Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1928-07-06
Henry and His
Resolutions
By H. LOUIS RAYBoLD

THERE is no doubt but that Henry
had risen to be assistant cashier
In the local bank by what might be
termed the schedule process"
That is to say, he had for years
got up, lived and gone to bed by neat
ly typed cards which laid out his
twenty-four hours TO the best advan-
tage, So many minutes for meals, so
many for work, so many for sleep, SO
many for advancement" which lat
ter meant study Of one sort or an
other that would give him a boost up.
He had, as matter of fact, had
several boosts, and all of them he laid
to the fact that he lived by rule and
wasted no time.
1t had been fairly easy to follow
his self-planned schedules because
there had been no outside interior
ence of any sort. His health was ex-
cellent, he had no family to make de-
mands of him, and he gave all femi-
nine creatures the icy shoulder.
Then he met Hortense. To be frank
about that first meeting, one must say
that she fell into his lap. Without in
tention, however.
His twenty-mlnute bus ride from
work each night was the period Henry
devoted to learning a foreign language
In fifteen minutes a day. This winter
1t was French; and he was zealously
asking himself questions about the
brother of his aunt and the sister of
his uncle when HOrtense sat down on
his book, as the bus swung around the
corner.
Henry had never had a young lady
on his lap before, even for so brief
an instant. And when she stood up
and apologized and he looked up into
the loveliest pair of blue eyes he had
ever seen, he wanted hel back again.
IN lieu of that, he Jumped up and Of
fered his seat.
For Hortense took the same bus
each night that he did and, having
given up his seat to her once, 1t
seemed natural to do It thereafter.
Within n short time their acquaint-
ance had ripened to friendship. And
little later the other bus riders ex-
pected HOrtense to appear most any
day wearing sparkling ring. They
would have been surprised and even
politely incredulOus had Henry In
formed them that so far not one word
Of love had passed between them. Yet
1t would have been the simple truth.
How could 1t have been otherwise
Henry's schedule gave no time to
Cupid.
Came the holidays. For seven years
now II had been Ilenry's custom to
take an inventory Of his life on that
occasion.
So we find him sitting the: . this
evening In front of his desk neatly
stacked with little piles of indexed
cards ready for the coming years
schedules. There was also sheet of
paper for his usual list of resolutions.
There were several that he could
write down at once:
will let no outside interest come
between me and my work.
| will smoke but one cigar day
will go to bed each night at eleven
o'clock.
Resolutions that he had kept with
out trouble the last seven years.
He paused to dreBm moment. How
wonderful 1t would be if he ever be.
came n cashlerl As for vice presl
dent
AT that instant the telephone rang
in the hall below and moment later
his landIady called up to him:
mister Archibald. Oh, Mr.. Archi
bald Young lady or the phOnel"
His brow frowned, but his heart
skipped gleefully, and he took the
stairs two at time.
as that you, Henry"
"Thls Is Hortense-yes, really"
"I'm having a little party, a very
very small one, and a boy has failed
me- Would you be willing to help
me out?'
Now was the time for all good men
to go TO the help of the schedule.
Henry hesltated Then, and 1t was
really to his great surprise, he heard
himself saying: "Why, certainly. III
be up right away"
HOrtense had correctly called II a
very small party. After she had In
trOduced him to her father and
mother, sh9 led Henry out to the den
where there was a radio Also stand
with the latest magazines, box Of
opened cigars, and two comfortable
chairs.
where are the others?" asked
Henry.
Hortense had the grace to blush.
There are no Others" she said
With that remark II was all over
for Henry but the wedding bells.
When he went home that night he
stCJd looking down for moment at
the three resolutions he had penned
so brief a time before. Then he
crumpled them up and threw them In
the basket He had already broken
them all.
Several years afterward two men
met on a street corner. One of them
said: "Saw Henry Archibald today
with his pretty wife. Understand he
has been made president Of the bank
Eyes" replied the other. "IIe has.
lie married Hortense GarJn, daugh-
ter Of old Garvin. one OF the direc.
tors"
"Pull helps" said the first speaker.
"You bet said the other. $50
long"
Richest Iron Ore Deposits