Smyrna times., 1906-11-21
James Financial
Embarrassment
By HELENA SMITH DAYTON


"Violetsp shifted Jane, opening the
lavender box with none of the en-
thusiasm she usually displayed on such
occasions. 'Of course it never would
have occurred to the eXtravagant I'M
known admirer to send so cents worth
of postage stamps insteadr'
Jane glanced toward her desk, where
a neat pile of brown envelopes stared
her reproachfully in the face.
IAN entire weeks work held up be-
cause the brilliant young writer Jane
Gaylord, lacks the necessary postagev'
she groaned. las it's all timely stuff
and special orders-I may as well de-
stroy it unless it goes today. may as
well 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 80 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 l go again. If
it were only $50 l could hustle around
and get it-but so centsr' 1t seemed
as if hooking voice echoed, ITO see
the elephant jump the fence"
"Of course" she went on sarcastical-
ly, Il might waylay little children and
steal the pennies from their moist
palms, or l could make these violets
into small punches and sell them on the
street cOrner-fiower girl in tailor
suit and Paris hat would be a novelty!
There must be some way of raising 80
cents without selling my possessions.
l never approved of getting the pawn
shop habit-its hard to shake, onCe &C
| quired. | don't like to let little fifty
Observation-Disclosures get the best of
me.
"Why, l 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
must have 80 cents to see
Jane stopped impatiently, and, as If
the narrow confines of her own room
were sitting her, she opened the door
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 Carriers and buy me three
or four magazines. Haven't seen one
for a month. so anything you get will
| no 70 And he
change, John"
THANK you, Mr.. Gleason" came
Johns squeaky answer. ''I'll be back
with 'em in a jiffy." He came down
the stairs two at time.
"Johnr called Miss Gaylord softly.
"Pm on an errand for Mr.. Gleason
but when / get back
ayes, yes! It's about thatp' she inter
rupted. II want you to do me d partic
ular favor, John. It's all right, but
rather unusual. l have some new mag
azines-the very ones Mr.. Gleason
would like. I've more than / can read
1t would save you a trip out in tn,
storm-the magazines are really just al
new as you could buy at the store
Would you-buy them from me"
1t was out at last. Jane never haC
felt so shy Of any one in her life as sh
; did of the astonished little hall boy.
. "Sure. Miss Gaylord" he said with
out hesitation. I'D do anything 70
you. It's ON the level, amt it?"
Eyes. John, strictly on the level" sh
answered. with little laugh that sue
gested tears.
: "Have 'em ready when come back,
he whispered.
"You are dear boyr cried Jane.
She fed back to her room in a PAM
J, Of nervousness at what she had dom
She selected several magazines of n
cent issue and was back at the doc
long before the return of the boy.
}, "If / was back with the books to
5, soon he'd get on to it," was his naiy
. explanation.
!. "And, john" she pleaded in a voic
that shook, ''please give him this be
of violets. Don't tell him who SCI
them. But he has been so Ill, poe
man! You see, it will give good mea
ure for the so cents"
John nodded wisely and took h
way upward.
"Good boy, john" she heard Gleasc
u say a moment later. Couldn't ha'
q made better selection myself. vi
lets too? No name given? You VOL
tell? Very well if you promised n
to- of course"
Back in his study Gleason tossed Il
'e violets carelessly on a table alrea(
loaded with flowers and took up
magazine eagerly.
81 hope my little Jane has story
this month";" he said, scanning the
BILE of contents. He passed his ov
name, but James was not there. I
:, took up another, aud again was he d
49, appointed, but in the third magazi
James name headed the list. He W
- turning to her story when a sheet
paper fiuttered out. On the close
written page bis own name caught
IRA | eve Naturally he read every wOl