Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1908-12-05


pers in the street below. She looked
and perceived that automobiles differ
as well as do their owners.
Once fascinating gentleman bought
four dozen handkcrchiefS and woocd
her across the counter with Il King
Cophetua air. When he had gone one
of the girls said:
whats wrong, Nance. that you did
not warm up to that fellow? He looks
the swell article, all right. to me"
"Him?" said Nancy. with her coolest
sweetest, most imperSonal Van Alstyne
Fisher smile. Not for mine. | saw
him drive up outside y twelve h + e
power machine and an Irish chauffeur!
And you saw what kind of hlndkcr-
chiefs he bought-silk! And he's got
dactylis on him. Give me the real
thing or nothing, If you please.
Two of the most refined women in
the store-a forelady and cashier
had few "swell gentlemen friends
with whom they now and then di"ed
Once they included Nancy in an i'll
spectacular cafe whose tables are en-
gagged for New Years eve year in ad-
vance There were two "gentlemcn
friends" one without any hair on his
head-high living ungrew it, and we
can prove 1.-THE other young man
whose worth and sophistication he in
pressed upon you In two convincing
81 all
corked and he wore Diamond uff but
tons. This young man perceived ire
SiStible eXcellencicS in Nancy. His
taste ran to shop girls. and here WAS
one that added the voice and manners
of his high social world to the franker
charms of her own caste, SO on the
following day he appeared in the store
and made her a serious proposal of
marriage over a 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 terrible little fool you are!
That fellows millionaire-he's a
nephew of old Van Skittles himself
And he was talking on the level too
Have you gone crazy, Nance"
Have II" said Nancy. Il didn't
take him, did l? He isn't a millionaire
so hard that you could notice It, any
how. His family only allows hi II so,
600 a year to spend. The b1ldhea l.
ed fellow was guying him about it the
other night at supper.
The brown pompadour came nearer
and narrowed her eyes.
Say, what do you want?" she in
quired in voice hoarse for lack of
chewing gum. "Ain't 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 bunch? Amt 100000 a year
good enough for you?"
Nancy flushed a little under the level
gaze of the black. shallow eyes.
at wasn't altogether the money, Car
rie," she explained, His friend caught
him In a rank lie the other night at
dinner. 1t was about some girl he said
/
Well, | 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 a
chair like a man, anyhow. Yes, I'm
looking out for catch, but it's got to
be able to do something mere than
mako q noise like n tOV hank ~
THE physiopathc ward for yours"
said the brown pompadour, walking
away
These high ideas, if 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
dierly, sweet, grim smile Of the preor-
dained man hunter. The store was her
forest, and many times she raised her
rifle at game that seemed broad antler-
ed and big, but always some deep un-
erring instinct-perhaps of the hunt
ress perhaps Of the wOman-made her
hold her fire and take up the trail
again.
Lou fourished in the laundry. Out
of her $3.50 per week she paid Sc 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
Of the evening pleasures to come
Many costly and snowy fabrics passed
under her iron. and it may be that her
growing fondneSs for dress WAS thus