The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1912-07-18
CONCERNING
A GLOVE


The Sunday morning sun shone gay.
ly into the east window in which sat
Miss Albertine Drafts. The sash was
raised and she sat on the ledge lean.
ing out at perilous angle. which,
however. was made harmless by the
fire escape. The reason for the raised
window was that Miss Drafts wac
cleaning gloves with gasoline and
gasoline irritated her landlady.
There was even at that moment a
newspaper clipping stuck up conspic-
uously In Albertine's mirror concern
Ing the tragic end of a lady who
cleaned gloves with gasoline and the
equally tragic end OF her house. But
Albertine was not touched by this ap-
parent concern Of the landlady for her
safety. Seeing life from behind the
typewriter's desk in law ONCE was
enough to make snub-nosed and red
haired young woman skeptical.
| Pooh! It's her old fiat she's afraid
for!" Albertine had said the first time
she saw the clipping Hence she
gayly cleaned gloves this sunny morn
ing. There was an added spice to
| the proceeding, inasmuch as in the
nat beneath, in fact, in the very room
beneath, resided Harry Larke. an es-
Unable young man employed In
hardware store, and for some months
Miss Drafts devoted attendant. That
was al ended now, for they had quar-
relied, no later than the previous eve
ming and all was over between them.
Miss Drafts even hummed a little
song to prove that she was light
hearted and joyous.
Accidentally glancing downward
FOR under the circumstances no young
woman of pride could have the slight
est deliberate interest in Mr.. LaTke's
pursuits-she saw thin trail Of
smoke curling up. Harry then had his
window open because he was smok
ing and his landlady had a prejudice
against tobacco. Miss Drafts warbled
little louder, an even gayer ditty.
She finished a long glove she was
sponging and pinned 1t out on bar
of the fire escape to air. The next
minute swift gust of wind hurrying
around the corner tore the glove
loose, bore 1t giddily downward and
slapped 1t across Mr.. Larke's window
sill, where 1t chung Imply.
1.-THE ideal" murmured Miss Drafts.
Now what do you think of that?"
She considered the matter with her
head on one side. The gloves were
expensive and she must get the wan
derer back But she would die before
she asked for 1t! And Harry was Just
hateful enough to keep 1t out of spite.
1t was most annoying-about the
glove. She peered cautiously down
out. but the glove had disappeared.
81 just hate him!" murmured Miss
Drafts vindictively, sponging wildly
at another glove.
Down below Larke was holding the
fateful glove meditatively. 1t still
showed family the shape of Alder
tines hand and he stroked it with
one finger until he remembered and
trowned hard and stopped. The glove
was of no possible interest to him.
The sooner he got It out of his sight
the better.
OF course he would have to send 1t
back instead of carrying 1t himself
and 1t occurred to him that 1t would
look rude to send It without a word.
He began composing note to accom-
pany it. Never again would he jot
down jauntily Dearest Albertine!"
This would begin stonily. MY dear
Miss Drafts" That would bring
home to her the change which had
come into their lives. And SO he wrote
It.
It was difficult to determine upon
what to say after that Il herewith
return your glove. Yours truly"
abrupt, business-like, and 1t
lacked the literary finish and subtle.
graceful sting he wished to convey
,arelessly. 1t was appalling how few
words there were in the English Ian
zuage with which to express ones
ceilings fittingly.
He seated himself on the window
ill in the sunlight to collect his
thoughts. The odor of gasoline was
n the air as we're the words Of
popular song. He and Albertine had
leard 1t only the night before and
The was heartless enough to enjoy
inging 1t, even though It had been
uch an evening of tragedy to them!
she had looked extra pretty. too, In
lew dress and her wavy hair brushed
i'll 1t positively glittered. Larke fold.
ID the glove up into small compass
o that he could wrap 1t up for send.
ng. He could see Albertines elbow
s she moved her arm back and forth
n the sponging process.
He coughed. quite by accident, Of
curse. The song above stopped
low foolish to be puzzling his brains
yer note when the sun shone and
he sparrows were chirping on the
pposite roof and Albertine was 10
earl It wouldn't look like making
D, surely, just to toss her her glove.
"Bertie!" Larke called. From above
flushed face and hair that shone in
ne sun looked down instantly.
I'm going to toss up your glove"
aid Harry Larke In a cold, set tone.
"oh, thank you'll" said Miss Drafts
lily. "But-why don't you bring II
p?
For an instant the. young man
owned. Then he grinned a little