Gilpin observer., 1910-10-20
Must b the wrong room" sa,d ~

I oss " Ioo WEVnB IOous bss0 Nv
! man.
"Oh. here we are." cried Mrs. Air
less. opening the opposite door. ON
which she had discovered tiny brasa
name plate bearing her daughters
name. Here we are and-here 10
| FAITH"
We'll. bless your heart. daughter,
we've found you at last" said the
father. taking Faith in his arms and
giving her a generous paternal hug.
I'VE mighty near got into the wrong
room"
"Yes-the poor young man across
the hall was Just telephoning to some
one that he had just given away hia
last quarter and hadn't bite to eat.
Faith. dearie. hope you never get
that way. I've read about this studio
life in New York. and Of how young
artists often go hungry" the elder
woman was saying.
Never fear, mother" said Faith.
from the stove where she was taking
up the now thoroughly cooked repast
But. the joy was gone from her eyes
she had taken the poor mans last
quarter!
She did not want to explair. right
away. to her mother and father that
she had been compelled to go to
strange man across the hall to bor-
row a quarter with which to have gas
enough to finish cooking the dinner.
They might not understand-at first
and 1t really had not been her in
tention to borrow the money.
By the time the little meal was on
the table the thought weighed so
heavily upon her that she could not
sit down to enjoy it. At last she
summoned courage to explain the
whole matter to her parents and 1t
was with difficulty that she restrained
her father from running Immediately
to the door of Melville to drag him
bodily to the table to Join them.
1T will be far better for me to CO."
Faith expostulated. II can be tactful.
He may feel delicacy about it."
'Yes-let Faith 60" the mother
added. She's used to city ways"
This time it was without an apron
that Faith knocked at the opposite
door. 1t took her fully ten minutes
to persuade the young man to join
the little party and eat a portion of
the meal he had been influential in
saving. But, at last, he was induced
to go. and Faith waited while he
changed his studio. coat and put
touch or two to his toilet.
The merry little party sat about the
studio until the logs in the old nre.
place had crumplec to ashes and the
foI1
wonder what the hour might be.
When Melville rose to go Faiths,
father shook his hand warmly. Il
shall leave my little girl stack of
quarters when l go back to Home
town." he said, so you needn't be-
,raid she'll be borrowing any more"
No. indeed, she mustn't" Mrs. Air
less interjected. She mustn't get into
the borrowing habit, even If she does
| live in studio.
Faith blushed and turned toward
young Melville. You see they are all
In sympathy with you," she laughed.
If they were," the young man said.
pointedly. they would never leave
you a stack of quarters, for how-in
that case-can l ever expect to be-
| come acquainted?"
II still have this one to pay back"
Faith reminded him as she stood in
the studio door while he unlocked his
own.
"No"-he held up his hand In re-
monstrance. please don't mention
that. Just let me come to see you
and we'll say bought my meal with
the quarter.
But Faith did return the money.
She said, afterward. that she always
would have felt that he sought her
studio so frequently because he hoped
to get back his quarter and che pre-
ferred to have a better understanding
of his intentions.