The Lakeland evening telegram., 1913-09-29

| drove a satisfac.
tory bargain, filching a shirt without
notice being taken thereof. Carrying
his empty basket down the street he
figured the gain and was content, and
that same instant he caught the first
glimpse of his destiny.
She was standing behind the plate
glass of department store. A robe
Of azure gauze, price marked $895,
swathed her slender form and a polo
hat of violets sat we'll forward above
her golden Marcel" Her cheeks
mantled with the blush of maidenhood
were luscious as ripe pomegranates
and her round eyes, which in color
matched the $8.95, grew lashes as long
as painters brush.
Wing saw and was conquered. Trail
Ing his basket he approached the win
dow, admiration expanding his fea-
lures into a grin Fixed as the pago-
das of Nankin he stood before tlli5
daughter of the gods and drank his I'll
Of her loveliness.
Late that evening he returned to his
laundry. Next afternoon he feigned
! sickness and hurried Off to State
street, where his idol awaited him.
A week of such devotion and Wing
summed up his cash on hand-eigEt,
nine, ten dollars and 40 cents. He
dressed himself in Sunday clothes.
rolled his pigtail into a tight knot and
set out for the department store,
where she was enslaved.
"How muchee you want your Nell
can gal?' he asked the floorwalker.
most politely. Strange to say it took
some minutes to convince the ad.
dressed that an insult was not i'm
Piled Questions followed at length.
Did Wing wish the figure alone, or in
costume, as exhibited. To be sure he
wished her clothes and all. Alas, when
the price was named, including dress,
hat and girl, in toto, Wings counte-
nance fell. He shook his head and de-
parted with the visage of stole.
Behind the ironing board came more
calculations and Wing began to work
overtime
Months passed The adored one
changed her diaphanous voile for a
smart green tailor.made and the
violet polo FOR velvet toque. Later
in the season she wore a fur cape
around her shapely shoulders.
The new year had been ushered in
before Wing again appeared in the
role of suitor. The savings of six
months were with him. A new inven-
tory was made, the price had increased
with the season. Wing dcliberated
He was "yeliy solly," but the Mclean
gal" would have to do without her lux
urious cape.
The money being paid, the new
master undaunted by jeers of the pop
ulace and occasional apple cores,
shouldered his blonde beauty and bore
her home
Once within the laundry precincts,
Wing placed the beauty on a wash tub
and arranged her gown in correct
folds. 1t took him a full hals hour De-
fore he was satisfied with the result.
Then ne lighted some joss sticks and
placed them so that she should be en-
veloped in the perfumrd smoke He
next offered her a plate of rice and
sooy, but the tilted nose refused to
sniff its appetizing aroma.
Alas, that the fales should be so
cruel to lovers. A sharp ring at the
telephone interrupted this amorous
soliloQuy. To Wings reluctant re-
sponse an irate customer demanded
his washing and threatened tie law.
Wing shoulGered heavy basket and
stole out into the night.
An hour passed. The Melican gal
still crowns tie wash tub with stat
uesque grace Then a visiting rat
spreads the tale that the beauty is be-
coming animate. True il certainly is
that the smilinc rosy mouLh has begun
to pout An ugly wrinkle, too, has
appeared above the smooth brow and
as the moments pass the tapering fin
gers stretch and grow weirdly long.
"Pling," the rats scamper as one
azure orb smasheS on the .lOor. Tears
of wax run down the once tilted nose
ard ruin the tailor-male A second
eye follows. The hands melt away and
disclose their props of wood. Brow
cheeks and nose have become ore
slapeleSs mass-then the laundry door
opens and III slips Wing.
Emotion is not accor ling TO the code
Of ConfuCius, so our celestial love
neither went nor tore his hair. He
looked-and closed the damper of the
stove. Then again this tins 2it,loui
the lingering glance, lie lccke4 thl
laundry door behind him ana stole ou
Into the night.
Copyright By Daily Story Pub Coz