The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1910-04-14
''ONE OPERA
CLOAK, $3.50"
High Handed Methods Won
Where hieeknoss Had Failed.
BY FRANCES CROFT.

Stuffy little fitting rooms. Nicholas the
meek, Nicholas the downtrodden, had
turned. The words of his letter stood
out wildly before her eyes:
Jacob served seven years for Rachel
and then got her sister. | have served
five years, see no hope of getting you in
seven, and you have no sister Unless
you say yes in a week to the question L
have asked you so often | sail on the
Mesaba for Europe. Remember, at a sig
nal from you l shall turn back at the
last moment, but my terms are uncondi-
tional surrender.
Nicholas had been the subject of
gibes. both to his face and behind his
back One that she had coined she
gave current issue among her friends
because she fancied it was clever.
Church on Sunday. theater Monday,
flowers Tuesday, candy Wednesday,
new book Thursday, dinner Friday,
dead sick on Saturday of Nicholas
Purdy"
1t did not seem so clever to her now
after a week during which there had
been no one to carry her prayer book
to church, no one to take her to first
night performances, no flowers. no
candy. no books, no dinners, DO NichO-
las Purdy. but there had been a wea-
ried feeling. Much to her own sur
prise. she found that she missed the
man more than his attentions.
This was the day of sailing for the
Mesaba From some feeling-curiosi-
ty, of course-she knew the pier from
which it started the car lines leading
to it and the time it took to get there.
She certainly would not give in to him,
especially after the insOlent tone Of
the letter. Yet it was from fear that
she might so far forget herself as to go
down to the dock and lose her suprem-
acy over Nicholas forever that had
brought her here. Her suit very op-
portunely needed alteration. Miss
Macy, the head filter, had hurried off
with it, promising to seek something
to throw around her form few min
utes till it was ready.
Then a girl had appeared with
gorgeous pink opera cape. Such raj
ment was far beyond the slender
means of the struggling artist but for
once she forgot to revel in its richness.
She was looking anXiously at her
watch. Three-quarters of an hour and
then the Mesaba would clear her docks.
How fast the minutes flew by! Half
an hour now
She pounded on the door Miss Macy
hustled in. I'm so sorry Miss Fair
weather. I've been delayed with some
customers. You shall have your dress
shortly"
But | must have it at once"'
'Impossible"' And Miss Macy bus
tied off
Lillian was now frantic.
She caught the next girl that passed.
Give me a dress, any kind of
Dress
A moment later she was tearing a
price mark off a sloppy dress Of a
dirty chocolate color She rushed into
it, quite unmindful of the fact that it
was two sizes too large, long wasted
and bulging at the hips. Throwing
the opera cape around her, she stuck
on her blue hat and rushed madly
from the store.
She hailed passing cab. Five dol
lars if you get me to pier II before the
Mesaba sails"
1t seemed an eternity until she was
rushing down the long wooden shed.
Pushing aside the man who demand
ed her ticket. she ran up the gang
plank. and her feet had scarcely left it
when it was withdrawn. No Nicholas
was in sight. She approached the
steward and asked him where Mr..
Purdy's stateroom was. He replied
that no such party was booked.
Then Lillian gave gasp. She ran to
the end of the steamer nearest the
dock only to find that the vessel had
begun to move. She uttered a cry,
which attracted the attention of Il
youngish man sitting on the piles at
the corner Of the pier hanging his
heels over the water
He jumped up and whiStled, for he
realized the full enormity of the stu
alton. She was going, and he was to
be left behind The ocean would sep
arate them, besides a sea of misunder-
standings. His bluff had worked be-
yond his expectations.
He ran to the steamers starting
place and found a stout commercial
looking man in a state of great excite
ment bargaining with the owner of a
small tug to take him to the outgoing
steamer Nicholas joined forces with
him. \ common object-to catch the
steamer-bound them together.
The thing was all arranged in a few
minutes. They quickly got alongside
and hailed the steamer
There was already great excitement
aboard the Mesaba. A woman in a
dirty brown gown, pink opera cloak
and blue hat was begging hysteric-
ally to be taken back to land.
The captain saw peace for him when
he perceived the tug. The steamer
stopped, and Lillian was transferred to
meet her shameless lover and the just
ly indignant costumer. She began to
upbraid the former when the CONNER
cial man interfered:
Easy now, easy. What about m.
naA-