West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1908-09-17

were hanging about while their won.
en- folk were shopping to stroll over TO
the handkerchief counter and dawdle
over the csmbric squares. Nancy's i'm
itstion high bred air and genuine dain-
~ beauty were what attracted. Many
men thus came to display their graces
before her. Some OF them may have
been millionaires. Others were certain
ly no more than their sedulous apes.
Nancy learned to discriminate. There
was window at the end OF the hand
kerchief counter. and she could see the
rows OF vehicles waiting for the shop
pcrs In the street below. She looked
ana perceived that automobiles difYer
as well ~ do their owners.
Once q fascinating gentleman bought
four dozen handkerchiefs and woocd
her across the counter with a King
Cophetua air. when he had gone one
Of the girls said:
not warm mp TO that fcllowf He looks
the swell article. all right. to me-"
Him 2 said Nancy. with her coolest.
sweetest most impersonal Van Alstyne
Fisher smile. Not for mine. saw
him drive up outside. A twelve horse
power machine and an Irish chaufYsuri
And you saw what kind OF handker-
chiefs he bought-slk! And he's got
dactyiis on him. Give me the real
thing or nothing. II you please"
Two OF the most refined" women In
the store-a forelady and n cashier
had few swell gentlemen friends"
with whom they now and then dined
Once they included Nancy in an in
vitation- The dinner took place in n
spectacular cafe whose tables are en-
gagged for New Years eve a year In ad-
vance. There were two gentlemen
friends" one without any hair on his
head-high living ungrew II, and we
can prove 1.-THE other a young man
whose worth and sophisticatiou he i'm
pressed upon you In two convincing
ways-he sworc that all the wine was
corked and he wore diamond cufY but
tons. This young man perceived IRE
sistible excellencies I'm Nancy. His
taste ran to shop girls. and here was
one that added the voice and manners
or his high social world to the franker
charms OF her own caste. SO on the
following day he appeared I'm the store
and made her a serious proposal Of
marriage over box OF hemstitched.
grass bleached Irish linens. Nancy
declined. A brown pompadour ten feet
away had been using her eyes and
ears. When the rejected suitor had
gone she heaped carboys OF upbraid-
ings and horror upon Nancy's head.
What a terrible little fool you are!
That fellows millionaire-he's a
nephew of old Van skittIes himself.
And he was talking on the level too.
Have you gone crazy. Nancer
Have II" said Nancy. "I didn't
take him. did II He isn't millionaire
30 hard that you could notice It. any.
how. His family only allows him 500
600 a year to spend. The baidhead-
ed fellow was guying him about # the
other night at supper"
The brown pompadour came nearer
and narrowed her eyes.
Say, what do you wantf" she In.
quired In voice hoarse for lack OF
chewing gum. Amt that enough for
you? Do you want to be a Mormon
and marry Rockefeller and Gladstone
Dowie and the king OF Spain and the
whole bunchi Amt $4,000 a year
good enough for your
Nancy flushed little under the level
gaze OF the black. shallow eyes.
1T wasn't altogether the money. Car
rie," she explained. His friend caught
him In rank lie the other night at
dinner. 1t was about some girl he said
he hadn't been to the theater with.
Well. j can't stand a liar. Put every
thing together-I don't like him, and
that settles It. When sell out It's not
going to be on any bargain day. I've
got to have something that sits up In
chair like a man. anyhow. Yes. I'm
looking out for a catch. but it's got to
be able to do something more than
make noise like toy bank"
The physiopathic ward for yours"
said the brown pompadour. walking
away.
These high ideas, IL not ideals, Nancy
continued TO cultivate on s. per week.
She bivouacked on the trail OF the
great unknown Catch" eating her dry
bread and tightening her belt day by
day. On her face was the faint, SOL
dieriy, sweet grim smile OF the preor-
dained man hunter. The store was her
forest. and many times she raised her
rife at game that seemed broad antler-
ed and big. but always some deep un-
erring instinct-perhsps OF the hunt
ress. perhaps OF the woman-made her
hold her hre aud take up the trail
again.
Lou nourished I'm the laundry. Out
OF her $3.50 per week she paid 80 for
her room and board. The rest went
mainly for clothes. Her opportunities
for bettering her taste and manners
were few compared with Nancy's. In
the steaming laundry there was moth
ing but work, work and her thoughts
or the evening pleasures to come.
Many costly and snowy fabrics passed
under her iron. and II may be that her
growing fondness for dress WAS thus
transmitted to her through the con
Quoting metal
When the days work was over Dan
awaited her outside, her faithful shad-
ow in whatever light she stood.
Sometimes he cast an honest and
troubled glance at Lou's clothes that
increased in conspicuity rather than
In style. but this was no disloyalty;
he deprecated the attention they called
to her in the streets.
And Lou was no less faithful to her
cbum. There was a law that Nancy
should go with them on whatsoever
outings they might take. Dan bore
the extra burden heartily and I'm good
cheer. IT might be said that Lou fur.
nished the color, Nancy the tone and
Dan the weight Of the distraction seek
ing trio. The escort, In bis neat but
obviously ready made suit, his ready