The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1913-07-29
Daily Short Story
The Big Store.

| Copyright 1913. by W. wersrJ
| From behind the somewhat dinEy glass
Hale looked out sadly ON IN. oiher SIDE
i OF the street two women old customers.
| were hurrying home. bundle-iaden. But
/ the bundles did not come from her
shelves They were from the big store
| IN the next street. "A place or big plate
ssss WINDOWS. broad sisles and up-to-
GATE MIXTURES. She had seen It's window ;
once as she passed. Since then she had
not gone that way. II was tantalizing to
look az the heaps OF oranges. nuts. green
ana yellow baskets OF raisins decked
With wide satin ribbon. all the rich col
orngs possible to exhibit in fruit and
candies. and then come back to her own
| And. not content with its power OF
drawing trade by its exhibits the new
store mad slashed prices outrageously.
some articles were sold far below cost.
Folks said II belonged 10 chain Of
stores owned by company that could
! ahofd to lose a few hundred dollar---
dollars that IL was pretty sure 10 pick
up again when the slashing had driven
smaller dealers out OF business.
Laura Hale was a tired. sweet faced
woman. middle aged. Her customers
were mostly women who had 70 make
every penny count She could not really
blame them for buying Jill pickles al
cents a dozen instead OF paying her =
nor going where they could get two her
rings Tor the price she mad To charge for
one.
But her receipts fell nearly down to
her bills. then threatened TO fall below
Ihis morning u letter mad come from a
small western town saying that her bro
Their Harry Was dead. What should they
90 with the four small children whom ne
had left destitute? II seemed that their
mother d ad died years before
! She promptly sent the money FOR them
I u" come 10 her. cleared out "A storerocn,
above Tor an extra bedroom. put two cots
IN her own room. and tried TO figure how
store that baked az keeping one person
could ne Induced 10 keep nNe.
IN f"w days the children came-tWo
e 10 HaN
Whispering boy Of nNe. and a tnin.
fed-eyed one OF Twelve Their CLOTHES
~tre patched and poor IN the beginning
Their fare and the last months rent had
eaten deeply into her savings but size
drew enough TO out1t them. SO" as sire
snspped a. the cat when they were
ssleep IN he tiny rooms above the Suop
! needn't lie ashamed FOR folks 10 see
In month they were as much a part
- neT III. "a though she mad givea
them breath. And they were. gras.fui-
tot mere lsoies their excessive grati-
suos was aln'rmsL II tod sadly that
"d emit g. Othes and love We're strangc-
i,aita Hale. fefnemle iug her BROTH.
maJf M tess ways and selnshn-ss.
ana H Il when gradually the gratitude
! isd-I i;'i" matter 90 ia,t acceptance
o. ire three youugesst Harry. the old
st always lem uned acute.y conscious
, 81 ne ct "f k-rP.ng them. and soon
ara lt'.' Was GLAD To see nothing
@. his fatue. IA him Sue. could think
/ 81 h-r brother now without bitterness.
hnf There had been De- time when she
z could NOT Twenty years befor. Sn.. had
been engaged - Franklin Haag aud
ready 20 marry him lie and Harm.
VINO was Two years h.I Junior. never.
agreed Afterwerd 4n- knew that %
was Harry fault At the time she had
/ taken the side Of the Spoiled brother
whom. her mother. when d,ing had
urged her 10 Lc good Co Hon. utI
threatened 20 run svay and =, to tLs
had unless she gave Franklin M ~.
! would not I've 20 the same hnuSs. "a n
. MIN IN" mad tined to temportza hv
ask ~ frarAltn 20 walt fvu u~ three.
wears till time had sm0othed away the
alike Franklin had refused Marry
ne ne "a q. irritGhlN, and III whip
that cub into deCercy.'
WIN her nerves already urstrunr nv
the .onS e1ort 20 make them friends she
haf Tet"rfef With equal .rr-ta. ON ard
Hfte' scarcely i've minutes 49, hot quar-
f-!lrg reused 20 marry him 81 all Ito
went away from the small tow Harry
lo1ftd around for two 90 three months
then cooliy declared that the small