Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1913-05-01

p0IOu Mibo GaOih Va SAO AOeA~A SO~A
ter.
The young girl with two long. thick
braidB OF red hair leaned down from
the bundle counter overhead.
"Well!" she replied crisply.
"Have you seen the new floor
walker?"
Nowhere is Mr.. Freer?"
Transferred to the upholstery. It's
q shame, too. He certainly is.a gen.
tleman!" Miss Cabin patted the
blond puffs Of her elaborate couture
and sighed audibly. ''He certainly 10
q gentleman" she repeated.
"He H." returned Penny. She
turned back to her labors Of wrap
ping parcels.
you certainly are swift, Penny"
murmured the stout bundle girl.
ITS q dull day" said Penny, yawn.
ing.
Ever since she had run away from
her home in the middle West to be-
come an actress, Penelope had been
on the lookout for people from home.
True she had written back to her
uncle and aunt, telling them that she
was earning her living and when she
said that she was acting" how could
that unsophisticated couple suspect
that the part she was playing was the
very practical one OF bundle counter
girl In o department store.
She had given her name as Penny
Mulligan, when in fact she bore the
charming title Of Penelope Marston.
Arthur Preston had asked her to
marry him and had been haughtily
dismissed by the stage-struck girl. Il
cannot marry any one, Arthur" she
said, condescendingly. II have q
career before me, you known"
"Pooh!" the practical Arthur had
said-he was q real estate agent and
very live and up-to-date in his native
town-"pooh, honey, you can't act!"
II will show you!" Penny had said.
Wrathfully.
"Penny-Penny Mulligan!" shrilled
Miss Cabin during another lull in the
business Of this rainy day.
What Is IT." asked Penny languid-
y as she leaned over the railing.
"There he isl"
whom do you mean?" Penny was
not interested, but she strove to be
polite.
"The new floorwalker. He's stand
Ing there by the perfumery-his back
IL this way. He's lovely looking!"
Penny looked and saw q tall, mas
Bively built young man CARRIED in the
conventional black Of the store stand
Ing with his hands loosely clasped
behind his back. He looked-oh, so
much like Arthur Preston, but Of
course that was absurd!
Eyes, isn't he?" she managed to say
carelessly in response to Miss Cabins
last remark.
Later she happened to glance down.
ward. and her blue eyes met the calm,
cool gaze Of the new floorwalker. His
glance passed from her face to that
Of the other bundle girl, and then he
passed on his leisurely way down the
store. II was Arthur Preston.
When she had an opportunity she
asked Miss Cabin the name Of the
new noorWaIker.
The most romantic name you ever
heard, PENNY Miss Clark from the
ONCE told me-his name IL Claude
Reston."
Penny darted back to her work,
conscious that Miss Cabin was hold
Ing an animated conversation with
Mr.. Claude Reston.
"How dare he come here under an
assumed name?" fumed Penny.
She snapped the string viciously
and the fat parcel new out Of her
hands and fell plump upon the sleek,
black head Of the new iloorwalker. e
Mas Cabin ShTieked becomingiy as
Mr.. Reston gracefully disentangled
himself from the shower.
"Aint you afraid you'll get nred,
Penny" gasped the fat girl,
II don't care!" 'hared Penny reck-
lessly. Tn. going V leave anyway,
to-nlght."
Some one Was coming UP the steep
little stair Of the bundle counter. A
ruined black head. a pair Of black,
eyes, q pair Of broad shoulders, big
hand holding forth the ragged bun
die Of false hair.
Here. Penelope" he seIA eeolly.
"PIease don't do that again."
Penny Was speeehless with indigna-.
tloa. % she took the package from
him and their hands touched. he
disappeared at once, and Penny pro
ceeded to wrap the bundle carefully.
Il required elaborate care, for great
leaPa were yelling in her blue eyes.
The tears splashed upon the package,
and she thrust Il violently toward the
tube.
To PeAAy,a horror. It lsaped over
lie rail and desc, nded almost at the
IOOt Of the new floorvalkeri
"0eel" giggied the fat girl.
Penny was frozen via nortiflcar
lion, a. once meEA MI ReSton climbed
he STAIRS and handed the package 10
he glEl
@A b waiting Ter you At six
splpek, PeRalaPA~ be whispered sort
D. ~ W hurry we can take the