The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1940-02-24
Romance in
Hardware
By ALICE DUANE
Mcclure Syndicate-WNU Service.)

per on Saturday nights. Peggy's IA
Their was half owner of the store,
which did more business than any
three other hardware stores in the
county put together. Peggy had
asked to work there to start with
for the sake of earning a little extra
spending money. At the time Har-
old Warner, just through high
school, had just joined his father in
the business.
Peggy had not tried to hide her
admiration for the tall, fine-looking
son of her fathers partner. One
evening after closing hours Mr..
Prince had suggested driving Mr..
Warner home in his car, and Harold
had taken the hint and had asked
permission to drive Peggy home in
his fathers car. So the custom had
begun-for four years now Harold
had driven Peggy homeland, incl
dentally, Peggy and Harold had be-
come engaged. ~
Now Peggy was 20 and Harold was
% and they were driving home after
a Saturday evening that had been
especially prosperous to the business
which they would some day inherit.
"Of course, you like hardware"
Peggy tainted Harold. cts your
whole hfe-hardware.
81 don't see why you jump at
conclusions" said Harold. Then,
after a pause, "As matter of fact,
I loath i'll loath hardware"
YOU'D say anything to avoid an
argument, " saidPeggy. "Youhaven't
any idea of the way feel about it.
Sometimes I could just cut loose and
run away. Lead my own life-in-
stead of the life that has been cut
out for me"
Peggy paused and looked at Har-
old, but Harold, to her surprise, had
not turned to look at her.
''I'd like to cut loose myself" he
said at length. Il don't particularly
banker to lead life that has been
cut out for me either"
Peggy took a long breath,
stretched out her arms, and then
felt at loss to know precisely what
to say. "There are ever so many
things I might do" she said. I'D
go somewhere where I'd have an
opportunity. I'd want to be free:
really to live, to think. Have you
any brilliant idea for your own fu-
ture-if you gave up hardware?"
81 have" said Harold simply.
''Well, if that's the way you feel,
we might as we'll call our engage
ment off
Peggy was decidedly annoyed, and
this moment of her release from
Harold didn't give her the sense of
profound relief that she had antici-
pated.
cts 0. K. with me-" said Har-
old, eff that's the way you feel
about it."
And so within few days Peggy
and Harold told their fathers of their
broken engagement, and started
forth to seek their fortunes apart
from hardware.
Three months later Mr.. Prince
appeared at the usual time on Satur-
day night and with him came Peggy,
looking a little thinner-a little less
buoyant than usual. Mr.. Warner,
who was measuring chicken wire at
the time, looked up in surprise.
"Peggy's back for good" said Mr..
Prince, gleefully. Says she'll come
back to sell kitchen things Satur-
days, the same as usual, if we want
her"
AS soon as Mr.. Warner was at
liberty he went to Peggy and, laying
a rough hand gently on her Shout
der, said: I'm glad you're back,
my girl-only perhaps you'd rather
leave early. Harold's coming back
on the eight-thirty from the East.
He's coming right here to the store.
He didn't make out quite so well as
he expected Went up thinking he
could beat those wolves of Wall
street at their own game. Funny
you two never ran into each other
just by chance"
New York's too big for that"
said Peggy demurely. Besides,
Wall street is miles from Fifty
eighth street."
Mr.. Warner was laughing to him
self. $50 you'll stay and meet him
here?" he asked "Well, maybe you
can get together again-you two.
Though l hope you won't do it just
to please your father and me-"
Harold had come in the store by
the back way, had hung up his hat
on the accustomed peg before any,
one knew he had entered the store.
NEED a hand to help with the
chicken wire?" he called out to Mr..
Prince, by way of attracting atten-
ton to his presence.
Mr.. Prince turned red, rubbed his
eyes, shook hands and stammered
his welcome, with something like
tears in his beaming eyes. Then he
thought of Peggy, looked about the
store to see whether she had seen
Harold, and felt much embarrassed.
Peggy stepped lightly to his side.
'Harold's back" said her father in
a whisper. Maybe you'd better 60
home"