The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-09-07
- WET q
+ SHOES y


Prestley's belongings were scatter.
ID between his Chicago home, which
vas closed, the cottage in Florida,
where the family was passing the win
.er, and his trunk, which he had
brought with him ON a tIrried b.isi-
ness trip to Chicago He had left the |
trunk reposing in the temporary room
given him at the hotel and had dashed
around town throughout the day.
When he came in at evening the
clerk gave hi manother key. We've
moved you to 613," he told Presley.
Your trunk is up there"
Presley was tired. Also he Year, I'd
for bath and fresh clothes. Rc..-h-
Ing the room designated by the clerk,
he filled the bathtub with water and
got into his bathrobe. Then he start
ed to unlock his trunk.
1t was his trunk, he knew, for th.-s
were the hotel stickers in their ~
miliar places and there was the mar
red corner. as we'll as his initials in
white paint on the end. Yet his key
would not unlock 1t.
Presley did all the foolish things
people do under such circumstances.
He inserted the key upsi down and
right side up and crosswise, he wrig-
gled and damned 1t and pounded the
trunk and muttered incoherently un-
der his breath.
Finally after a half hours struggle
he was forced to give It up and ring
for the porter. 1t seemed that there
was broken piece inside the lock.
but finally the porter managed to
open it.
When the porter departed. clutching
Prestley's quarter, Prestley between
rage and hunger and WEAKNESS was
sizzling like bomb as he pulled out
clean linen and laid it on the bed.
Then he cast of his bathrobe and
jumped into the tub. There seemed
something wrong with his feet, and as
Presley gazed down at them through
the depths of the water he came to
with a start-he had got into the tub
with his shoes on!
The temperature of the water went
up ten degrees from the fervor of his
remarks. The shoes naturally were
soaking wet by the time he had res
cued them.
Investigating his trunk a little later
Prestley dragged to light only pair
OF patent leather pumps. He turned
| them over in his hands with the resig-
nation one uses in situations of utter
on.
After Prestley had dressed in his
business suit. which looked baggy and
dusty after his trip, he saw to his hor
ror that 1t was an impossibility to
combine 1t with the pumps The ef
feet was too comic. Since he had to
wear the. pumps he decided with q
sight that he must dress up to them.
So he took some time changing his
shirt studs into another shirt and
getting into his dress suit.
His hunger was increasing by leaps
and bounds. Fully attired, he took a
look at himself and decided he was too
glorious to burst in upon the crowd
In the downstairs cafe. He would be
obliged to seek the exclusive upstairs
dining room. Living up to those
pumps seemed to be strenuous az
fair.
Prestley got into ths elevator at
the sixth floor and at the next a young
woman entered In evening garb. She,
too, got of at the dining room floor.
At this point Prestley thought hard
II two persons in evening dress en-.
tered the cafe simultaneously, the
head waiter naturally would suppose
they were together and would seat
them accordingly, SO he Jagged behind
ten yards or more.
The big room was only slightly fill
ed and at his entrance the head wait
er took him Hospitality in charge, led
him the length CT the room and with
a flourish seated him at small table
Raising his eyes he saw that the
worst had happened-the strange and
good looking young woman in even
ing garb sat across from him at the
same small table!
Prestley is rather shy, so in spite o.
his uncomfortableness he felt hope
less. Maybe they had seated then
so as to enable one waiter to serv,
both, and anyhow he was there ant
couldn't help 1t.
He gave his order wildly.
The waiter deposited before him
soup tureen and two plates.
AS Prestley swallowed hard an,
gazed despairingly at his companion
he saw that she, too, was confused
Then a man stood beside him, like
wise in evening clothes. gazing a
Prestley with an expression Of interrc
cation that was positively rude in it
surprise. Without doubt he belongs
to the young woman, and she belons
ed to him. and there was Prestley Il
the mans seat with two soup plate
before him!