The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-07-17
HIS PECULIAR way.
Harry Weston Made Love 40.
cording to the Department
Store Plan.
By BRYANT c. ROGERS.

decide the matter"
That was the closing paragraph Of
letter handed over to Miss Nellie by
her brother Ben one rainy day as he
returned from the village postofice,
three miles away. The letter was
signed Harry"
Did Harry wish to buy piece Of
real estate from Miss Nellie?
Had he made a cash offer for her
pony!
Was 1t a matter Of stocks and
bondsi
What was she to decide at once and
answer?
What was the momentous question
that had been hanging fire until he
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 It
was high time his daughter married.
He had further decided that It was
up to him to select tho man. Az q
wfdower no had no wife to consult.
Harry Weston was junior partner In
q department store. He WAS prim.
He was priggtsh. He was stilted. He
was accurate in his figures and cor.
rect to 4 dot in bic language. II he
had happened to get the wrong accent
on q syllable, or made q lapse In
grammar, he might have had to 60
homo and take to his bed. He saw
and admired Miss Nellie and resolved
to win her for a 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 salasP,rl not to be praised for her
Gales for fear she would strike for ten
cents a 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 .abeorbing interest to a
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.
Tho Tower OF oQ,'oN had given him
chill. Windsor Castle had warmed
him up. Paris was tremendous. The
tomb Of Napoleon had brought tears to
his eyes, though even at hts tender
age he had doubted that the great
hero, II alive, could make success Of
a department store. The Pyramids Of
Egypt--ah! The Rock Of Gibraltar
ahi
Mr.. Weston came down to the Vane
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 a
blizzard raging, and after some
thought ne observed that II It had
been OF a 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 1t? According to
schedule, certainly He couldn't have
done II any other way to have his life.
No holding her hand! No arm around
her waist! No soulful smile in his
eyes! lie was five feet away from her
and standing with one hand on the
center table when he calmly re-
maiFcd:
Miss We're. viii you do me the
honcrsto become my wife7'
II was ms' &. If he said to the store
advertising man
James. Won may advertise those SO
cent corsets for rs cents"
Il will think II over" said the
poor girl as she wanted to run away
ard hide and have good cry
Truly Mr.. Weston had something
coming to him, and he got It. After
the annual white goods sale he re.
ferred to the matter again, but with.
out any great interest and was again
put off. After the g umbrella sale
had closed with unprecedented sue.
cess,-he offered his hand and heart
for the third time.
81 must have more time" replied
Miss Nellie.
A month passed and then came the
letter brother Ben brought. Mr.. Wes-
ton wanted to know, you know, Just
as he might want to know about an
order of goods for the shoe depart
ment-
The wretch" exclaimed the girl as
she read the letter and gritted her
teeth. 1T shall be no! no, mol"
And It was. and when the father
was told OF 1t his reply was:
"Well, you have thrown over
model husband and lot OF money,
and for who and what? Well, you'll
have to take what comes along"
He threw that at her as a scare. II
he had understood girlnature he