordinary stupid. Believe me, ! know
after Mr.. Blewer!"
Who's he?" asked the stenographer
from across the hall
"Him?r inquired Miss Fattershall.
poising the remnants of her ham sand
witch daintily in the air. why, Mr..
Blower is the only one out of cap
ltivity, that's who he is-and he just
walled for handouts put on by me.
but | couldn't see 1t that way--not
with the prospect of Jlmmy's getting
more pay after New Years! Mr..
Blower is tall and looks as though
he was vanished. You know that
| kind-varnished collar an cuffs, an
hair an teeth an everything!
! don't believe he ever sat down af-
| ter his clothes were pressed till he
| got to our house. / never saw such
perfectly immaculate man. There
wasn't a thing to object to in that
line. He was always just right and
guess that's why he made me so
| tired
He's manager for the third floor at
Pickles factory and he can take a taxi
whenever he wants to. That kind OF
dazzled me at first after hanging to a
street car strap all the way home,
but constant luxury soon pals.
Il treated that man to more varie-
| ties of snubs that you could count and
he just hung around all the steadier.
When ! snapped his head off he mere
| ly murmured that he liked my spark
| ling vivacity and when | sulked he
admired my dignified reserve. for
! got engagements with him and he kept
right on asking me- Why, do you
| know, IL ever forgot to keep an en-
gagement with Jimmy he'd drop me
like q hot potato! You cant fool
with Jimmy! But Mr.. Blower, he just
came right on. I'd keep him waiting
an hour while dressed and when /
came down, instead OF his gnawing
his cane with rage, I'd find him com
| fortably reading a last months maya
zine.
| IF he brought me flowers I'd pin
them on SO they'd drop and get lost
| before we were a block away and
when 1t was candy always gave it to
my little brother before him, saying
| couldn't eat that variety Of bunbuns
No, / wasn't ashamed of myself, be-
cause he might have had less conceit
and more sense! A perfect lady hasn't
much Of any way Of telling man he's
bore and a back number with her
except by the indirect lighting sys-
| tem--and If he's as blind as bat
that isn't her fault!
We'll, | had to get rid of Mr. Blower
somehow, because Jimmy was begin
ming to paw the air and breathe hard
and ! didn't want any duel on our
| front doorstep an my picture in the
papers labeled. Beautiful an wealthy
society girl, heroine Of romancen
Not for me! ] have little pride
/ left
How do you suppose ! got rid Of
| Mr.. Blewer-now, honest? Perfectly
simple, my dear, and I'm telling you in
case you get desperate some time,
same as was ! suddenly began
dropping hints to him what wonder
fully fine cook was and how hated
pounding a typewriter all day when
my soul just longed for gas range
and a sack OF -four and a recipe book
said the dream OF my life was to
have time to cook delicious things
that would melt in your mouth and
that sometimes when | could persuade
mother to go and visit her sister
got the dinner.
"He actually suffered trying to say
FAST enough that he'd like SO much to
be invited to one of my own dinners
some time, and after hesitating coyly
said he might have the chance soon.
Mother is peculiar-she's so fright
fully honest--so had to get her out
OF the house before l could turn the
trick. She nearly gave me heart dis
ease the last minute by saying she
guessed she wouldn't 60 to Aunt
Jessie's that day after all--but final
" got her started. Maybe ! didn't
rush home from the Office that night!
/ told my kid brother and sister that
if they so much as peeped at anything
they had to eat that night | was no
longer sister Of theirs-and then
set to work.
"Sugared the soup and spilled the
saltbox into the boiled cabbage and
burned the meat till it was like
leather and favored the gravy with
vanilla. I'd bet no cannonball was
ever harder'n the biscuit turned out
and | made an apple pie that was
lumpy and half done inside and not
sweet enough and with q doughty
tough crust-and If there's anything
worse than that IL hate to have to
eat it.!
''Oh, it was a splendid dinner Of its
kind and ] heaped that Blower mans