The Springfield herald., 1914-10-23
\. ssokss Company

This Is my son. Jock McChesney-
Mr. Sims. Is this true?"
Glad to know you, sir" said Mr..
Sims. why. yes. I'm afraid we are
pretty well filled up, but seeing It's
you maybe we can do something for
you"
\ He ruminated tapping his teeth
with penholder. and eying the pair
before him with maddening blank
ness of gaze. Finally:
I'll do my best. but you can't e1-
pect much. guess l can squeeze
another cot into eighty-seven for the
young man. There's-let's see now
who's in eighty-seven? Well, there's
two Bisons In the double bed, and one
in the single, and Fat Ed Meyers In
the cot and -
Emma McChesney stiffened into
acute attention. "Meyers?" she inter-
rupted. DO you mean Ed Meyers of
the Strauss Sans-silk Skirt company"
That's SO. You two are in the
same line, aren't you? He's a great
little piano player. Ed is. Ever hear
him play?"
When did he get in?"
"Oh, he Just came in fifteen minutes
ago on the Ashland division. He's in
at supper"
oh" said Emma McChesney. The
two letters breathed relief.
But relief had no place in the voice,
or on the countenance of Jock McChes-
ney. He bristled with belligerence.
This cattle-car style of sleeping
don't make a hit l haven't had q
decent nights rest for three nights.
never could sleep on a sleeper. Can't
you fix us up better than that?"
BEST l can do"
But where's mother golnge l see
you advertise three large and COM
modious steam-heated sample rooms
in connection suppose mothers due
to sleep on one of the tables there"
Jock" Emma McChesney reproved
him. Mr.. Sims is doing us a great
favor. There isn't another hotel in
town that would"
You're right. there isn't" agreed
Mr.. Sims. Il guess the young man is
new to this travelling game. AS 4
said, I'd like to accommodate you, but
= Let's see now. Tell you what I'll
do. If l can get the housekeeper to
go over and sleep in the maids quar-
,ters Just for tonight, you can use her
$oom. There you are! OF course.
it's over the kitchen, and there may
be some little noise early in the morn.
ing"
Emma McChesney raised protest
ing hand. Don't mention 1t. Just
lead me thither. I'm SO tired / could
sleep in an excursion special that was
switching at Pittsburgh. Jock, me
child, we're in luck. That's twice in
the same place. The first time was
when we were inspired to eat our
supper on the diner instead OF wait
ing until we reached here to take the
leftovers from the Bisons' grazing. 1
hope that housekeeper hasn't a pic
ture of her departed husband. dan.
CLING, life-size, on the wall at the foot
Of the bed. But they always have
Goodnight. son. Don't let the Bisons
bite YOU. I'll be up at seven"
But it was just $50 a. m when
Emma McChesney turned the little
bend in the stairway that led to the
office. The scrub-woman was still in
possession. The cigar-counter girl had
not yet made her appearance. There
was about the place a general air of
the night before. All but the night
clerk. He was as spruce and trim,
and alert and smooth-shaven as only
n}p oil ho off
vigil.
Morning." Emma McChesney
called to him. She wore blue SERGE
and a smart fall hat The late autumn
morning was not crisper and SUMMER
than She
"Good-morning, Mrs. McChesney,"
returned Mr.. Sims, sonorously. Have
good nights sleep? 1 hope the
kitchen noise didn't wake you"
Emma McChesney paused with her
hand on the door. Kitchen? oh, no.
could sleep through a vaudeville
china-juggling act But-what an ex-
traordinarily unpleasant-looking man
that housekeeper's husband must have
been"
hdL ANofCLhOCI DOdSteQ all
those qualities which November-morp-
ing writer's are so prone to bestow
upon the month. But the words wine,
and sparkle, and sting, and glow, and
snap do not seem to cover it. Emma
McChesney stood on the bottom step,
looking up and down Main street and
breathing in great draughts of that
unadjectivable air. Her complexion
stood the test of the merciless, astrin-
gent morning and came up trium-
phantly and healthily firm and pink
and smooth. The town was still asleep.
She started to walk briskly down
the bare and ugly Main street of the
little town. In her big, generous heart,
and her keen, alert mind, there were
many sensations and myriad thoughts,
but varied and diverse as they were
they all led back to the boy up there
in the stuffy. over-crowded hotel
room-the boy who was learning his
lesson.
Half an hour later she reentered
the hotel, her cheeks glowing. Jock
was not yet down. So she ordered
and ate her wise and cautious break.
fast of fruit and cereal and toast
and coffee. skimming over her morn.
ing paper as she ate At 7:30 she
was back in the lobby. newspaper in