The Penn's Grove record., 1914-12-18
md Henry James as you can possibly

M
Here is a book that all the girls in
the store say is very good" replied
the young woman 1T is called 'vir-
gie's Betrothal; or The Stranger at
Brentwood Manor It's by Imogene
Sybil Beauclerc."
IF it's what 1t sounds to be. it's Just
what ! want" said Payson, showing
his teeth at the young woman with a
deyilish glee. "You say the girls here
in the store like it,"
Eyes; Miss Simmons. In the hand
kerchief-box department, says it's just
grand" .
"Ha! All right, I'll take it."
He felt his happiness rising as he
went through the store. The Joy shone
in his face as he stood at the skate
counter.
II have a brother. who is forty-six
years old and rather fat" he said to
the salesman. 81 don't suppose he's
been on the ice in twenty-five years.
He ear a No. 9 shoe. Give me a
pair of skates for him"
A few minutes later he stood at the
silk counter.
What are those things?" he asked,
pointing to some gayly colored silks
folded in boxes.
Those are scarfs."
We'll, IL you've got one that has all
the colors Of the rainbow in it'll take
it. / want one with lots Of yellow and
red and green in 1t. / want something
that you can hear across the street.
You see, l have a sister who prides
herself on her quiet taste. Her cos
tunes are marked by what you call
'unobtrusive elegance think she'd
rather die than wear one of those
things, 80 / want the biggest and
noisest one in the whole lot"
The girl didn't know what to make
of Mr.. Payson's strange remarks, but
she was too busy to be kept wonder
ing.
MI. Payson's sisters husband is the
president of a church temperance So
ciety, SO Nj. Payson bought him a
buckhorn corkscrew.
There vas n more present to buy.
Let me see," said Mr.. Payson.
What is there that could be of no
earthly use to a girl of six years old?"
Even as he spoke his eye fell on a
sign: Bargain sale of ~neckwear."
Il don't believe she would care for
c%ravats." he said. Il guess I'll buy
some for her."
He saw a box OF cravats marked "25
cents each"
why are those SO cheap" he asked.
well. to tell the truth, they're out
of STYLE"
That's good. I want eight of them
oh, any eight will do. / want them
for a small niece of mine-a little girl
about six years old"
Without indicating the least sur
prise, the salesman wrapped up the
cravats.
Letters received by Mr.. Sidney Pay
son in acknowledgment of his Christ
mas presents:
Dear Brother: Pardon me for not
having acknowledged the receipt of
your Christmas present. The fact is
that since the skates came | have been
devoting so much of my time to the
re-acquiring Of n of my early accom-
plishmentS that / have not had much
time for writing. / wish l could ex-
press to you the delight I felt when l
opened the box and saw that O had
sent me a pair of skates. 1t was just
as if you had said to me: Will, my
boy, some people may think you are
getting on in years, but / know that
you're not / suddenly remembered
that the presents which / have been
receiving for several Christmases were
intended for an old man. / have re-
ceived easy-chairs, slippers, muffiers.
smoking-jackets, and the like. When
received the pair Of skates from you /
felt that twenty years had been lifted
from my shoulders. How in the world
did you ever happen to think of them?
Did you really believe that my skating
days were not over? Well, they're not.
! went to the pond in the park on
Christmas day and worked at it for
two hours and I had a lot of fun. MY
ankles were rather weak and 1 fell
down twice, but without hurting my
self, managed to go through the mo-
tons, and before I left l skated with
a peach of a pretty girl. Well, Sid, 1
owe this renewal of my youth to you.
Thank you many times, and believe
me to be. as ever, your affectionate
brother, WILLIAM"