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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 15, 1921)
A .V ,SJ"v f Af9M V RE i try ,r- -rvj - - - t - ., - GREAT CAESAR! have I lost that temple?" Harry Beldon stood block lng tha war of impatient shoppers while b searched bis available pock ets. "I hava, and Aunt Olivia has got to bar that silk this afternoon. Its ber only chance to ba fitted by Mat. Cyr, or words to that effect What waa that stuff? It wasnt dope; It was. some thing. Are the pitying angels looking down on tna now?" Apparently no angelic pity soothed Harrys perturbed spirit His dlstraet ad gaza rested on a young and grace ful figure at the hosiery counter. Two rapid strides and the courage of des peration brought Harry to1 ber side. 1 bag your pardon, madam," be bo na. She turned with a surprised expres sion ta ber lorely ayes. "I flout ilka to trouble yon," ba went an with an embarrassed blush, "but would you mind telling me the color of that gown yon bare on?" The surprise in her face deepened, fluffy blonda who presided orer 50ER AMES waa young and fc A husky and cut out for ft regu- lax farmer, but ba wore spec tacles and mannerisms and tat ta ts chair of mathematics at tha university, except when ba chummed around with Flem Green and acted according to pattern. But principally, Soger Ansa had hobby, which indirectly saved him from several -things. He cataloged folks like any other filing system. "Sire 'em sp every time, on the street, over at faculty meetings, any where," he boasted to Flem, technical ly his colleague In the art department who had been cut out for a halfback. "Street cars m' favorite spot" "And the folks yon catalogue are usually feminine. Then you'd never recognise 'em if you saw 'em out ot your system," laughed Flem. "What's the use? You're human enough when you forget your cards. Going to get left sometime, old boy. All signs fail, you know." -Mine dont!" Roger declared. "If one thing doesn't tell me, a half dozen do. Take the simple newspaper test Always tell" em by tha papr they'se reading and what and when in t Tt they dont read any, tell 'em thut way too!" "Sure. Heard that before. I see all WHEN you go to New York they show you the Wool worth building or tha Brooklyn Bridge, and when with craned neck or bulging eyes you mere ly gasp and exclaim "By heck!" then your Manhattan friend nonchalantly turns away with tba remark, "Not a had little building." Just to do tha natives of Wood field conduct their visiting friends to tha Stafford poultry farm. Strangers in variably admire tha magnificent homo and grounds of the millionaire owner, and at tight of tbe immense farm Just black with poultry bouses Invariably their eyes bulge, tbey gasp and de clare, "Good night!" "It's certainly tome place," they say, "not ona thing puzzles in. You say this Stafford is millionaire?' "Yes, air, Ted Stafford made hit pile all right" and Cy smiles to himself as if enjoying some secret joke. SYLVIA'S little foot tapped the station floor nervously. . She waa aware of tha disquieting fact that there was a hole in the sole ot her right pump. It really waa fool ish of her to wear that particular old pair Just because they matched her dress. A hola la one's shoe was a calamity at any time, but doubly to to day. Why. Breck might even carry out his mad scheme, to often proposed. At this point in her reflection Miss Sylvia sighed and flushed. It was such a pity that Daddy Allen could- and would not understand what a dear Breck was. Just then Breck himself dashed in, tossed bis overccat on the teat beside Sylvia and Joined the waiting Una be fore tha ticket window. Ha stopped a second to Impart some Information to ber. "Everything is top hole, angel child. We're going to remember today, and no mistake," ba chuckled. This portended action, and Sylvia waa ruefully aware that a strenuous afternoon waa not likely to improve tha bole, cava in site, to tha great SDktoMatcli th hosiery was listening "with undis guised interest "Ton tea," Harry tried to explain, with mora blushes and Increased em barrassment, "I was to get one like it for my aunt" It hardly teemed possible that that apple blossom face could assume such haughty expression or that those ex quisite blue ayea could hare that froten stare, "Really!" waa all the beautiful lips could utter, as the young lady turned with intensified interest to the Inspec tion of hosiery. The fluffy blonde was laughing frankly. , He rushed to the silk counter. "Can you see that lady three count ers down the pretty one? Quick, please, before she goes away!" The tall, severe, middle-aged girl who was selling silks glanced In the direction he Indicated. "My eyesight Is fairly good. Tes, I can see her," she answered stonily. "Good! I want four yards of silk Just like that gown she Is wearing." "We are out of that shsde this morn ing." right" said Flem Green in tha tone ot a man who doesnt "When you get left, let ma know. Some girl might put ona over on yon. Why dont you get acquainted with tome good old fashioned human nature first hand, tome time? Coma over to the house and meet my sister." Roger gTinned and hailed a west bound henna car. "Not taking this one tonight?'' he called. Settling himself In the back seat, be prepared to file his fellow passengers, before he reached Emmons street where the newsboys got on and he could begin his evening paper, the pa per which, according to R. Ames' diag nosis, labelled him the successful, me thodical man who had no time for frivolities, but who, (this from the portions be chose and the regular or der) would settle down eventually with a correctly nosed girl In a sizable square frame house with an even row of peonies and a prim row ot lark spur along the walks and plenty cf well-pruned fruit trees In the back yard. Suddenly Ames' general cataloguing became specific, because all at onco the well-trained eyes, without any warning, glimpsed an amazing girl in the second seat front on he other side of the car. the waa the kind of girl 'Well, why under the sun doesn't ho buy a real automobile? These Fords ot his are camouflaged with wire wheels and made-to-order bodies so tbey almost deceive you, but still they are only Fords when all's said and done." A-ha! Cy knew that was coming. Ho licks his chops and begins. For of all tbe stories that Woodfleld likes to tell about her citizens that is the favorite. It was eight years ago in the month of June Ted Stafford and his mother lived together on their little farm do ing a very prosperous egg business, the nucleus of the Stafford poultry farm. When Ted graduated from Har vard two years previous he was en tirely satisfied to settle down as a fanner. Already the farm was show ing signs of progress under his man agement This June afternoon, however, Ted detriment of a perfectly good pair o silk stockings. As she cast about desperately for some speedy remedy she glimpsed a piece of paper lying on the floor near Breck's coat Further inspection proved it to be stiff and heavy, needing only judicious folding to make It fit in tbe slipper.- At any rate, it would do temporarily. , Stooping Sylvia picked up tbe paper and fled to a secluded corner, where she rapidly slipped her pump off and inserted the new sole. To be sure, it did feel a bit knobby, but she was no longer quite so "out at sole." On the train tbe masterful Breck re vealed his startling plan. "Now that I have the contract which really establishes , tbe business, I want you, too. There's a license in my pocket which has been there quite long enough. When we get to Harville well visit a certain nice old Justice of the Teace. "But" protested Sylvia, faintly, aft er a period of stunned yet ecstatic si lence, "what will Daddy Allen say?" "Hang your father!" retorted Breck. 'Oil!" he gasped. "Are you sura? You tee, tt't tor my aunt. She's mak ing over something, and X bare to get it" "You dont hare to got it here." Herat Harry taw a ray of hope. "Is there somewhere else? It't a Tory Important commission." His distress waa evident The middle-aged girl relaxed a little from her severity. "They might .have It at Bollard t Barr'a." "Oh, thank you. Thank you a hun dred times." He turned back to whip out a notebook. "What color shall I ask forr "Taupe." "That's it I remember now." Harry slapped his thigh in recognition. He printed in large capitals that covered a page of his notebook; T-O-P-E and vanished. "Silk or satin?" asked the tlred looklng salesgirl! who was measuring endless, lengths in Ballard & Barr's. "Which is the more expensive?" "Oh, satin." "Then I'll take that" who would be sure to smile when you were forty minutes late for dinner and then produce a corking dinner into the bargain. Her' nose proved it Straight, thin, then tip-tilted and just the right shade naturally pinky white. Unusual, that nosel R. Ames had never seen one like It He got out his mental note-book and went to appraising the brunette love liness under the trim navy sailor. Dressed right, too, by Jove! Nice straight heels on her shoes, neat hands, good-looking but not too good looking blouse, well pressed skirt but slightly worn. Economical 1 Nice, sensible bag, too, sitting part way out In the aisle. Ah! Now she was looking round so she could see the lights In the park longer. That was it She liked outdoor things. Roger tried to make the brown eyes look at him. Tbey did. Then they didn't, and regis tered another point In their favor. He'd got to meet that girl Somehow. There wasn't any other way about It. Oh, here they were at Emmons street was not farming. Just auer dinner he took a bath and donned his "city" clothes. When he walked into tha kitchen, straw hat in hand, his mother appraised him with an expression of proud admiration. "Dear me, Ted," she Joked, "it's no wonder Ruth likes Woodfleld. I cer tainly admire her taste." "Aw, cut it out, ma.- Say, ma, do you like this tie?" Of course she did. And If ma did, then Ruth surely would. Ruth Burnett lived in the house next to the Staffords until she was 18. The two families had been close friends even after the Burnetts moved to the city, where Ruth was now a school teacher. What is more, Mrs. Stafford invited Ruth to Woodfleld to spend part of her vacation every Sum mer, and rumor had It that In the near future she was coming to Woodfleld i a 3j ana: Inelegantly, "he'll thaw out by and by when I'm rich and famous." So in the course of an hour Sylvia allowed herself to be passively guided up a flight of dingy stairs and Into an equally dingy office. A kindly faced, stout old gentleman came forward to greet them, seeming, to understand their errand without explanation. The phenomenon of -an eloping couple no longer caused him a thrill. "Half a second and I'll have a wit ness In." He summoned an office boy from some other region, deliberately adjusted his spectacles and then re marked, "Now for the license. We'll be sure that is O. K. first." Without tbe slightest hesitation Breck confidently reached bis hand In his pocket and drew it forth empty! There ensued a profound silence broken by an Irrepressible chuckle from tha office boy. Poor Sylvia, Fatigued with his efforts, Harry rushed to the nearest lunoh room and dropped luto t vacant chair, Olano lng at the demure face opposite, he recognised t pair of blut ayoa. His vis-a-vis was the wearer of tht Iden tical taupe gown. Her gown waa re lieved by few touches of rose oolor and her dark hair was crowned with a rose-colored creation that accentuat ed the lovely color In her girlish cheeks. "Oh!" he gasped. "I beg your par donthat is to say I hope I don't In trude." "Certainly not," she answered se renely. "Thlt Is ft public tabled" "Oh, yes, but I thought I was afraid you might be offended by my abruptness in Congreve Cutler's. You see I was shopping for Aunt Olivia. She Isn't really exacting, you know, only when she has got to have a thing, she has got to have It." "I understand." "And I bad lost my sample, and that . gown you're wearing was my salva tion." "I'm afraid I didn't seem obliging. An Experiment System where the newsboy got on. But Roger Ames needed no newspaper test for the girl across the aisle. She was sure as car-fares. He almost forgot to get his copy ot the Messenger and quite forgot to notice the sheet in the girl's hands, until in lurid, fire-Inch head lines It' fairly flung Itself upon his be wildered sight There seemed to be all colors ot the rainbow, all the sensa tions of the universe spattered about the crinkling page the amazing girl was bending1 over, Roger had bought that paper onca In the darkest corner and thrown It Into the store before he'd looked at it It had burned his fingers. Now she was devouring tt in great chuckling gobs. "It's a sure test, too, the newspa per. But to la the nose!" grumbled R, Ames without enthusiasm. "I dont believe It She's the first girl I ever saw that " In the excitement and threatened disillusionment ot the mo ment suddenly Roger Ames strode for ward. He never Indexed exactly what he Intended to do, recklessly leave the for good. At any rate Ted was doing all he could to make therumor true. Just now he was setting, out for the station to meet the 3:45, which was bringing Ruth from the city. As the old horse jogged along the shady road, Ted's mind was filled with the pleas ure of anticipation. For he knew that the two weeks ot Ruth's visit would be a delightful break In the dull mo notony of country life. He knew that It meant canoe trips with lunch under the trees; fishing trips where tbey never caught any flsh; rides along tho country roads; and (his June it means all these things and a Io more this June, Ted decided, be would ask Ru'h to come to Woodfleld to stay. I don't know how he knew, but he was pretty sure what tho pretty little school teacher's answer would be, and that probably explained bis frequent bursts of song. "Yip-l-addy-l-ay!" Tho birds and the bullfrogs stopped to lis- . i , , , , ftl til mi Soul of Providence whose courage bad been rapidly eb bing, wished herself a thousand miles away. Further frenzied -search failed to produce the missing document, and the young people were finally forced to re- treat, proffering apologies and crimson "I never put It that "way," retorted with embarrassment. The attorney Sylvia spiritedly. "You know that I bowed them out with a slight trace of think the world of you. Daddy, but I weariness. ' am going to marry Breck just the Later In, the afternoon Sylvia and same-." Breck parted. He was tremendously "Well," her father went on, a twinkle disappointed and chagrined, but Sylvia in hfs eye, "I see that be has Just so ffit a thrill of wicked rcflef, for her cured a contract I've been trying to idea of a wedding was vastly different. Besides, who ever heard of a girl being married with a bole In ber shoe? She giggled at the thoughts. At dinner Sylvia slid into her place, dreading the keen scrutiny and ques tioning of her father. He, however, was unusually amiable this evening and when she ventured to mention tha Jbdd litem but I'm staying la Mertdon with my aunt" "Just Ilka me," Harry Interposed. "I'm staying there with Aunt Olivia." . "And when I come in to Chicago tor a little shopping Aunt Penelope al ways warns ma not to talk with strangers." ' "That's just right ot her I mean la general. But Is your aunt Miss Pene lope Winter?" "Bha oertalnly la." "Then she wouldn't consider ma ft stranger. I used, the mlnlotor's boys and I, to steal melons out of her gar den. I am Harry Belden, and I am employed by the Amaranth Insurance Company. You Invent any advantage of mo, though. You are Mist Jessie Oalbraith. I s.iw your namo In tho Mcrldon Froo Press. Hera's the wait er, .Only tea and cakes Jor you? I'm famished with all this shopping. I'm going to have beefsteak with mush rooms. Mayn't I order for two?" She hesitated. ' "t know Mies Penelope couldn't ob ject. I'm such an old friend." Miss Jessie laughed brightly. "Per vicinity of bis falling angel and walk to tha lonely rooms or ask her to mar ry htm at the next stop. What he did do was to trip glibly over the angel's sensible bag that had been projecting Into the aisle, reel unbecomingly nn one foot, clutch madly at the air and grasp something fairly supporting. Then amid a earful ot snickering com muters, R. A. landed on the lurid headlines In the girl's lap, with a hand ful of navy sailor as his visible life saver. "Shalt we get'off here?" Roger ask ed politely as soon as he could get bis breath And they got off at Park Corner. After all. It was easier to face each other alone than under 100 rapid fire eyeballs. - . ' The girl spoke first "Just what Is the idea?" she asked with praise worths' calm. Roger Ames fumbled in his. Indexing brain for a glimmer. A glimmer came, but not from the Index region. "Never believed In love at first ten. Such a disturbance in this quiet lane was unheard of. It was aabout quarter-past throe when Ted alighted from the depot wagon. He bustled into the s'HIon and shouted a greeting to Ira Jones, who performed the duties of ticket agent, baggage master and telegraph operator, and whose official title was "station agent." Ira waa the news center of Woodfleld since he picked up the doings of the surrounding towns from the agents along tha line. Out side of this, the use ot the telegraph In Woodfleld was negligible. "What's new, Iiy?" queried Ted. '"Welt, they got a now barber down In Johnsonvllle, and there's a bur lesque show comln' inter Eastway Thursday night. Reckon Wowlfleld's male population will be kfnda deplet ed Thursday p. m. Think you'll go down?" "No, I guess not, Ira." fact that she had been with Breck that afternoon did not protest acidly. "So you think that you would be happier with that young whippersnap- pcr, Breck Morrill, than yon are with your old father?" he queried dryly. get myself. He's a clever fellow, so I guess you can have him it you And him necessary to your happiness. I pre sume you will want the usual frip peries, so here's a check as a starter." When the full Import of this astounding announcement on tbe part ot her parent broke upon tbe slightly dazed 'Sylvia tba made swift and rap haps, if you at her melons, U would ba ft return at hospitality," N Presently Harry gloaeed front hit eesftteaJt to the cherished parcel be side him. ( "Aunt OUvtft is going to wear that at the Wytle-WaUace wedding. You know about that?" i should think to I'm one of Ani ta Wylie't bridesmaids." "That's great I'm to ba head usher, Rather nice we should meet before the rehearsal, just in an Informal way." "It wai rather informal," Mist Oal braith admitted. Her eyes rested on a little tear in the wrapping paper. "But that silk Isn't taupo; it't wis taria." "Wistaria? What's thatr' "It's Mis color of that goods you've bought. I'm afraid you made ft mis take." "Mistake? Not int. That fagged-out-looking girl gave me the wrong par ed Great Caesar I" "I'm tura they will exchange it for you." He sprang up. "They'll have ta It't for Aunt Olivia. I'm sorry to leave you Ilka this, but you've saved ma again. And we'll be lure to meet Friday at the rehearsal." By ft torrent ot eloquence Harry convinced an apathetlo salesgirl and a skeptical floor-walker ot the mistake and carried his purchase home in triumph. By sight before, buff I do now. Par don me for being blunt Know I've never met you I'll wait any length of time, or more,, or longer, Mf you'll promise mo you'll sort of try to see 'm not such a bad chap and marry me and we'll have a square bouse and rows of larkspur and peonies and fruit trees Misa or er " The girl deliberately smoothed the crumpled paper and folded It into her sensible bag. Then she gazed squarely Into tba man's lover-eyes. "Is all this quite according to Hoy 1 9 and the Index system, professor?" she ssked. "Professor? You know me by sight then? You've heard of my filing hobby? But I beg of . you, don't lay it up t gainst me. It's Impossible. I love you. Might I not take you home, Miss "Surely, professor. Live across the park, you know. This 4s where I al ways get off. Believe you do, too, for that matter, though not always In the fashion you chose tonight. But we're Hare their dialogue was interrupted by the clicking of the telegraph re ceiver, Ted sauntered over to the gum machine and surveyed himself as best ba could In the little circle of mirror. He bestowed a second or two on his tie and began to caress his mustache. At least Ted claimed It was a mus tache; but were be not a six-footer some of his acquaintances might havo differed. However, It was still very young and, like all young things, was rather weak, with Its best days before it "Ted!" Something In Ira't voice startled him, and he rushed to tbe ticket window. Consternation wai written on every line of Ira't face. "S-say, Ted, w-was there some friend of yours on the 3:45?" "What's the matter?" , "It't gone over the banking at Fair field Junction. Some mii-up In sig nals had a collision." Ted felt the hot blood sui'ge through his arteries. "My God! Iry, do they was anybody hfrt?" Ira spent the next few minutes frantically clicking his instrument, while Ted waited tensely, as pale as a statue and as rigid. By turous acknowledgment, then fled up stairs. . In the seclusion of her room she pirouetted and kicked one small slipper high in the air. It was the one with the hale in it and the temporary sole fell out Syl via smiled remlniscently and picked it up. Some writing on the fold attract ed ber attention and she opened the soiled paper. ' So intensely interesting did she And it that she sat cross-legged on the floor and read It through with wrinkled brows, then laughed until the tears came. Growing somewhat calmer, she jumped up, and still clutching the cause of her merriment dashed down-, stairs skipping stairs recklessly, one shoe off. Mr. Allen, enjoying his cigar and newspaper in tha library, wonderel mildly what Sytvla found to amusing In ber telephont conversation. Had ha "It't two shadca darker than tha sample and .satin Instead of faille," Aunt OUvtft announced with "juab at-I-expected" expression on ber reso lute face. 'But tt't tope," Harry Insisted. "Yes, you did remember so much. Oh, you needn't explain. I know you ' lost the sample, Perhaps Madame CyV can make a combination," - "I'm sura she can," said Harry cheerfully. "Much you know about It; but II doesn't matter eo much, I've Just had word that Anita has sprained her ankle and the wedding la indefinitely post poned. "Postponed? And won't there be ft rehearsal Friday night?" ' "Cortnlnly not. Anita Is laid up." "Excuse me. Aunt Olivia, I have an Important letter to write" Miss Olivia looked after him as ha rushed to his den. "With all bit faults, that boy Is devoted to business." Harry. was writing: "I want to make autiids to Miss Penelope for my boy ish follies. Wouldn't she enjoy going to some of- the Symphony convorts? To think I .should grumble over doing a little shopping for dear Aunt Olivia! With the rcbenrsal off, It It hadn't been for that tope stuff we might nev er have met. Now I have a presenti ment wa shall be meeting right along." And Harry was not deceived. They wore. Elsie Tinuicott U 3 hoth on the same car always, I'm Flem .Green's sister, so I suppose I'm Miss er er Green. I'm In your Math A, Division 1 Class. Sit In the front row, third sest and I've gazed at you every day for three years, because you flunk me out regularly, and I take the stuff over because you amuse me, and I plan to flunk, you see. Don't faint. "Flem told me about your silly news paper hobby and about the noses and things. So tonight I got desperate and bought a glarey paper and made up my nose with a knob on tbe end. It can be done, and deceive. If one doesn't look too close. Wondered If youjd no tice me at last I've tried everything else. Did you?" In tbe. suburbs Is a certain nooky bungalow, nothing square about It and tangles of roses and bridal wreath, not an even row among them, and chickens in the back yard, not a single fruit ree. Thst's where Frofessor Roger Ames and his wife lire and the youngsters Flem Green says it's the humane-it, joliiest place to come he knows xf. "What they say, Ira what th7 say?" "He says they don't know for tura but they expect considerable injuries an' maybe some deaths." Ira was truthful but not tactful. Ted commenced to pace the floor la a frenzy of anxiety. If he could only do sornetblng If be could only act! But this suspense. .... Meanwhile the little Instrument was still clirkng. This time Ira was taking a message In pencil. With the cessa tion of tho clicking he called out, "A wire from Boston for Theodore Staf ford." ' Ted devoured the message and when he finished he wan weak with joy. To this day be rates that telegram among bis most valuable possessions. Mr. Theodore Stafford, Woodfleld, Mass. : I missed tbe 3:45. Will arrive tomorrow morning. Taxi broke down and couldn't got another. It was a Ford. Blame Fords any way. RUTH. An' I swan," declarfs Cy, "Ted ain't never "-got over his llkin' for; Fords an' if you saw his wlfo I dun no's y'd blame hlra either." PIi2 Moore listened intently he would have heard these mystifying sentences badly mix ed up with gurgles of laughter: "Breck? Yes, Just as soon as you possibly can. Yes, father's home. He'll" bo dolighted to see you. Honestly. What? No, I'm not spoofing., You'll never guesa where I found It. Hustle over and I'll tell you everything." The receiver clicked and Sylvia, still holding a badly damaged marriage license, sat down and laughed some trior 0 Fond Father (showing off his off spring's Intelligence) Now, Elsie, dear, what Is a cat? Elsie Dunno, Fond Father Well, whaft that fun ny little animal that comes creeping up tbe stairs when everyone'i In bedl Elsie (promptly) FapsJ ft