The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1907-11-27

NELL CLUTCHED HIS ARM TIGHTLY.
BILE. He had been angry when she had
taken the position in the store. He
ton Just ahead. He wanted her to
stay at home and study homemaking
from her own capable mother, but Mel
lie wanted to earn enough money for
her little trousseau. Tom had said
openly that he hated her to pay the
high price of standing day after day on
her feet in the lily ventilated, noisy
store Secretly he had rather feared
the influence OF money making on this
girl, who had always lived the shelter
ed home life. Perhaps she would not
be satisfied later on to give up her own
income and share his In modest
home.
But something more dangerous than
the mere effect of an independent In
come had entered Nellle's life that day.
The representative of big wholesale
house had asked the head of stock un-
der whom Nellie worked to make up
luncheon party Of four Any girl she
asked would be agreeable. and he had
an out of town man he wanted to en-
terrain.
1t was NellIes first experience In u
fashionable cafe, with its myriad mir
rors, soft shod walters, sparkling foun-
tains and flower deeked tables. The
dainty cookery, the well chosen wines,
the general air of prosperity and ease
which enveloped her during the brief
hour had created new unrest In her
mind, and the men had rounded out
the meal by inviting the two girls to
go TO the theater the next night.
Nellie had fairly jumped at the sug-
gestion. Theater on Thanksgiving
night? Why. that was the time when
folks stayed at home She knew what
would happen In her own home. Tom
and his mother would come to dinner,
and In the dusk Tom would take his
mother to their tiny fiat five blocks
away and then come back for two
hour visit with her. Tom always went
home early because he had to be at
the shop every morning at 7:30.
The theater ana afterward a supper
just like Thu uncbeoni The tiny parlor
at home turned dingy and dull by COM
parlson. When she and Tom went to
the theater, which was rarely enough,
they sat In the upper gallery and d.
vided their attention between the
boxes and the stage. the play and the
wonderfully gowned women on the
floor below.
And what was that Jennie Mills had
said? With her figure she might wear
such gowns. eat such luncheons every
day-be the real thing,
She worked during the afternoon like
girl In daze. Customers found
fault with her, and the foorwalker
echoed their complaints. She was
tired and irritable when she started
for home. 1t was raining, a cold, wind
driven northeaster, and she had no
umbrella. Az she ran across the street
TO the subway entrance she was al
most knocked down by a hanson
whose fares consisted of fur clad wo-
man and silk hated man, who swore
roundly as he saw the girls narrow es-
cape. Nellies hand trembled with
nervousness and anger as she bought
her ticket With her figure and face
she might be sitting In hanson some
day instead of lodging one. But there
was Tom. Oh, dear. Why had she
been SO hasty? She had been warned
plenty times enough about marrying
IN haste and repenting at leisure. To
be sure, she had known Tom six years.
A man stepped on her foot in the
crowded train. and she drew In the