The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-07-30


A soft Jewish voice answered hin
presently. What was thati Could they
have $500 diamond engagement ring
delivered to Jonas Payton's office be
fore s 'clocks Surely, they could! But
III 'm-what size of ring did Mr.. Pay
ton wishf
Mr.. Payton scratched his head.
"Why," he said, "to tell the truth
| didn't know they came in sizes" F."
The other offered to send someone
over to talk it over with Mr.. Payton
He could probably give pretty def
mite
ooh, never mind doing that" said
the senior partner. "You just pick out
a ring you think will fit the most per
feet cond-finger in the world, and
it II be sure to suit"
He hung up the receiver, got up and
went out In the vestibule he turned
into little cloak room to get his hat
and overcoat. While he was fumbling
around in the semi-darkness he heard
somebody enter the vestibule from the
outside. A moment later he heard voices
familiar voices.
"Nellie," said the first voice, a
young mans voice, "why don't you
tell me just what you meant You say
you can't promise to marry me because
of Mr.. Payton, and that's worse than
if you just refused me flatly."
"But I don't want to flatly refuse
you, Fred" said the other-Miss Dal-
ton 's-voice. The words came chok-
ingly, as if the speaker was on the
point of breaking into tears. 81 don't
want you to think that don 't-don t
love you. I want you to understand
that it because of-of Mr.. Payton
that I can't promise to marry you.
"What on earth has Mr.. Payton to
do with iti He's just your employer,
the same as he is mine. He
Gle ism It, Fred. He S more than my
employer. He 's-will, guess I might
as well explain it all. Two years ago
my father died and left us with scarce
| ly anything I had studied stenography
in high school, and | got position in
an office uptown at So week. My
little brother started selling news
papers. We made enough between us
to keep ourselves, mother and the girls
alive. Mother needed to be operated on,
but such thing seemed out of the
question. Then Mr.. Payton saw me at
work one day, and was somehow at
tracted by the way ] took dictation'
He offered me $12 a week, and ! ac-
cepted. Soon he began to show special
Interest in me. He found out about my
mother, and offered to pay for the
operation. ! let him. Later | let HIM
send my brother off to school. ! could
not begin to name the other things we
let him do. Don't tell me | did wrong,
Fred. You don't know what it means
to see your little brother going to the
dogs on the streets, and to see your
mother slowly dying because there ism
money to pay for doctors attention. y
Payton could hear the young man IS
breath come in quick, short gasps.
"You don It mean, Nellie"
"Oh, Fred, don't look like thatl"
pleaded the girl. "Mr. Payton'
gentleman. He says he does all these
things for me because he feels like
father to me, and he believes that is the
reason, too. But some day he'll realize
it Sits another reason. And when ne
asks me to marry him I III have no right
to refuse him."
"You will have a right to refuse
him!o cried the other fiercely "Why,
YOU can It let an old man like him come
between us, Nellie. He's old enough to
be your grandfather"
"But, Fred-oh, don't, Fred!
Please"
Payton plainly heard the young man
gather Miss Dalton in his arms. lie
stepped out of the closet, affecting to
ho rreatIv astonished at the sight which