The Press., 1906-11-21
Jane'S Financial Embarrassment
By HELENA SMITH DAYTON

known admirer to send 50 cents worth of postage stamps instead!'
 Jane glanced toward her desk, where a neat pile of brown envelopes stared her reproachfully in the face.
 An entire weeks work held up be- cause the brilliant young writer, Jane Gaylord, lacks the necessary postage" she groaned AS it's all timely stuff and special orders-I may as we'll de stroy 1t unless 1t goes today. l may as we'll give up looking for that check and do something desperate" Jane paced up and down the apartment trying to think of a method to obtain the trifing sum at once.
 Ask your mother for 50 cents to see the elephant jump the fence," she repeated for the hundredth time. The silly jingle refused to be dislodged from her head. ''There I go again. If 1t were only $50 could hustle around and get it-but 50 centsv' It seemed as if a mocking voice echoed, "To see the elephant jump the fence"
 'Of course" she went on sarcastical- ly, q might waylay little children and steal the pennies from their moist palms, or I could make these violets into small punches and sell them on the street corner-flower girl in a tailor suit and Paris hat would be novelty! There must be some way of raising 50 cents without selling my possessions. I never approved of getting the pawn shop habit-it's hard to shake, once ac- uuired. I don't like to let little fifty cents-to-see-the-el elephant get the best of me.
 "Why, I won't need another penny until my check comes. My board is paid in advance, and before anything Is due there'll be lots of checks. But I must have 50 cents to see"-
 Jane stopped impatiently, and, as if the narrow confines of her own room were stifing her, she opened the door and stepped into the hall. She paused as voices from the upper landing float ed down to her. She always paused when she heard Peter GleasOn's deep tones.
 Here's a dollar" he was saying "Run over to Carter's and buy me three or four magazines. Haven't seen one for a month, so anything you get will be new to me. And you may keep the change, John"
 Thank you, MT. Gleason" came Johns squeaky answer. "Pll be back with lem in a jiffy." He came down the stairs two at time.
 "John! called Miss Gaylord softly.
 "Tm on an errand for Mr. Gleason, but when get back
 "Yes, yes! It's about thatg' she inter- rupted. Il want you to do me a partic- ular favor, John. It's all right, but rather unusual. have some new mag aZines-the very ones MT. Gleason would like. I've more than I can read. It would save you a trip out in the storm-the magazines are really just as new as you could buy at the store. Would you-buy them from me?
 It was out at last. Jane never had felt so shy of any one>in her life as she did of the astonished little hall boy.
 "Sure, Miss Gaylord" he said with out hesitation. "Pd do anything for you. It's on the level, ain't itY'
 "Yes, John, strictly on the level," she answered, with little laugh that sug gested tears.
 Have lem ready when come back" he whispered.
 "You are dear boyw cried Jane.
 She fled back to her room in 8 panic of nervousness at what she had done. She selected several magazines of re- cent issue and was back at the door long before the return of the boy.
 "If I was back with the books too soon he'd get on to it," was his naive explanation.
 And, John," she pleaded in a voice that shook, please give him this box of violets. Don't tell him who sent them. But he has been so i'll, poor man! You see, 1t will give good meas ure for the 50 cents."
 John nodded wisely and took his way upward.
 say a moment later. Couldn't have made a better selection myself. vio- lets too? No name given? You won't tell? Very well if you promised not to, of course"
 Back in his study Gleason tossed the violets carelessly on a table already loaded with flowers and took up a magazine eagerly.
 q hope my little Jane has a story in this month" he said, scanning the ta- ble of contents. He passed his own name, but Jane's was not there He took up another, and again was he dis appointed, but in the third magazine Jane's name headed the list. He was turning to her story when sheet of paper fluttered out. On the closely written page his own name caught his eye. Naturally he read every word, though it was obviously part of let ter.
 You remember" 1t ran, 'chow I used to rave about Peter Gleason and his work7 Strange that he should come to board at Mrs. Stuart's and be taken so i'll almost immediately after and that should have the privilege of assisting his trained nurse when he was unconscious. Yes, he Is all i'm agined him-and more. If you must know the worst. Tho. can't write 1t to even you. Mollie. But put romantic Ideas out of your head, just as your silly old Jane must. for Peter Gleason is indifferent, and Pm very busy, as usual. But That was all.
 Bless herr' whispered Peter over and over. And I thought her too wrapped up in her work to give me a thought. Helped to nurse me, did she? My little Jane! And she must have sent these magazines-and the violets! And John, the scamp, never told me! But, on the other hand, John Is such an honest little chap he wouldn't have kept that 50 cents. If he really bought them, how came that letter between the pages of a maga- zine from Carter'sY'
 Then in spite of himself doubt flashed into his mind. Was it clever ruse--was the letter placed there by design? Peter was not cynical but