Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1918-07-25

work for him. He treats me more
%courteously than any man / ever work
ed for before. He has never called
me by my first name, but always Miss
Travers, and instead Of telling me to
do this and to do that, he always acts
as If he were asking a favor when he
has work for me to do.
HE seems a lonesome sort Of man.
often wonder how he lives and what
he does to enjoy himself-if he aver
does enjoy himself. He is a hard
worker and men admire him. Idon't
known whether he's married or not, but
don't believe he is, for no woman
ever comes to see him at the Office.
"But there; you'll know him prob
ably some day.. At least I want you
to, when you get ready to 60 into bust
ness, for there's no man I would rath-
er have you take for q pattern than
Mr.. Merton.
"Let me know how you are getting
along, save what you can, for you will
need a little to go on when you get
through college in June. Write soon.
Lovingly, Alice"
Henry Merton was not q man to de-
lay matters. With him, a problem no
sooner presented itself than he set
about to solve 1t, and a decision to
do a certain thing was always fol-
lowed at onc with the doing. While
he listened to the click of Miss TRAY
ers' typewriter, which to him was
music for a reason he had not real
ICED before, he had reached an impor-
tant decision-the most important Of
his life thus far-and he set about
putting it into effect III q way that
was thoroughly characteristic Of the
man.
he went into Miss Travers' room
and seated himself in a chair he al
ways occupied when debating letters.
He did not as some business men
would have done, call her to his desk
to take notes on a sliding shelf with
no place to rest her arm.
"Miss Travers," he said, and she no
ticed q queer sound in his voice, twill
you please take a letter for me-a let
ter to my mother"
"At last" thought Miss Travers, II
am to know something about MI. Mer-
ton. I never knew before whether he
had a mother"
"You need not mind to take notes."
said Mr.. Merton. "Just take it on the
machine, for I shall not dictate rapid
ly. Are you ready?"
"Dear Mother: I have been so busy
lately that I have had little time to
write you, and now what I have to say
will surprise you; perhaps pain you
a little at first. Ever since I left
home and came to this smoky, noisy
town, you have been the only woman
in the world who has really known me,
or anything about me; and now I am
going to get married."
pardon me-" said Miss Travers,
with a slight blush. She had written
the last word marble" and had STOP
ped to erase the last three letters and
write them over. It was an unheard-
Of thing for Alice Travers to make a
mistake. With no sign Of annoyance
Merton went on:
Though no woman knows me, ]
know a woman, and one whom + am
sure you will approve as a daughter.
First Of all, she is a lady. I do not
know her people, hut I am sure from
her manner and character that they
must be most admirable persons. !
am not q Judge Of woman's beauty, but
I do not think you would call her q
pretty girl. She is something better
than that. There is a womanly dig.
nifty and sweetness about her that gives
her a charm far greater than mere
beauty. She is not a girl, really, but
a woman-a gentle, true, sweet wom-
an.
"One thing I know you will like
about her. She has a younger brother
in college, and every month she, sends
him a generous part Of her earnings,
so that he may educate himself. But
you shall know her soon. AS soon as
we are married you must come and
visit us. There will be no occasion for
o to be jealous, mother. She will