Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-10-11


lOriChiaLl
AIinna stOO! i'll Ter booth ut the fair.
Behind her and on the counter before
her was arranged I profusion of things
useful and ornamental. People were
passing and rcpassing, the women
looking for bargains. the men solicit
Gus only as tolhOw much they should
spend. Leigh Pitman came along,
stopped before NTinna's booth and
stood with his arms resting on her
counter looking into her face.
And her face was we'll worth looking
into. not only for its loneliness, but
for the character depicted there. Min
ma was high bred dame and "a beau
ty Her glory was her hair. Till she
was eighteen she had worn il in Il long
braid down her back: now that she
was twenty-four it formed whirlpOols
and pufS and waterfalls, in accord
ance with her whims or the creative
genius OF her hairdrcSScr.
If her hair was Minna's glory, there
was that which was the glory of her
hair. This was beautiful curl which
emerged from behind her ear and
dropped over her shoulder. Minnas
y
the admiration of her men friends If
the curl was intermingled with the
rest of her hair it was missed, and she
was bothered with questions rs to
what had become of it. Therefore at
last she never appeared in company
without it.
What can I sell yoal, Mr.. Pitman?"
she asked entfcingly.
Pitman looked over the articles dis
played deprecatingly. then raised his
eyes.
There's only one thing in the lot 1
want" he said.
And that isl"
'YOur curl"
Nonsense. Here is a pincushion.
Just the thing for your dressing table.
Beautifully trimmed: real lace. Don't
you want it?"
NO. want the curl
MInna tossed her head, but she was
seized with an idea of entrapping the
young man into paying q high price for
her curl. He had money, and the
church needed money.
How much will you give for it?'
she asked.
"Oh, you wouldn't sell it"
TRY me and see.'
81 Will draw you my check for
thousand dollars"
Minna thought moment, then. talk
ing up a pair Of scissors, she cut off
the curl, wrapped it carefully in tissue
paper and put it in n long, narrow box
that had held n fan. Then, laying it
on the counter before her customer
she said:
"a thousand dollars, please"
Without the slightest hesitancy Pit
man took out q pocket check book,
called for pen and ink. wrote the
check. handed it to Minna, picked up
his purchase, babe her Good evening"
and walked away.
AIinna stood looking after him.
What was he going TO do with her
curl? What could he do with it?
Why, nothing. He had bought it in a
spirit of mingled bravado and gal
lantry. Her side of the transaction
was perfectly practical She had gain
ed for the church Il thousand dollars,
which. with the other proceeds of the
fair, would pay its debt.
st the next reception Minna attended
it was noticed that her curl was miss
Ing. Since she had made a secret Of
its sale, she was beSieged with ques-
tons \ knot of young people were
clustered about her bantering her as
10 what she had done with It. when
a strange thing happened. Leigh Pit
man came sauntering across the room,
and pinned 10 his coat collar a long,
glossy curl fell lovingly over his shout
der There was an explosion Of laugh
ter on the part OF Minna's friends,
while Minna turned red as a rose.
From that time forward at every So
cial gathering, at parties, receptions,
balls. Minna's curl half encircled Pit
mans neck. suggesting the embrace OF
her own white, round arm. Afinna her
seIf-was q target for all the wttttcsms