The Sauk Centre herald., 1913-07-24
=
HerPriZe
Story
Thrilling Tale Of an Imag.
inative Typewriter
By JEANETTE H. WALWoRTH

/! 1T is misft."
1T is miscarriage"
1T is misdemeanor."
"Misdemeanor? Oh, why, nor
"Wait-now wait. l expected to be
jumped on by both of you at once, but,
l repeat, it is misdemeanor."
Indignation was flashed at the speak
lively brown and gray. Said Brown.
II move that Miss Theodore Cum
mings be called upon to substantiate
her very grave charge"
Said Gray, Moved. seconded and
carried. if that is the proper thing to
do to a move"
Said the misd.meanor girl: "Resolu-
ton entirely uncalled for. That is what
intend doing as soon as l can get the
| floor"
The floor being granted. Miss Cum
minss proceeded iudicially: you. 1mo-
gen Marsden. call it a misft. I pre-
sume you mean that this darling little
J fiat, with its wide park outlook. giving
one such a comforting sense of being
in the country. is a decided misfit to
the lean purses Of three petticoated
breadwinners. Our vaulting ambition
o'ereapt itself when we rented it,
The misfit girl nodded mournful
acQuiescence. Defendant turned upon
the third member of what was known
in the apartment house as "the bache-
lor maid trio"
"And you, Letitia Copeland. called it
a miscarriage, l suppose because all
of our big plans for cooperative house
keeping have resulted in what threat
ems to become cooperative starvation"
"A dreadfuliy unsatisfactory predic-
ament."
"No one denies that So there we
are"
tomary in these open avenue days for
| women to whimper because they have
not a mans chances: It has just been
half an hour since our landlady dunned
us. A whole month must elapse before
she can repeat the offense Much can
happen in month. Something must
happen to this aggregation. We must
do something out of our beaten paths"
"For example"'
Lets write prize story" suggest
ed Imogen, typewriter.
"To be declined with thanks" snap.
ped Lefty.
"Who knows? Not if you 60 about it
in the right way"
And l, Theodore Cummings, parti
ceps criminis, pronounce it a misde-
meanor for harebrained typewriter"
pointing the finger of scorn at Imogon;
"a trained nurse with only occasional
cases." whitening Miss Copeland with
a glance, "and a miserable little sheep
ish newspaper reporter" pecking vi
ciously at the buttons on her own shirt
waist. Ito be faring sumptuously on
| sardines and chocolate eclairs with
three months rent due and threat of
ejectment hanging over them"
Then iced tea was poured and sugared
with severe energy. Lefty Copeland,
your levity is misplaced and displeas-
ing. Shall we get out?'
Not until writ of ejectment is
served on u.s."
That Imogen should be missing from
the supper table perhaps week later
did not excite any: surprise in the little
fat. She was the fortunate possessor
of married cousin living in Harlem.
and invitations to spend the night with
her came frequently to the typewriter
girl never to be declined. Therefore she
was missed understandingly. Doubt
less she had phoned her intentions. as
she always did, but no one had been
on hand to receive the message. They
were always sorry to have her vacant
chair confront them. More emphatjcal
ly than the other two, she was the
homemaker. Absence from the supper
table meant absence from the break
fast table and, as dinner was a down
town function for all three, reunion
could be only the next day at supper
time. Therefore when, contrary to
fore they had left the breakfast table
their surprise was quite natural. She
llughed in strained. nervous way as
che flung herself into her chair at table.
ANY coffee left. Theo? Give me
some, hot and strong, please"
"Why-but'-
Don't talk to me yet, girls. Give me
some coffee, hot and strong. / have
been shaken all to pieces. know you
are wondering why did not take my
breakfast at Maggie's. ~ She
shuddered. II will tell you all as soon
as can control my foolish nerves suf-
fciently. l did not come home from
Maggie's."
what? Where, thenw
'"The bank-the park, / mean-not in
the park, of course. I got locked In.
l have had night of horrors. have
had my thrills and my goose flesh
with a vengeance. Oh. girls, Theo.
what scoop l could give you for your
paper!'
"Save it for your prize story"
"Don't make fun Of me. l can't
stand much more.'
"For heavens sake. tell us some
thing. Gene!'
Imogen put down her empty cup and
composed herself by resolute exer-