The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-01-03


lost it and pouted, they would have
oeen highly indignant.
Inc christmas shopping season wa.
az It's height, and candies were in grear
ueIhand The confectionery store was
crowded throughout the day: and il
hsIher, on the 23d of December. lost
hsr head at critical moments an6
gave the wrong package. no one should
plame her. However, the wrong per-
son did. She was a stout lady, run
nllg over with jewels, and quite noted
as leader in charities
Ny time is too valuable, young
miss, she said, calmly, ito be spent il
rectifying your errors" Seeing the
proprietor near, she raised her voice for
his benefit: Il wonder that in an es-
adjustment like this they should en-
ploy little girls who ought to be devel-
oping their judgment in the nursing OF
dolls. | am very much annoyed-very.
! And the good lady hurried out to at
! tend mothers meeting where she was
I 20 address the assembly on the subject
/ Of How to sympathize with and gain
! the sympathies Of the poorer classes. -
BE careful, Esther" said the pro-
prietor. You must keep your wits
! about you. 1 can't afford to lose Gus
! toners like Mrs. Lloyd Beemis.
Yes, sir said the girl bravely, and
J she turned smilingly to the next Gus
! toner, who had been kept waiting five
minutes.
| Esther had dealt with many custom
/ ers that day; bat very few of them had
shown her any sort of considera ton.
TO most of them she was as impersonai
as a slot machine, But the present Gus
toner was altogether different. From
behind her gold-tipped eyeglasses there
J beamed a pair of blue eyes at once
kindly and merry. The owner of these
winning eyes was a young lady hardly
out of her teens.
"A pound box Of your best candy, if
you please" she said.
Yes, ma'am; SO cents and, as she
spoke, the neat-handed Esther was
wrapping the box.
Here's the exact amount. I hope
you'll have merry Christmas, my
girl said the young lady.
Thank you, miss: and l wish you
the same"
Little Esther who a moment before
had choked back the tears, now smiled
radiantly.
God bless her. God bless her" sang
Esther's heart as the merry-eyed girl
left the store.
Kind words butter no parsnips. True!
but there are other things in this world
besides the buttering of parsnips.
Esther was putting the loose change
to its denomination into the cash reg
lister, a quarter dime and four 1-cent
pieces. But as she was slipping the
pennies into their compartment, one of
them fell to the floor.
Now, there" said a companion sales
woman. why don't you get a basket?'
Esther was accustomed to these little
amenities. She stopped quickly, picking
of ar1f
oh, lock-" she cried. What shall
1 do? It's a IS piecei''
Do" said her companion. Let the
person who gave it come back for it"
But she's just gone out, she just
turned toward Fifth street. l think I
can catch her
IF you dare to go outside this coun-
ter. III report you said her amiable
counsellor.
The astonished saleswoman's mouth
opened TO deliver its owner of senti-
ments appropriate to the occasion: but
before her bruised feelings could be
given incipient utterance, Esther, bare
headed, dashed from her. side and
rushed into the street.
1t was bitter colo without, but, de-
spite the cold, the way was thronged
with shoppers. Abandoning the side
walk, Esther took to the street, and
sped along beside the curbstOne, scan
ming as she went the hurrying throng.
She was within a little of being run
down at the Sixth street crossing by
an expressn1an who swore at her gen
erously. But undismayed, Esther hur-
ried on toward Fountain square.
Like many girls-possibly, like all
girls-Esther had an eye for ladies'
hats; and there, sfar off, nearly a square
distant, was a familiar hat-familiar,
because Esther had taken in its every
detail while handing the package of
candy across the counter. Evidently,
the young lady was going to board a
car at Government square.
A fruit vender Interrupted Esther's
meditations by running his cart across
her path. He said things, too, but they
were in a foreign language, and Esther,
free of him, found that she had lost
sight of the hat
On she went, nevertheless, almost at
a run. people were too busy to notice
her There is no solitude greater than
the solitude of a crowded city.
On reaching the middle of the square
between Fifth and Sixth streets, Esther
paused to take a good look. The kind
eyed customer was not among those
waiting for the cars on Walnut street.
Going a little further. Esther's efforts
u y
and all. was waiting for one of the cars
from Fourth and Walnut and
up Fifth. and turning west on Govern
ment square.
"Avondale or Walnut Hills, I sup
pose muttered Esther. "Oh. I hope
it's not Avondale. There's an Avondale
car turning now. and if she takes that |
I'm afraid I'll not catch it,
She broke into run toward the gen.
eral stopping place of the cars front |
ing the postoffice. AT busy times peo
pie may do almost anything they like |
on Government square,
Quickly she sped: she was almost |
within reach of the Avondale car as the !
young lady stepped on The bell rang. !
Hold on hold on, cried Esther.
The conductor did not hear her tiny |
little voice. but he saw her. His face |
remained perfectly stolid, |
and the car moved off just as Esther +
was within a few yards of it.
Unfortunately for her, the roadway
was quite clear, and the motorman put
On a strong current. Nothing daunted,
Esther ran all the faster. 1t was UNI
usual exercise for the frail child; but
within that little person was store of
energy. Before the conductor could
Juite realize what had happened. she
caught the iron support and boarded
he swift moving car.
''Halloa!" said a passenger on the
platform. Am I in Cincinnati, or isn't
his Chicago?"
ITS dream" answered the con
luctor
Meantime Esther hurried in.