Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-03-09
6he Temptation
=@ No. IT,
BY MODESTO n. JORDAN.
Copyright, 1904, by w. r. Hearst.)
wentv-Siy

oIWdI tWenCy-SlX.
In answer to the a tall,
straight girl, wearing a simple black
dress, the regulation costume of the
women clerks in Regain Bros. walked
briskly toward the front Of the store.
1t was John Regain. hea of the house
or Regan Bros, a shrewd business man.
to whom the success of the "cloak and
suit house" of Regain Bros, was due.
who had called to the girl. =.
This said John Regain to the tab
girl in the black gown. sis MI. Burton,
of the Daily Herald Mr.. Burton,
wishes to secure a model to pose in
smart w and wraps to Illustrate
a fashion story in his paper"
Very shortly Burton had arranged
with the model to be prompt in appear
ing the Straug photograph gallery. He
ske her for her name before leaving
the store and learned that it was Lucy
Paxton.
A carriage cloak, a dinner gown, low
in he neck and sleeveless, an afternoon
costume and several creations in
hats were borne to the photographers
the next morning. Lucy Paxton was
there also at the appointed time. Sc
was MIR. Burton.
The young newspaper man caught
his breath at the vision Of lovliness
that stepped before the camera fron1
the dressing room. What he saw was
q splendid figure, perfect as to contour,
clad in Il shimmering satin of rosy lint.
The neck and arms revealed by the
low-cut bodice We're as white as milk
ana as smooth as ivory. A small head,
poised beautifully, was crowned with
dark brown hair thai held the light
here and there until it cleaned like
gold.
Two views of this gown were made
Ihen the long carriage cloak was
thrown on. The beauty of the wearer
was increased by it's deeper pink tint
Then carne the afternoon gown and
stunning hats.
What would the folks at home think.
And there was Jack. Strange she
had not thought of Jack before. Now
as she walked back to the store there
was almost terror in her heart Jack
q cautioned her before she left home
not to become a bold woman or indif.
ferent to conventionalities. And pooh
Jack had actually shed tears at the
thought that it was necessary for hel
to endeavor to earn a livelihood until
his college course was finished and he
could begin the practice of law and
provide the little nest of a home he
dreamed of.
But pshaw! She told herself that
she did not believe after all that she
would care to settle down as the wife of
a poor young country lawyer. Other
women, not half SO beautiful as herself,
had so much more-didn't she see them
come into he store every day with
seemingly limitless bank accounts at
their disposal because they were the
wives of rich men.
That night when she left the store
a little silk Jacket was wrapped into
a small parcel and tucked under her
arm. There was no difficulty in getting
out of the shop with it, for John Regain
allowed no inspection Of the clerks.
This he considered beneath an en-
nInyap, nf MON nnJ yOr1o~ - &~.,
claimed to hose who questioned his
methods that sooner or later a thief
would convict himself, and that, too,
without special watching.
One of the hats. a black and white
one, that the young model had worn
with the afternoon gown. was bewitch-
fngly becoming. There were other hats
that would catch the eye of the average
shopper more readily. and if Nc. &c was
Y little out of her department when she
stepped over over to the millinery cases
add thrust the black and white hat
back into ~cOrner-Why no one no.
iiced 1T.
The week was slipping by very fast.
She was so anxious to finish the cos
tune she was fashioning before the
pext Sunday! Carl Burton had asked
her TO allow him to escort her to
rhurch. and she had not been to hurch
since she had C the city, because
her best frock was so shabby. She
had been saving from her earnings to
buy new materials and had at last
made her purchases.
1t was Saturday and Jack had
strolled into the store unexpectedly.
announcing with a beaming face that
he had found it possible to get away
and had thought he would run down
and spend Sunday with Lucy.
The long afternoon stretched out into
twilight. and the supper bell rang,
Lucy ate little and hastily and returned
20 her room.
After an hours more stitching thers
was a rap on her door and the white
peeped In. Close behind her were two
men. One of them-Mr. John Regain.
With a startled cry Lucy sprang to
her feet. Spools and scissors Uttered
the floor. One glance at the hat and
Jacket N the men in the doorway
and Lucy sank on her knees with q
moan. burying her face in her hands
John Regain stepped to her side and
lifted her up.
1T Is all right. all right" he said,
kindly. Nobody knows of this but
the detective here and myself. The
articles will be replaced in the store.
and you may come down Monday and
resign you position"
The landlady had fed, but again she
appeared. and behind her was a stall
wart fellow. At his appearance Lucy
gave a glad cry and spreng to his out
stretched arms. "Oh. Jack, Jack" she
cried, explain to them. Tell them that
am not stealing. but that I brought
the hat and Jacket home to copy them
We were so busy I could not fine
time; 1 kept them longer than in
tended, and then I was afraid to-
See, see," the girl fairly screamed as
1he dragged from beneath her little bed