The Little River news., 1920-09-08
TWENTY-ONE TEMPLE STREET
By VICTOR RADCLIFFE
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ShreWQ, preClSe Mlo. RdSii"o' NN smiled as was always an indulgent phase of business policy with her, out shook her head with an equally lnsln- cere suggestion of regret.
 q am very sorry" she spoke, "put an hour after you were here ulls morning and told me you could not at- ford the apartment"
 "But I have changed my mind v piped the feeble old man querulously,
 Tt is too late, sir. A Miss Wadlelgh has engaged the room. There she IS now" and Abel Marsh turned to oo- serve young lady passing down the hall, but heSitating at the open doof- way as if wishing to speak with the landlady, but not desiring to lntrude.
 The crotchety, self centered old man regarded her with scowl as though she had crossed his path purposely and had done him some deadly ln- jury.
 But to this Miss Wadleigh was lm- pervious. She had noticed the thin, weasened old man painfully llmplhg into the house as though every step was painful she had overheard the conversation between himself and the landlady. She advanced step into the room uninvited, as the old man said:
 "Then I'll have to take the room upstairs, I suppose. How I'll ever ger up three flights with my lameness and pain don't know, but I've got to have a roof to shelter me- It's cheaper, too. and that is a consideration With me-"
 Gan I speak to you for moment, Mrs. Ford" ventured Inez Wadleigh, and she drew back into the hallway and in low tone conveyed message to the landlady that caused the latter to stare at her in wOnderment. Then further conversation, and Inez went on, while Mrs. Ford returned to the presence of the old man.
 "Mr. Marsh" she said, "you can have this room after all. Miss Wad- leigh, the young lady who had taken 1t, most kindly agrees to occupy the upper one instead so you may be near CT to the street and more comfort able.'
 "What's that!'' challenged Marsh, with a token of suspicion in his tone. "Of course, she wants bonus for the exchange?"
 "Oh, mo- dissented Mrs. Ford. "She wouldn't think of such thing. She is just a thoughtful, kind-hearted girl, who lost her father recently. You make her think of him, she says, and your age and feebleness appeal to her. It is settled, then?"
 You mean to tell me that there's a mortal in the world who would sacri- flee their own selfish wellbeing for an old hawk like me, without having some ulterior designs in viewT de manded Abel Marsh.
 "There seems to be a lovely young lady in this instance, just human enough and gentle and piteous enough to do so," declared Mrs. Ford, with a touch of deep emotion in her face.
  people in the house after that.
 Inez was the only person in the house to whom he paid any particular courtesy or attention. Brusque, un- social as he was with others, his fur rOwed face would soften when he met or spoke to her. She did stenOgraphic work in business office and also some piece typewriting work at home eve nings. One evening in the common paror Abel Marsh asked Inez to copy some legal documents for him, to which she agreed. He was not at all liberal in pay for her labor, but IneZ excused his penuriousness as a char acteristic of warped and afflicted in- valid. The next. morning he knocked at the door of her room to hand her some other work. Inez noticed as his glance swept the apartment that 1t rested upon framed picture, the only one belonging to her in the room. It was that of her fiance, Gordon Bridges. She flushed as her visitor bestowed up on her quizzical look.
 "A fine looking young man," ob- served Abel Marsh, with an unusual twinkle in his eye. "A relativeY
 "No," replied Inez in an embar- rassed way. "I-I am engaged to him"
 ''Oh, I see!" nodded Marsh. But he does not come often to see you?"
 "He lives in another city," explained Inez.
 You quite interest me-" said the old man. You deserve to have him fully worthy of you, for you are a kind-hearted, truthful girl. Not many of such nowadays" and he departed with certain vague and mysterious expression upon his face that some what puzzled Inez.
 "A letter to copy" said Abel Marsh the next day, handing some penciled sheets to Inez.
 Half an hour later, as Inez placed the pages at the side of her type writer to transcribe them, they seemed to blind, to daze to overcome her. The first one began:
 'My Dear Son: I have stolen a march on you and have seen the young lady you so sturdily insist is the only one you can ever love, Keep on lov- ing her, for girl so considerate and self-sacrificing cannot help but be a worthy wife. She knows me as, Abel Marsh. Enlighten her as to my real identity and let the wedding bells ring with my full approval"