The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1890-08-21
THE THEFT Of A TRESS,

The rivalry between the two young
men was very bitter. Little Billy
Stedman. one of the cleverest sales
men in the great retail store of Square
shell, Shields & Co., considered HIM
self every whit the eqral of young
Ernest Trevor, the rich brokers' son.
who did not work for living and
wore yellow kid gloves every day of
the year, rain or shine. Nevertheless
Mr.. Trevor was wont to look down
somewhat on Billy and would perhaps
not have condescended to notice him
at all if certain circumstances were not
constantly throwing them together.
Miss Millicent Turner, the head
saleswoman in the cloak department
of Squaresheli, Shields & Co.'S, was a
singularly beautiful, young woman.
Tall and shapely. with big brown eyes
deeply fringed with heavy lashes, tinv
hands and feet and a carriage in which
decision aud grace were happily blend
ed she was a very refreshing object to
look at on Il warm day. Her most re-
markable feature, however, was her
hair, which was of rich bronze tint
and curled away up on her head like 4
shining pyramid of silk. When she
let it down sometimes for the amuse-
ment of the other girls. it fell almost
to her knees in aperfumed torrent that
excited both admiration and envy ON
every side.
Miss Millicent had many admirers
and among them were numbered both
Billy and Trevor. The latter had ac-
companied his mother one day when
Ch n ha1 ta 1rnlr OF IL
he was smitten at once. Notwith-
standing his superior station in society.
the young mans conduct had been
propriety itself. There was no sug-
gestion of frivolity or impudence about
it. He had sought an introduction in
a perfectly legitimate way and from
almost the first day he made her ac-
quaintance had been her devoted
slave.
Billy owed his acquaintance with the
charmer TO the very practical inter-
course of dry. every day business. He
had improved his opportunities and
stood at this time very high in her good
graces. They were together a great
deal and it was common rumor about
the store that they had decided to make
a match of it.
The beautiful saleswoman was to a
certain degree impartial in her treat
ment of her two adorers. True, she
was more with Billy than with his
rival, and their intercourse was nat
urally more familiar. 1t would have
been very hard for an outsider to pick
out the winner. Both had made dec
laration of love to her and besought
her to put them out of their misery.
To Billy. who had looked very hand
some with his curly brown hair and
pathetic blue eyes as he knelt on the
damp grass at Lincoln Park to make
his avowal. she had said that they were
both too poor to marry; TO Trevor, who
had pleaded with all the impetuositv
OF Il pampered boy of 90, she had said
very prettily that she could not think
of entering a family where she was
sure her present occupation and posi-
ton in society would prevent her re-
ceiving Il welcome. Both young men,
however. despite these refusals, con-
tinued to call on her. Neither of them
knew that the other had proposed and
been rejected-a fact which was in it
self high tribute to the fair ones s
good sense-and though they general
~ happened to strike separate even
ings for their visits. they occasionally
met in the tastefully decorated little
parlor. AT such times they would
exchange monosyllable remarks, or
glare at each other like prize-fighters
until their pretty hostess. in sheer des-
ueration and dread of bloodshed, would
turn them both out at oucc.
But there came an eventful day
when all the fates seemed to play di-
rectly into Billy's hands. The EN-.
ployes of Squaresheli. Shields & Co.
had picnic ut a pre- tty grove a couple
OF hours ride from town. There was
broad. swift river, and a boat In
which Miss Millicent sat with an an
gular tloorwalker. went shooting over
high dam and upset. The angular
hoorwalker turned his attention to
saving himself and Billy, who by a
special dispensatiou of his lucky star.
happened to be standing on the brink
at that point. plunged in like the
plucky fellow ne was and tished out
his dripping cllarmer. She was forced
to take her wonderful hair down. to
let it dry in the breeze. and an hour or
two later, when the dusk had fallen.
Billy wrapped the soft tresses all about
his throat and face to give him courage,
and made another appeal. OF course
1t WAS succesSful; Miss Millicent would
not have been woman otherwise.
Dear Billy" murmured she. strok-
ing his cheek (that was no less inuo-
| cent of down than her OWN with her
| soft hand. Il always loved YOU the
hast anv aprrr,x- Va, sa,-,i ,,,,- 80