The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-01-14
. LOVES TICKET
By FRANK II. SWEET.

May Rikkar mounted the stairs
the fifth floor, where she placed her
basket upon table and sat down for
a few moments to regain breath. Hours
for shop girls were long, and she had
walked the mile to her room to save
car fare. An indulgence of one meal
a day at restaurant, with the other
two dependent upon paper bags in her
room, made a nickel loom up to the
splendid proportions Of an extra cup
OF coffee or hot rolls. Four dollars a
week, with half for room rent, and
rest, did not leave much latitude for
appetite.
| Presently she rose, lighted her alco-
hol lamp and placed over it tiny pot
OF water, then she began to take the
packages from the basket, small ones
holding tea, sugar and raisins which
had cost five cents each, and larger
ones Of rice and beans. The raisins
were her reckless luxury, the rice and
beans she had found by experience to
yield much for the money.
In the bottom of the basket law a
bit Of green pasteboard, which she sup
posed was list Of her purchases, such
as the grocer sometimes included. But
as she pushed the basket under the
sink, something in the appearance of
the green slip made her pick it up for
closer examination.
It proved to be ticket for an ex-
cursion UP the river on the following
Sunday, and her first thought was that
in the jostling crowd upon the side.
walk it had been knocked from some
person g hand into her basket.
Then she saw her name in faint,
spraWling characters across the face
Of the ticket, as tho some one had
written and then tried to erase it, final
~. desisting thru fear Of erasing the
printed letters also, and the incipient
wonder in her eyes was followed by a
sudden flush which made her almost
colorless face look really pretty. The
ticket was intended for her, May Rik.
! tkar, who had not supposed she had a
| friendly acquaintance in the whole big
city:
The bubbling Of the water brought
!: her back to realities and the alcoho
lamp, but the refrain Of a long-neg
, lected song fell also from her lips as sht
. what bread had been left from break
fast. Then with the tea and raisins ant
, wheat bread had been left from break
, fast. she sat down by. the one window tt
, nibble and sip and gloat over the greer
, ticket perched up before her.
, T. Wv no WOu!u nave gwen u TO ner, Sn
t wondered. the pleasure still glowing i,
:. the old candy woman on the corner VIII
= sometimes greeted her with motherl,
smile, for her clothing and stock in
trade were too eloquent of poverty; no
.. the postman who sometimes delivered
letters, at the next door, nor the tw
stairs or in the hall, for they were pre-
; occupied, middle aged persons who mere
! ly noticed her by a nod OF muttere
9 word of greeting. Yet these were a.
s or no, there was the ianitor. 0
: course, it was the ianitor. He nearl
) always gave her friendly word whe
= she passed in or out.
q him with unusual warmth. and wit
Q words Of thanks trembling on her lips
d when something in the surly, unrespor
8 sive face chilled her. Things had gon
: wrong with the janitor the night before
= He scarcely looked in her direction as i
}. grunted an acknowledgment Of tn
/ greeting.
a At the old woman's candy stan
:. Mays ardor was again dampened. Th
:. smile was as motherly as usual, br
n there was no new warmth or conscious
9 ness in it. the old woman knew notl
c ing Of the ticket.
:. But such depression was only ten
porary. Somebody in the big city ha
Is thought Of her, was interested in he
:. perhaps would mako some manifestatio
o Of the interest again, and all thru til
'e day the thought Of it gave a new brigh
b ness to her eyes, an added buoyancy
Is her steps.
: On Sunday she went up the river, h
IN eyes watchful and half-expectant, b,
g no answering look met her ow
i Wednesday evening she brought hon
or spite Of her eager vigilance, some OF
Ii must have iostled against her, for whe
= she removed the packages there was
'. ticket among them, this time with h
il name boldly written upon it. Til
= would admit her to concert at nea
=. by church.
=, After that other pleasures came,
40 Sunday outing in the country, an eve
=, ~ ing observation car ride on the trolle
- an admission ticket to a light opera.