The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-02-06
Fiction
REDEEMING HER SEX.
BY vENA KENNEDY WILSON.

on ThursdayT
"Yes; am sure"
"Then this receipt for 1920 waslgiV-
on you for five dollar depositr'
Eyes it must have been. waslhere
Thursday and paid $5 on rug, and
when I got home | found the receipt
was for 1929"
"well, just take chair, and will
look It up"
The head Of the department went
through pile of papers before him.
A family amused contemptuousl glance
in his eye told the underclerk that he
had branded her story r'aDother lle."
In few minutes he' turned to her
and said courteousIy, but coldly:
"Strange; our slip says So. Now,
WIN give you a duplicate receipt. 1
WIN keep the receipt youl gave me for
the 1920. II is OF no value to you"
looking her in the eye.
"No; OH no! or course mot. Thank
you I-I-knew had paidNthe So"
After she had left he took his way.
with a smile. to the upholstering de-
partment. When he returnedethe smile
was almost sneer.
"well," said the underclerk,( with
laugh.
"Same old thing" he said wearily.
"The receipt was given for goods
bought by her Thursday. She has lost
or mislald her receipt for the So and,
judging us by herself, was afraid we
would deny receiving It, so Matched up
that lie. BY heavens, believe n wo-
man would lie her soul away to savdI
q dollarv'
The other man chuckled.
"You think It is funny. Well, : Il
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 shabbily genteeL but
shabbily grotesque. The skinny cape,
| the threadbare waist, the befowered
bonnet and Ill hanging skirt were Of
all colors and materials. They were
alike only I'm cleanliness.
She raised her sharp brown eyes,
hesltated and smiled little tremu-
lousy, showing gums entirely' devoid
of teeth. Then, Strengthening herself
up. she said slowly:
"I've come to see II you'd take aIrug
back"
"What is the matter with the rugr
"Nothln', only don't want It,"
"How long have you had It? Alcou-
pie of days, 1 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 little apologetical,
ly. "It's purity rug, an like 1t, but
want to send 1t back"
"Why did you buy It IL you didn't
want it?" he asked bluntly.
II do want 1t, but-but I've got to
have some money, an can't get II
unless can send the rug back"
"How much was it?"
eleven dollars an forty cents ,'rshe
answered dejectedly.
"Are you sure there is nothing,wrong
with the rug?" he asked In an insin
uating voice "If It is crooked or of
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 II
amt hurt any, an / must have the
money, an'-an' thought you might
take II back"
"Glve me your name and address,
he said, "and / will call tomorrow and
look at 1t. will tell you then what
can do" His eyes held smile tha
was not amusement or contempt, but &
combination OF incredulity and Joy
that made the underclerk wonder.
The next afternoon he climbed Ave
flights OF stairs and was ushered into
the room with the rug
It's Haunting colors, the glaring chro
mos, the table with the installmen
plan album, the few wooden chairs
and the old cane rocker, even the on,
little scarlet geranium. were noted II
a single glance. But he looked at thu
old woman's face long and steadily. /
was such battered old face, ~
though time, sorrow and privation haC
fought out their desperate battle ther,
and left each time traces TO tell thu
tale.
'It's a purity rug" was what sh,
said.
"You don't want to give up the rug
, Why do you do so?"
/ She clutched nervously at her aproi
and shrank within herself before tn,
man who seemed to fill the room will
his dominant, forceful personality. HI
was so strong, young, Tgell groomed
that she felt suddenly old, weak ant
helpless before him.
excuse ME-" he said kindly. That
no thoughts of prying into your bust
ness | only want to help you out o
this II | can"
81 know, know" she said quickly