Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1922-08-09
Old Henry's
Wooing
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By JUSTIN WENTWOoD

"Hello, Hank! Saving up to get
inurriedT'
Old Henry Dobson, who had been
one OF the bookkeepers Of the Friend
comphny FOR nearly score Of years,
looked up sheepishly and thrust away
the bills he was counting.
"Better hurry up; not much time to
lose, Hank
Henry DobSon must have been fifty,
and why he had been SO long with the
company ind still retained q subordl.
nate position was not difficult to see.
Honest, plodding, Industrious he had
not the qualities that make for sue.
cess. AN elderly.loOlslng man, unob-
trusive, he went his way, the butt Of
mild witticlsms Oh the part Of the
younger men.
No one knew anything about old
Henry, nor where he lived, and nobody
cared.
The same applied equally to Miss
Rowell, Of the correspondence depart.
ment. Miss Rowell had been there
nine years, and looked just plain,
pale, rather faded old maid.
"Sny, Miss Rowell, Hank Dobson
reckons he's going to got marriedl"
Sadie, the telephone girl, snid this,
and waited for the quick blush to ap-
pear on Miss Rowclls face.
"Is he really? Oh, isn't that nice |"
Say" said Sadie to her friend,
Agnes Strut, wouldn't it be Il joke
to make Amy Rowell think Hank Dob.
sons In love with herT'
"And to make him think she's In
love with him"
"lIow'n we do it?"
"Watch he |" said Sadie graphically.
On the following morning Miss Row.
ell found Il neat little bunch OF violets
on her desk, with Il scrap Of pnsteboard
attached, bearing In writing the words,
with II. DIS compliments"
Her agitation appeared plain. The
girls, watching her, had many quiet
giggles as they saw her surreptltiously
bend to sniff the fragrance Of the
flowers.
"Say, Hank, that's fine bunch Of
flowers you sent Miss Rowell.''
II didn't send her any flowers.
What'd I want to send her flowers
"Wcll, don't you let OH you didn't.
She's coming to thank YOU"
Little Miss Rowell stopped at Henry
Dobson's desk. "Thanlt you so much
for your beautiful flowers, MIR. Dob.
son." she said In II quiet voice.
y few days later Henry Dobson
found a pair Of socks Oh his desk,
bearing card. with kind rcmcm.
brnnccs from a. r." Examination dis.
closed the fact that the heels were
gone.
"Say, Miss Rowell, Mr.. Dobson's
had such lovely pair Of socks from
some one" said Sadie.
Little Miss Rowell raised her head
inquiringly. "Who sent them?" she
asked.
"Oh, Miss Rowell Oh, Miss Row.
ell !" they teased hel.
1t was funny to see how nervously
Miss R0well avoided Henry Dobson's
desk for several days thereafter.
The scream Of the joke came a few
days later. Miss Itowel opened q
little cardboard box. Inside was q
ten-years.old valentine, procured from
some old dealer who had had 1t rot.
ting on his shelf since the days when
valentines remained In fashion. The
lace paper edge w1s torn and mil.
dewed. The picture represented an
elderly spinster with long, red nose,
and underneath was printed:
I think you're out for marriage,
AS all tho world can seeA
] hope you'll find man to your mind
Aa long as 1t isn't me-
The sender had scratched out the
last word and substituted III. D."
Miss ROwell's right hand jerlxed con-
vulsively. The valentine, torn In half.
dropped into the wastebasket.
Twelve struck. Hank Dobson came
slowly Into the correspondence depart.
ment as the girls were getting on their
hats. Miss Rowell rose up, smiling.
"Oh, Sadie, you know I'm not com.
ing back on Monday7" she asked.
"Not coming back, Miss Rowell"
There was genuine regret. Then, i'm
pulsively: "Oh, Miss RoHel If It's
because we've bothered you so much,
won't you overlook It? I-I'nP really
ashamed"
"My dear, you haven't bothered me
ut all," Miss Rowell smiled. "But my
husband and are starting little poul-
try fnrm---the dream Of our lives"
"Oh, Miss ROwell! mean-why,
Miss Roweil you and Mr.. Dobson have
got married."
"Ten years ago, my dear" smiled
Amy Rowell.
The First Wallpaper In America.
Wall papers did not begin to come