The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1905-07-21
CINDERELLA III A CAR

| - LOUIS. He felt annoyed. Every
berth was taken excep, iae upper one
IN section ,. Nearly 200 the others
were made up and occupied as well.
He left his grip and oyercoat on one or
the seats and went 10 the smoking com
partment for consolation.
Except for a stout clean shaven par
~ at the end Of the corner table he
was alone. The train had left Joliet
before Sercombe was on speaking
terms with the stout party. He was ].
Wilcox Wood Of St Louis and "al-
mighty glad 10 get back. sir"
Sercombe accepted the Information
unsociably. Just how any one could
want TO get back 10 81. Louis was be
yond his comprehension
His berth had been made up, and be
climbed to n with silent, philosophical
resentment against the combine Of ths
spinning ladies who held the thread OF
fate 10 make him generally uncOmfort-
aide. He had just fallen asleep when
something struck him Ia the face, and
he Weakened with a shock, expecting
the horrors Of wreck 10 crush In on
him. But absolute peace and silence
eigDed throughout the car The opaies-
cent globes on the iamps trembied
slightly with the motion OF the train.
but that WIS all.
ta M a.,A Q,- H.
watcb under the pillow. As he did 40
his hand came IN contact with the mis-
siie that had struck him lying back OF
The pillow. Tt was a lady's slipper
q small black patent leather affair.
The heel was French, bat moderately
high, and there were three sets of V
shaped straps that buttoned across the
instep. Sercombe examined n curious
~. A slipper Hike that expressed the
charaOtBr od fhe person who had pur-
chased n. n was dninty, effective dts
tinctive. NOT extreme, designed for
comfort and yet perfect In style. II
seemed rldicuolsly small for wo-
slip into acceptance of the chance that
had tossed II 20 him and fell asleep
with n under his pillow. In the morn
Ing he decided be would play the prince
and go ON a stlll hunt for his sleeper
Cndereila.
lie rose early The train was sched-
uied To arrive In St Louis at 1880
O'Clock, and he had no intention of let
ting Cinderella run away. One by one
The berths wete made up, and he scan
ned the occupants eagerly Five la
dies Appeared, After careful, judi
cious survey Sercombe settled on the
owner Of the slipper. He felt positive
that she was the only one who could
possibly wear such a slipper
She was IN section Z. He could
SEQ her head with it's masses of red
brown hair, tho fiuffiest. waviest. most
wtilful hair he remembered ever hav
ing seen Ie noticed also that she
did not rise, and having sauntered cas-
uaily up and down the aisle he saw that
her gray silk travelling cloak covered
her feet completely. II was almost I 30
O'Clock. Scrcombe took tho slipper
from his side coat pocket and paused
at section Z.
II beg your pardon" he said, but
i think have your slipper"
She glanced up at him in amused
surprise as he laid the slipper IN her
hap. Sercombe's heart started up
rnRtime come all yo" ~ he looked
down in her eyes and tried to explain
the extraordinary fact that he had
been struck In the head by her slipper
about in the morning. when suddenly
he heard the voice Of J. Wilcox Wood
speak to him across the aisle.
"That slippers mine, my boy" he
said Jovially. Just hand II over, win
your"
Before sercombe could speak he went
on apologetically;
You see, had the upper berth
across from you. Some one disturbed
the peace INST night by playing n noe.
tiIrne on his nasal organ. Under
stand? ] thought that IL was you, sir,
and took tho liberty Of throwing one
Of my samples at you to break the
spell. This morning l found out that
Il wasn't you mt all. II was the old boy
In the lower berth. No offensei Have
a cigar just had one with the old
boy to square matters"
While Sercombe hesitated old man
Griswold came lcisureiy down the
aisle and put out his hand
Hello Archiel Didn't waste any
time getting down. did your Thought
we'd yet In "A little ahead of you and
start things moving Flora. this IL
Archie Griswold. manager Of our ST
Louis branch. Had breakfastG NOT
Then come home with us,'
Pour months later Sercombe, junior
partner of the firm of Griswold, Ser
combe n Co. sent an order to one j.
wilcox Wood, shoe salesman Of st
Louis. for pair of bridal slippers,
duplicates In white Rid Of certain
other pair that had changed the cur
rent Of fate for him, and this time he
had TN satisfaction Of htting them
himself on Che feet OF Flora Grtswold,