The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1905-11-10
49, l.. - .-t--"., '. :. 49,. ..=.. 49,
CINDERELLA IN A A

1890 "A SASNpS OO ORRCIE OAo
IN section 5. Nearly all the others
! were made up and occupied as well.
he left his grip and o%vercoat on one Of
the seats and went to the smoking COM
partment for consolation.
Except for a stout, clean shaven par
t 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 to get back, sir"
Sercombe accepted the information
unsociably. Just how any one could
want to get back to st. Louis was be-
yond his comprehension.
His berth had been made up. and he
climbed to it with silent, philosophical
resentment against the combine of the
spinning ladies who held the thread Of
rate to make him generally uncomfort-
able. He had just fallen asleep when
something struck him in the face, and
ne Weakened with a shock, expecting
the horrors of a wreck to crush In on
him. But absolute peace and silence
reigned throughout the car. The opales-
cent globes on the lamps trembled
slightly with the motion of the train.
but that was all.
Sercombe sat up and reached for hts
watch under the pillow. AS he did so:
his ham came in contact with the mis-
stle that had struck him lying back OF
the pillow. 1t was a lady's slipper
q small black patent leather affair.
The heel was French, but moderately
high, and there were three sets of "
shaped straps that buttoned across the
instep. Sercombe examined it curious
". A slipper like that expressed the
character Of the person who had pur-
chased it. 1t was dainty, effective, dis
tinctlve, not extreme, designed for
comfort and yet perfect In style. It
seemed ridicuously small for a wo-
mans foot. Finally he let conjecture
slip into acceptance of the chance that
q tossed it to him and fell asleep
with it under his pillow. In the morn
Ing he decided he would play the prince
and go on a still hunt for his sleeper
Cinderella.
He rose early. The train was sched.|
uled to arrive in st. Louis at 7:3Ol
o'clock, and he had no intention Of let
ting Cinderella run away. One by ono
the berths were made up, and he scan
ned the occupants eagerly. Five la
dies appeared. After a careful, Judi
cious survey Sercombe settled on the
owner Of the slipper. He felt positive.
that she was the only n who could
possibly wear such a slipper.
She was in section Z. He could
see her head with its masses of red
brown hair, the fullest, waviest, most
wtllful hair he remembered ever hav-
Ing seen. He noticed also that she
did not rise, and having sauntered cas-
ually up and down the aisle he saw that
her gray silk travelling cloak covered
her feet completely. It was almost 7:30'
o'clock. Sercombe took the slipper,
from his side coat pocket and paused
at section Z.
7 beg your pardon" he said, "but
! think l have your slipper"
She glanced up at him in amused
surprise as he laid the slipper In her
lap. Sercombe's heart started up a!
ragtime "come, all ye'' as 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 2 in the morning, when suddenly
he heard the voice Of ]. Wilcox Wood
speak to him across the aisle.
'sThat slippers mine, my boy" he
said jovially. "Just hand it over, will.
your
Before Sercombe could speak he went
on apologeticalN:
"Y0u see, I had the upper berth
across from you. Some one disturbed
the peace last night by playing a noe
turne on his nasal organ. Under
stand? 1 thought that it was you, sir,
and took the liberty Of throwing ono
Of my samples at you to break the
spell. This morning l found out that
1t wasn't you at all. It was the old boy
In the lower berth. No ofense! Have.
a cigar? I just had one with the old
boy to square matters"
While Sercombe hesitated old man
Griswold came leisurely down the
aisle and put out his hand.
"Hello, Archie! Didn't waste any
time getting down, did you? Thought
we'd get in a little ahead of you and
start things moving. Flora, this is
Archie Griswold, manager Of q st.
Louis branch. Had breakfast? No?
Then come home with usy
-Four months later Sercombe, junior
partner Of the firm Of Griswold, Ser
combe & Co., sent an order to n j.
Wilcox Wood, shoe salesman Of St
Louis. for a pair of bridal slippers.
duplicates in white kid Of a certain
other pair that had changed the cur
rent Of fate for him, and this time he
had the satisfaction Of fitting them
himself on the feet Of Flora Griswold,
hio Cindornl1a