The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1922-12-07

mite position was not difficult to zee.
Honest, plodding, Industrious he had
not the qualities that make for sue.
cess. An elderlylooking man. unob-
trusive, he went his way,, the butt Of
mild witticisms on the part Of the
younger men.
No n knew anything about old
Henry, nor where he lived, and nobody
cared. ~. i
The same applied equally to Miss
Rowell, of the correspondence depart
ment. Miss Rowell had been there
nine years, and looked just q plain,
pale, rather faded old maid.
"Say, Miss Rowell, Hank Dobson
reckons he's going to get married"
Sadie, the telephone girl, said this,
and waited for the quick blush to ap"
pear on Miss Rowell's face.
us he, really? Oh, isn't that nicel |"
Say" said Sadie to her friend,
Agnes Strut, wouldn't 1t be a joke
to make Amy Rowell think Hank Dob
sons in love with herr
"And to make him think she's In
love with him |"
How'll we do itf"
"Watch me /" said Sadie graphically.
On the following morning Miss Row.
ell found a neat little bunch of violets
on her desk, with a scrap Of ~pasteboard
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 surreptitiously
bend to sniff the fragrance Of the
flowers.
"Say, Hank, that's a fine bunch Of
flowers you sent Miss Rowell."
II didn't send her any flowers.
What'd I want to send her flowers
forr protested Henry Dobson.
swell, don't you let on you didn't
She's coming to thank you"
Little Miss Rowell stopped at Henry
Dobson's desk. THANK you so much
for your beautiful flowers, Mr.. Dob
son." she said In a quiet voice.
A few days later Henry Dobson
found a pair Of socks on his desk,
bearing a card, with kind remem-
brances from A. R." Examination dis
closed the fact that the heels were
gone.
"Say, Miss Rowell, Mr.. Dobson's
had such a lovely pair of socks from
some one," said Sadie.
Little Miss Rowell raised her head
inq%uiringly. "Who sent them7" she
asked.
"Oh, Miss Rowelll Oh, Miss Row.
ELL !" they leased hel.
It was funny to see how nervOusly
Miss Rowell avoided Henry Dobson's
desk for several days thereafter.
The cream Of the joke came a few
days later. Miss Rowell' opened q
little cardboard box. Inside was q
~ten-years-old valentine, procured from
some old dealer who had had it rot
ting on his shelf since the days when
lace paper edge was torn and mil
dewed. The picture represented an
elderly spinster with a long, red nose,
and underneath was printed:
d &A44A4n xS~A AZ ~~S AVA A&&A u
As all the world can see.
I hope you'll n q man to FOUR mind,
As long al 1t isn't me.
The sender had scratched out the
last word and substituted III. D."
Miss Rowelrs right hand jerked con.
vulsively. The valentine, torn in halt,
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 MondayT" she asked.
mot coming back, Miss Rowell?''
There vas genuine regret. Then, i'm
pulsively: "Oh, Miss Rowell, If it's
because we've bothered you so much,
won't you overlook it? I'm really
ashamed"
My dear, you haven't bothered me
at ALL" Miss Rowell smiled. But my
husband and l are starting a little poul.
try farm-the dream of our lives"
ooh, Miss Rowell! I mean-why,
Miss Rowell, you and Mr.. Dobson have
got married !"
Ten years ago, my DEAR" smiled
Amy Rowell.