Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1909-02-23
Fiction
REDFFMlNG her SEX.
By vENA KgNNEpY wILsoN.

on Thursday"
''Yes; l am sure"
"Then this receipt for $3.50 was CIV
en- you for FIVE dollar deposltT'
eyes; 1t must have been. / was here
Thursday and paid So on a rug, and
when got home l found the receipt
was for 1920"
"well, just take chair. and will
look It up"
The head of the department went
through pile of papers before him.
A family amused contemptuous glance
in his eye told the underclerk that he
had branded her story another lie"
In few minutes he turned to her
and said courteously, but coldly;
Strange; our slip says So. Now, /
will give you a duplicate receipt.
viii keep the receipt you gave me for
the 1929. 1t is Of no value to you,
looking her In the eye.
mo; oh, no! OF course not Thank
you'll I-I-lnew 1 had paid the So"
After she had left he took his way,
with a smile, to the upholstering de-
partment When he returned the smile
was almost a sneer.
well" said the underclerk, with
laugh.
"Same old thing" he said YEARLY
"The receipt was given for goods
bought by her Thursday She has lost
or mislaid her receipt for the IS and
judging us by herself, was afraid we
would deny receiving it. so Matched up
that lie BY heavens, l believe wo-
man would lie her soul away to save
a dollarr'
The other man chuckled
you think 1t Is funny Well,
don't"
An hour later he turned to his clerk
again
Five more women, five more lies-a
good record for an hour"
A woman stood beside him, and as
his eyes scanned her quickly he smiled
involuntarily.
She was not stability genteel, but
shabbily grotesque. The skinny cape,
the threadbare waist, the behowered
bonnet aid Ill hanging skirt were of
all colors and materials. They were
alike only IN cleanliness
She raised her sharp brown eyes,
hesitated and smiled a little tremu-
lousy, showing gums entirely devoi
Of teeth. Then, Strengthening herself
up, she said slowly:
i've come to see If you'd take a rug
back"
what is the matter with the rug?"
"Nothin', only don't want It,"
"How long have you had it2 A eou-
pie Of days, l suppose" ironically.
"No; I've had 1t purity near two
month"
But you have not used It, of
course?"
"Well, It's been on the floor all the
time, but only set there when / have
company, an I don't have company
very often" this a little apologetical-
ly. Its purity rug, an like it, but
want to send it back"
"Why did you buy 1t if you didn't
want it," he asked bluntly.
81 do want It, but-but I've got to
have some money an 1 can't get 1t
unless / can send the rug back"
How much was lt2"
eleven dollars an forty cents" she
answered dejectedly.
"Are you sure there is nothing wrong
with the rug?" he asked In an insin-
uating voice. "If it Is crooked or off
color or not as represented ! may be
able to do something for you"
mo" emphatically, but sorrowfully;
"there amt nothin' wrong with the
rug. It's purity an all right, but it
amt hurt any, an l must have the
an'-an' l thought you might
take it back"
"Give me your name and address,"
he said, "and l will call tomorrow and
look at 1t. will tell you then what l
Fan do" His eyes held smile that
was not amusement or-eontempt, but
Of incredulity and Joy
that made the underclerk wonder.
The next afternoon he climbed five
flights Of stairs and was ushered into
the room with the rug.
Its Haunting colors, the glaring chro-
mos, the table with the installment
plan album, the few wooden chairs
and the old cane rocker, even the one
little scarlet geranium, were noted In
a single glance. But he looked at the
bid woman's face long and steadily. 1t
was such a battered old face, as
though time, sorrow and privation had
fought out their desperate battle there
and left each time traces to tell the
tale.
Its a purity rug" was what she
said.
"You don't want to give up the rug.
Why do you do SOP"
She clutched nervously at her apron
and shrank within herself before the
man who seemed to fill the room with
his dominant, forceful personality. He |
was so strong, young, well groomed,
that she felt suddenly old, weak ana
helpless before him.