The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-12-14

his rivals offer in order to keep her
| in his employ. But the next evening
at closing time Miss Nellie again came
to him and told him that the rival
| had added a dollar to. his offer. 1t
was purely a business consideration,
of course. She would go wherever she
could make the most money. Henri
spent another evening studying his
books and the next morning he
| matched his rival
Then Miss Nellie came again to
Henri. He has done better still" she
said. HE has offered me commits
sions for all the trade I bring"
Henri was pale. But do~you not
see, Mees Nellie" he said, that all
you have 1 have given you? The GUS
tomers-have you not got them in my
employ? That wave of yours-did
not teach it to you?'
Yes" Nellie admitted But they
are my customers. They come because
am here. They will follow me if I
go to Alfonso. l have given you much
in return Well, monsieur. 1 have
given you all my life since 1 was 20. I
have given up having a good time like
other girls. 1 never had young men
like Blanche and Sadie. 1 could have
had them if 1 had wanted to
But somehow 1 just put all there was
in me into the business. And it is all
business. Now 1 shall do as well for
myself as 1 can" Miss Nellie did not
look at Henri as she spoke. He was
AS she passed out of the office that
night the little Frenchman's eyes fol-
lowed her with an entreating, helpless
look.
''She is very wonderful" he said
to himself. ct do not blame her. Still
II must have her back. Without her
1 cannot carry on the business CAN
not be happy" Then Henri spent an
other night over his booksEplanning
meditating, bordering.
The next morning Henri arrived at
Miss Nellie's small apartment before
she was out for the day. She was
pulling on her gloves in the front hall
and he asked permission to start out
with her. They sat on park bench
near Henri's shop and talked so low
that no one passing would have heard
them.
Miss Nellie, I have but one way of
hoping" he began. 81 thought it all
out last night What is my business
without you? Nothing. 1 know now
this with a shrug of the shoulders
that life is nothing without your smile,
too. But we will talk business first
For those first years that you were
with me 1 perhaps had plans that
did not tell you. But then it was all
business. We worked hard, and little
by little there were profits. You know
my am bition, to go back to that beau
tiful south of France where l was
born, where one lives among the
grapevines and the blue skies. That is
But 1 must keep you. I need you.
Miss Nellie. Even If did not have
you in my shop l shall not let AL
phonse have you" Henri shuddered
and closed his eyes for a second. That
would be impossible. So shall ask
what my rival did not ask you. l will
ask you to marry me, to be Madame
Henri. That is the business part of it.
After that I will tell you. Miss Nellie,
how much troubled 1 have been feel
ing that you no longer cared for me.
Nellie had interspersed Henris
speech with the little remarks and
gestures that made him know that she
accepted his proposition, and they both
sat silently, happily looking down at
the gravel path in. front of the park
bench
Henri didn't want to leave you,.
Nellie explained, but 1 heard two of
the girls saying one night that 1 didn't
have anything to do but work. 1t sort
of hurt my feelings, Henri. I'd always
thought too much of you to want to
go around with any one else. So /
Just got TO thinking whether it was
fair for them to talk the way they did. /
l wanted them to know 1 wasn't such I
a fool had to show them. So-wel, /
maybe 1 hoped you'd ask me to marry (
YOU Henri Maybe that is why
went over to Alphonse and got him to 1
make me an offer a man needs jolt 1
som etimes you know.'--(copyright, (
1915, by Mcclure Newspaper Syndi- 4
cate.)