The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1913-06-13
HIS PECULIAR way
Harry Weston Made Love Ac-
COrding to the Department
Store Plan.
BY BRYANT C. ROGERS.

uCClUS the IndLL6T.
That was the closing paragraph Of a
letter handed over to Miss Nellie by
her brother Ben one rainy day as he
returned from the village postofiice,
three miles away. The letter was
signed Harry"
Did Harry visa to buy piece OF
real estate from Miss Nellie?
Had he made cash offer for her
pony7
Was it a matter of stocks and
bonds2
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 1t
was high time his daughter married.
He had further decided that 1t 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 dot in his language. II he
had happened to get the wrong accent
on a syllable, or made a 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 we're 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 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.
The Tower of London 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 his tender
age he had doubted that the great
hero, II alive, could make a success Of
a department store. The Pyramids of
Egypt-ah! The Rock Of Gibraltar
ah!
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 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
onlrnA Miua MALTA - H.. a., o.
But how did he do It? According to
schedule, certainly. He couldn't have
done 1t any other way to have his life.
No holding her hand No arm around
her waistl No soulful smile in his
eyes! He was FIVE feet away from her
and standing with one hand on the
center table when he calmly re-
marked
Miss Vane, will you do me the
honor to become my wlfe?"
1t was Jug 90 II he said to the store
advertising man:
James, you may advertise those 9S
cent corsets for 48 cents"
II will think 1t over" said the
PONi bhA 40 bh6 WdHJeu 10 run away
and hide and have a 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 So umbrella sale
had closed with unprecedented sue.
cess,-he offered his hand and heart
for the third time.
Il must have more time" replied
Miss Nellie.
A month passed and then came the
letter brother Ben brought. Mr.. Yves.
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 1t was. and when the father
was told of 1t his reply was:
well. you have thrown over a
model husband and lot of money
and for who and what2 Well, you'll
have to take what comes along"
He threw that at her as a scare II