Catoctin clarion., 1918-04-11

gan to tell on his health. He really
needed the home life If he was to keep
up his mental vigor and good health.
He sometimes wondered whether the
extra hours that Miss Blair had to
wOrk-fOr she always stayed at her
post whenever he was at the office
were not telling on her, too. But she
never murmured and she seemed al
ways In the pink of condition.
One day Bolton began wondering
about Alice Blair. He wondered why
she did all this for him-whether it
was just the result of her training plus
a keen mind-was it induced entirely
by the forty dollars q week that she
had demanded! Perhaps it was. But
the effect 1t produced was the same
1t really did seem as if some one cared
now and that, after all, Bolton con-
cluded, was what made the big differ
ence. Still he kept asking himself, did
Miss Blair care? How did she keep
up her strength and courage for the
long hours? There were hundred
petty home and social duties that
usually distracted his women en-
ployees-had Miss Blair none Of
those?
Mr.. Bottoms last question was an
swered one day when he CHANGED to
look through the carbOns for the out
going mail of the day, when he had
returned unknown to her, after din
ner at night. He came upon the dupli-
cate of letter Of personal nature,
yet before he had realized what he
was doing he read it. 1t was simply an
order to one of the morning papers for
the insertion of "help wanted" ad-
vertisement. This was the advertise
ment:
"Wanted: A young business woman
wants to get in touch with young
woman whose duties will be similar to
those Of wife to busy man. That
is, she must be an educated, agree
able young woman with the willing
ness to take seriously the task of max
ing a small apartment real home.
one Heeu uOI uO tllc uCluul HouSS"oih
but she must see that it is done with
out confusion and without complaint.
She must have the instructive knack
of attending to the little things, COM
bined with the ability to be interested
in the really big things. For such
young woman good home and a fair
remuneration will be given"
Mr.. Bolton read then re-read the
paragraph. What occurred to him
first was that 1t contained perfect
description of his own ideal of what
wife should be-and it was Alice
Blair's ideal. Only it was Alice Blair's
idea Of the companion she wanted, not
the companion she wanted to be. Still,
she understood. She at least realized
that with such an ideal woman at
home a man or woman either might
endure the strain Of business worries
that would otherwise be uncomfortable.
Apparently the letter advertising for
such a companion had gone out. Boil
ton wondered what results would come
of 1t. He almost wished that he, too,
might secure the wife he was looking
for in some such quick-Courtship man
ner. Then he decided to speak to Alice
about it-perhaps, perhaps, she cared
enough
Bolton came to the point rather abb
ruptly.
'T had thought the most important
thing in the world was to have per-
feet secretary" he told her the next
day when he had called her to his
office. "Now l have decided that ii
perfect wife is much more important.
Pardon me for reading your adver-
tisement-I see you understand part
of my own ideal for such companion
she must be real companion,
Alice" he said, changing from his alb
rupt business manner to boyish,
pleading tone that Alice had never
observed before.
Alice blushed and the blush seemed
to tell Bolton that she really did care
for something beside the forty dollars
a week.
as it only because I would be a
congenial companion, and good house.
wife-only because I'd keep the wheels
running smoothly in your home as
have in your Office, is that all?'
Then suddenly Bolton wondered how
It had ever seemed as though those
things could really have been para
mount. All he could see was the shad-
ow that lurked beneath Alice's down.
cast eye, the delicious curve Of her
lips and the graceful lines Of the
small determined little chin.
"Alice," he said little huskily, I'D
want you to marry ME If you were the
worst housewife in the world. Some
how see now why so many men do
marry the women they do suppose
they love them as love you"
And so in spite Of the first develop
ments of the year Bolton filled the
second half of his resolution instead
of the first.