The Somerset reporter., 1905-04-13
IN A DAYS
SHOPPING
by K eth Gordon
Copyright. mt. bu T. e.. MccIurc
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

OSOsOsOsOsOsOOSOsOSOsOsOsO
She was young AMI had lived always
in the suburbs. where life rolled smil
ingIy under clear skies, sweet enough
to be sure, but Just a trite nnnterest
ing There were times even when she
was that little girl when she had cray
ed the tonic of the worlds uglier
moods burned to see 1t ut Its tiercest
as indifferent to human beings rs If
they were ants
This may have been mere youth aud
inexperlence or it may have been be
cause she was surfeited with beauty
Was not her home the most imposing
in Farvllle? Inside the house an exqui-
site quiet reigned a sort of hallowed
stiffness that made her want to shout
and whoop In defiance.
Her sisters were the beautiful King
girls" She herself, as chance re-
mark had Informed her was the plain
one" At the moment she had felt deep
~ mortified. She hadn't supposed it
was SO bad as all that From this time
her distnste for beauty grew more
marke and In one of those heated mo
ments that will occur even between the
best of sisters had said plainly that she
WAS sick and tired of their everlast-
ing beauty With this observation she
had made rapid but highly character
istic departure from the room. and the
family beauties had grinned at each
other knowingly.
She's a funny little sister observed
Elaine indulgently. remark that was
met by Bertha's thoughtful Il wonder
why she is so bitter against beauty
She's not half bad herself She's unu
sual. the restless little monkey"
And, indeed. this view of her appear
ancc WAS shared by Il man WHO had on
more than one occasion allowed him.
self to look at her the second time
though she was unconscious of his very
existence. Her trips To New York in
variably led her TO one destination. aud
there he had come to watch for her
The mother and the beautiful sisters
never knew. any more than they knew
her keen interest in the gloomy in
tcriurS visible from the elevated trains
that their youngest was in the habit Of
rushing through her shopping Al the
high eass stores where they had credit
and then betaliing herself pellnell 10
great Sixth avenue department store
where. as she passed through The re
volving doors. she felt with shiypr Of
delight that she plunged into the
stream Of life
The iostling and crowdug the teen
Ing exhibits thai ovcrrau counters and
were forever falling to the hoor the
near silk. near silver and near gold
commodities thai filled the place so
lavishly. far from offending her taste.
stirred her fancy oddly. aud she saun-
tered mp aud down the long aises
alive with thai suppressed excitement
that is one Of the kcrnest emotions
nc" had TO offer and Indifferent to the
bunctings of the crowd which seemed
to her delightfully."- good natured If u
little bit lacking in form.
But the spot that she loved best Of
all was the broad landing of the mar
bic staircase that swirlcd grandly up
ward from the center Of the first floor
with nagnidcencc that was dazzling
even for a department store This
landing formed balcony. rich with
oriental rugs and upholstered fumi-
tur". and. most desirable of all. il
commanded n panoramic view Of the
floor beneath
Here the Youngest often sat for
an Hour or 80 At time with her chin
resting on the railing and her eyes
fixed greedily on the scene below
fascinated spectator Of one Of the hest
theatrical productions that the big
round world has to offer
The n-he was an artist aud he
haunted the balcony on the lookout
for types had noticed that she usually
came out Of her absorbed eontempla.
ton Of the scene below her with a
start glanced in a dazed way ut the
bold faced clock near by and then fair
ly scampered down the flowing marble
stairs and melted away in the crowd
Not being mind reader. he could not
know that she was wondering II there
was any chance Of catching the $50
or how on earth she should explain her
absence since $40 by the purchase OF
six yards of yal lace ..
But the studies Of her face and head
in his small sketchbook multiplied, /
and the oftener he drew her the more
dissatisfied he became Alwaes he
just missed catching the spirit Of her
the youth the interest. the ardor and
the innocence Of her glance, Of every
line aud movement for it seemed to
his artists eye that she was very
marvel OF expression
II WAS about this time that the pub. I
fishers for whom he did more OF less
work sent him book for illustration,
and as he read the manuscript II
seemed the very girl Of the balcony
who had wandered into It's pages BY !
some strange fate the lines that he
selected as the pictorial points told a
tale She stood looking down at the |
throng below her. breathIess. absorb
ed - Was one .'Nalyarn watching