The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-07-02
FORCING INTEREST
BY SUSAN E. CLAGETT.

WIS 81 HcdSy Il OONApoul II SNNh'NN' -"
# all the waters in the heavens had
been collected in one vast bucket and
overturned upon the little mill town.
She watched the sweep of rain with
dismay, hesitating to brave the on
slOught.
you had better wait until 1T holds
up. This cannot last long," q cool,
pleasant voice said from out the shad-
ow at her back. AS the man spoke he
was thinking of talk he had had with
his father some days before, and its
consequences.
"How is 1t that Richard Pendle-
tons girl is working in the millI"
he had asked the older man.
Old Tom Daily flicked the ash from
his cigar and paused quite time be-
fore answering.
'Why?" he had asked at length.
"She seems out of place."
"If she has to make her living
fancy she is doing it in the way she
best can. You have charge of the de-
partment. Isn't her work satisfac-
tory?"
Perfectly. I was only wondering
why she had to make her living"
There was a slump in certain Sc
curities and all Dick Pendleton saved
from the wreck was that cottage on
the edge of town where the girl and
her mother lived. Then. to make mat.
tiers worse, the shock killed him." 4 1
Couldn't you have done better by
the girl than put her in the mill?"
81 tried, son. But my boy. there is
q pride that will not accept help I'M
less 1t be given in the form of work.
1t was best for her to stay in her home
town with her mother, so | gave her
such employment as I could. l would
gladly have done more"
Tom swung himself out of the room.
An hour later he was ransacking the
town to find something to make Mar
tina Pendleton think. Roses? There
were none Books and candy seemed
too ordinary medium with which to
approach her. At last, seized by an
inspiration, he wrote TO her, and this
was his letter:
Martha Pendleton. up to now you
have never given me q thought. From
now on. for q week, am going to com
pei your interest by writing to you ev-
cry day. Just line. Unfortunate
| ly. I have never dabbled in CORE
spondence. Now I wish that I had.
| 1t would make it easier for me in this
| determination to draw your thoughts
| in my direction.
81 cannot give you longer than a
week because hold you too close in
my heart to wait longer. You will
have to think of me, dear. You will
not he able TO help it, because l am
| only going to sign myself, One Who
| Cares
Every day for the week he had sent
| a letter. Sometimes it was closely
| written. sometimes but line, but each
evening when the girl reached her
| home the big white envelope was lying
| upon the hall table.
/ Now. as she stood in the mill door
staring out into the drenching rain. her
umbrella turned inside out from her
first attempt to battle with the wind
she turned perplexed eyes upon the
| young fellow standing near.
81 have waited until l can wait nc
longer. Mr.. Daily. Mother will be
| alarmed"
"You will have to wait until it holds
up" he replied "Come into the office
It is pleasanter there than here" He
led the way. touching the electric
switch and throwing the room into bril-
liant light. "Sit here in fathers chair
Miss Pendleton. Fate has taken 9
hand in affairs tonight and II want
to talk to YOU ~
She turned to him in some surprise
'You know dad pretty well, do yol
not?"
"He has been very kind to me-" sht
answered simply.
Hes that kind" Tom took a deer
breath-'I want you to go to the par
sonage with me before you return
home"
The girl had risen and was looking
, at him with crimsoned cheeks. Gus
what do you mean, Mr.. Dally?"
Now that the die was cast Tom re
gained a semhlance of confidence.
: what I have been telling you for
/ week past. l couldn't go to your hom
) without creating gossip here in tn
mill, and | didn't wish to subject yo1
to that. Chance has brought abou
our meeting earlier than / expected.
He fumbled in his pocket. Il have TIL
| license, Martha. You have your ha
and the sky is clearing. Are yo1
. ready?"
For an appreciate instant the cir
!, | hcsitated
: II was ready the night I receive
= your first letter, Tom" Then sh
laughed. "You dear. I have been ia
q miliar with your handwriting 70
! months and months. Your father wa
!, very proud of your college letters, an
= always brought them over for mothe
/, and me to read"
o Copyright, 1917, by the Mcclure Newspa