The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1913-10-30
ABlueRibbon
II Served For a Shoestrins.
and Thereby Hangs
the Tale
BY F. A. mitchell


u and went out for walk. He was In
maculately clad = silk hat ligl
y spring oyercoat, gloved and carried
? cane. There Is always a weak spc
= somewhere about us, and the wea
spot In Mr. Spangler's attire was on
frayed shoestring. He had not gon
far before 1t was dangling under hi
: heels. He stopped near a stone stool
and, putting his foot upon a lowe
step, was about to tie 1t when h,
discovered that 1t was broken No
only was 1t broken, but broken In tn,
middle, and In order to right 1t he mus
take 1t out, readjust one half of it anC
throw the other half away.
TO do this necessitated sitting down
on the stone step and taking off his
shoe. Looking about him to see that
no one was near to see him In such an
undignified position he busted off the
step with his snow white handkerchief,
seated himself and went to work. Hay
ing withdrawn the string in endeavor-
Ing to get 1t back In place he discover
ed that the metal tip had been fiattened
and would not go into the holes. The
cut end would not go in without the
skill OF needle threader. He sue
ceeded, however, In doing the lob
when he discovered that the string
could not be tied, one end being made
shorter than the other.
Mr. Gnanolar rraS uItffnn tIo.o Io.t.
ing at the shoe when along came a
young lady couple of years his Junior,
dressed as Immediately as he and
withal very pretty. She endeavored
to repress a smile at the situation,
which she took In at once, then In the
kindness of her heart began to feel
over her corsage, her shoulders, for
something with which TO replace the
broken string. Finding a narrow rib
bon she detached it and handed It to
the handicapped man, but the look of
despair In his face at being able to in
troduce 1t into his shoe so affected her
that. taking OFF her gloves, she intro
duced the ribbon with her own deft |
fingers. Harry put on the shoe, tied |
the ends of the ribbon, then rising
shook the leg Of his trousers down over
Il. He was profuse In his thanks. lift
ed his hat with a bow he had often
practiced before the glass. and the girl
who had succored him passed on All
hat was left of her was blue ribbon
quarter OF an inch wide and about
dxteen inches long
When Spangler returned to his home
lie took the ribbon out of his shoe,
moothed out the kinks and contem-
dated 1t as a valued memento of the (
'irl whose charming person 1t had dec
rated and whose fingers had placed it
n his shoe, Then folding 1t two or
hree times, he ran II through the but l
onhole Of his coat, tied 1t In bow q
not and vowed he would leave 1t '
here till he should meet the donor /
gain.
Mr. Spangler's mind was not so full s
important subjects but that there v
'as room for a pretty girl who had a
Iven him smile for himsel: and a e
bbon for his boot Whenever he b
oked at the ribbon, remembering h
here 1t had been, he was distressed g.
think that 1t had descended from its
'sition In the neighborhood of violets d
rubbing against malodorous shoe <
ackfng. 1t kept fresh in his mind d
at pink and white complexion, those OF
'es of the heavens own blue, those al
Ills OF blond shining In the sunlight, X
at dainty figure, displayed by fash IL
lably cut costume. fo
Spangler never went out on to the nj
'eet without wearing the ribbon tied 81
butterfly knot In his buttonhole. tr
vera months passed without his ed
,eting the donor again, when one ed
Y, turning corner. he came sudden st
upon her. She passed him without bl
y sign OF recognition whatever,
ugh he caught her gaze momentari- co
fastened on the ribbon In his but 81
hole. Notwithstanding that II would ril
! have been etiquette for her to no fu
; a stranger even though she had ste
cored him in distress, he felt hurt he
I she had not shown some evidence As
having met him before. But she orr
sed on In among the throng. and he On
not know that he should ever meet no
again.
ut, hopeful, he continued to wear ha,
ribbon. Every day for year he his
ned the corner where he had met
fancying that she might have oc- the
lon Mt times to pass that way; yet ant
: her there no more. But one gala ne;
while standing on a curb where haC
vd had gathered to see procession SIN
) he turned, and there In a window spe
h others was the girl who was 81
nting him. He stood looking up Mt int
for some time. but whether she "a
him or whether she was ignorant girl
lis presence he could not tell AT str,
rate. she ignored him. Loath as sid,
was to leave her without learning S
ething by which he might trace he
he felt obliged to move on lest she wa,
'ider his stare an impertinence. mu,
angler felt that the girl had an ad obs
-age over him and was holding on upo
A man who wishes the acquaint- I ST
of lady must find the means for tim
There is among re- | a
women that gateway which must Hal
passed before the two can have stri
hing In common. If the lady La ball