The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1918-02-14

ing to war conditions and necessity 10 |
curtail every possible expense. we
shall give no gold pieces at Christ.
mas"
Nancy took the words down In dots,
curves and dashes, and recalled as sho
did so that In the firm OF which Har-
row was president "war conditions"
had meant % per cent greater profit
than usual.
"Take this" he threw out again. "It
Is for my hOusekeeper, Mrs. Hawkins
Owing to war conditions, have found
1t Inadvlsable to dispense with any ad.
ditional money In the wages to the
servants this year. And when you
have done that write n personal letter
to my sister, and another to my cousin
the one with six chIldren-and eX-
plain TO them that as an net Of pa
triOtlsm we ought to refrain from gift
giving this year. It's Just an exchange
Of n lot of junk" he went on, more
to himself than to Nancy, between a
lot Of people that don't care two straws
for each other. Then write a letter
to the matrOn of the orphan hOme-the
one my mother used to be so much In
terested In. I've previously ordered
doll or book for each child. Tell them
that / feel that would be a needless
extravaganza. II they are absolutely
without necessities let them notify me,
and I'll send them a check. But now
Is no time to waste money on mere
toys. Let the youngsters make dolls
out of sticks and things. They will
enjoy them just as much"
Nancy wrote these and dozen or
so similar letters that Mr.. Harrow die
tated, and gave no inkling Of her own
attitude toward the contents of the
letters. That night, when Harrow had
left rather earlier than usual, the let
ters were still on Nancy's desk, and
when she left, little later, the letters
were lying in mail basket where 1t
might seem that they had been forgot
ten, but where, as IL matter of fact,
there was no danger of their being
mailed. Nancy hurried from the office
to the nearest public telephone booth.
called up Clarice and told her she
wanted to see her at once and would
board the next car toward her house.
She hurried to Clarice's room and
talked with her for short ten min
utes, and then hurried home, leaving
Clarice ample time for a more than
ordinarily elaborate toilet that night.
When Mr.. Harrow arrived at the
Wardham house an hour later, for din
ner and quiet little evening with
Clarice afterwHrd, Clarice was in her
most bewitching mood and Harrow had
nothing of the gruffness that had char
acteriZed his manner at the office dur
ing the afternoon.
He had come with the half cOnvic-
tion that TINT night he would definitely
ask Clarice to marry him and demand
from her definite answer. But when
he fell under the charm of her CO.
quetry, for Clarice was irresistible that
night, he was full determined, and he
was impatient Of the many courses Of
dinner and the moments that had to
be spent with Clarice's family before
they could gracefully find q sequester-
ed spot alone.
When they were seated in the music
room-Clarice had made an excuse of
wishing to show him some new rec
Ords-he asked her point blank and
without wasting time in preliminaries
whether she would marry him.
Clarice looked perplexed. I'm afraid
we ought not to think of it," she said :
'at least. while the war lasts. 1t would
mean to give each other great deal of
love, and, owing to war conditions, we
ought not to give all that, do you
think sO?"
Mr.. Harrow for the first time that
evening recalled his afternoon at the
Office, and the man that had dictated
the letters seemed now like a repulslve
shadow of his true self. Clarice ex-
planned her friendship for Nancy Smith
and Nancy's hurried call that after
noon.
Don't think the less of Nancy for
it," begged Clarice. 81 asked her to
let me know just what sort of man
you are, and wouldn't let her tell you
that she knew me. 1t is all my fault" "
'Tf she realized how small / was in
writing those letters why didn't she
| Dyg IL h.,
did she post them?"
"She didn't post them," said Clarice.
"They are locked in your Office"
1t was thoroughly cOntrite, hum
bled sort of man that knelt before
Clarice's chair. "If I'll promise to give
twice as much this Christmas, and
promise never to be spug again, will
you promise to marry meT" he begged.
And of course Clarice said ''yes."