The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-06-20
HIS PECULIAR way
Harry Weston Made Love Ac'
cording to the Department
Store Plan.
BY BRYANT c. ROGERS.

II hope you will answer at once and
decide the matter"
That was the closing paragraph Of q
letter handed over to Miss Nellie by
her brother Ben one rainy Cay as he
returned from the village postoffice,
three miles away. The letter was
signed Harry"
Did Harry wish to buy a piece OF
real estate from Miss Nellie?
Had he made a cash offer for her
ponyl
Was It q matter of stocks and
bonds?
What was she to decide at once and
answer?
What was the momentous question
that had been hanging fire until ne
had become impatient at the delay?
All kinds of things might be guessed
as the answer but they might all be
wrong. All men do not make love
alike. For instance, when Miss Nellie
Vanes father brought Harry Weston
home with him to dinner he had an OBJ
ject in view besides feeding him. He
had decided in his own mind that 1t
was high time his daughter married.
He had further decided that It was
up to him to select the man. As a
widower he had no wife to consult.
Harry Weston was a Junior partner In
a department store. He was prim.
He was priggish. He was stilted. He
was accurate in his figures and cor
rect to a dot in his language. II he
had happened to get the wrong accent
on a syllable, or made lapse in
grammar. he might have had to go
home and take to his bed. He saw
and admired Miss Nellie and resolved
to win her for wife.
No, all men don't make love alike
Harry Weston made love according to
the department store plan as nearly as
he could. There were no bargain days
with things marked down one-third
and he didn't quite look on Miss Nellie
as a salesgirl not to be praised for her
sales for fear she would strike for ten
cents week more on her wages.
No, not quite, but as they sat alone
ten feet apart, he talked to her Of the
tariff, discount. profits and losses and
other things of absorbing interest to q
girl Of twenty. He had made an ex'
cursion trip to Europe with his mother
when he was boy Of ten. and he
related his Impressions at great
length.
The Tower Of London had given him
a chill Windsor Castle had warmed
him up. Paris was tremendous. The
tomb of Napoleon had brought tears to
his eyes, though even at his tender
age he had doubted that the great
hero, If alive, could make success OF
a department store, The Pyramids OIL
Egypt-ah! The Rock Of Gibraltar
ah!
Mr.. Weston came down to the Vano
manor every two weeks on Sundays
He was prompt to the minute. His
greeting was always the same. His
hand was always cold. No matter
what the weather was, he always re
marked that the country was looking
nice. There was one single exception
however He had arrived with two
| feet of snow on the ground and q
blizzard raging. and after some
| thought he observed that II 1t had
been Of Saturday the loss Of trade
to the store would have been thou
sands of dollars.
In due time Mr.. Harry Weston
asked Miss Nellie Vane to be his wife
But how did he do It? According tt
schedule. certainly. He couldn't have
done 1t any other way to have his life
No holding her hand! No arm arount
j her waist! No soulful smile in his
eyes! He was five feet away from he1
and standing with one hand on tn.
center table when he calmly re-
marked:
Miss vane, will you do me tn
honor to become my wife?"
1t was Just ~ II he said to the stor,
advertising man:
James. you may advertise those 9!
cent corsets for 4s cents"
IL will think it over" said tn,
poor girl as she wanted to run ava,
and hide and have a good cry.
| Truly Mr.. Weston had something
coming to him. and he got 1t. Afte
the annual white goods sale he re
ferred to the matter again, but with
out any great interest. and was agail
put off. After the SO umbrella sal,
had closed with unprecedented sue
cess,-he offered his hand and hear
for the third time.
4 81 must have more time" reptile,
Miss Nellie.
j A month passed and then came tn
letter brother Ben brought Mr.. Yves
ton wanted to know, you know, Jus
as he might want to know about al
order of goods for the shoe depar,
! ment.
"The wretch" exclaimed the girl a
she read the letter and gritted he
teeth. 1T shall be no! no! mol"
And It was. and when the fathe
was told Of 1t his reply was:
II III