The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1914-02-05
Il

Copyright, 1911. by w. Werner.)
Elsie Lee stood behind her counter
waiting for n woman with a receding
chin to decid" which OF two patterns
of lace She would buy. She was tired.
as h had been standing since 100
O'Clock. and. although she had not
gone on duty until S, she had chung
To IL strap all the way from her board
ing place to the store. 1t was now
: O'Clock. and She had the prospect of
two hours more behind the counter.
with an additional half hour of strap
hanging in Il crowded car.
True, h had had Il half hours
respite at noon while she had swal-
lowed {. clammy ham sandwich and Il
cup OF llkewarm tea; but she realized
h"pclcssly that there were three days
more before Sunday. and that n week
OF hot weather had been predicted.
1t was a very not September. day.
Zach time the stree door opened n
whiH of d,st-laden air entered. Poo
pie shrivciled and persi,ired. hut still
there were those who must shop. even
on such an afternoon. And Elsiets
woman MAS II of these.
.Cluny or Mcclllin"" she whispered.
Elsie raised her eyes and looked
across tho noddlng plume on the bent
mead to the languid drift Of humanity
t'lat siltcd through the aisles. The
railncnt that had been So fine and
fresh in spring was soilcd and
crnmplcd and just Il bit out of fashion.
She would have known in this ono
way IT in no other that i, was Sep
TENDER SO even do the skins of AMI
mas and the plumagc of birds bear
mute testimony to the shifting Of the
season. And Elsic's own soul was as
faded and Worn as anything within
nor light. Wherever she looked she
saw the gray of lust and d]rcarincss
and cndura"re.
suddenly her wandering glance mot
another 2iaHcc--direct and with a:
kind of F'ottnnlieSs clcarness to il.
rom TWO blue eyes set in q long.
brown face, With ruggedly moulded
lips and nose and forehead. Never
had sh" seen just this kind of mans
taco. If he had spoken to hcr. called
her by name. She could not have felt
more a1nazoncnt at sight of him. He
seemed 10 mean something to her that
nobody else had ever meant. And it
was all SO sl1dden and curious that il
stirred her a little.
she WITS measurin. off two yards
Of ciunr for the woman. who had
finally decided in its favor, when he
came up to the counter and looked at
her. She saw in the vague kind OF
way that his face matched his body,
which was big and heavy aud solid.
When she had wrapped the lace and
given it ia the woman and made
change she looked at him inquiringly,
And again she felt thrilled.
II want some lace he said merely.
Tho instant she heard him speak
she knew that he was not of the city.
And she was c%uriously glad. She al
so knew that he did not want lace at
all. II was an excuse to speak II her.
And that did not make glad. She was
only twenty-five, but she knew
enough about men to be wary OF them
even when they had eyes like blue
water.
She brought down several pieces OF
lace and displayed tho patterns. He
seemed to have become confused. IT
was evident he did not know one kind
of lace from another. and she was
not going to tell him, because she did
not mean tn talk to him moro than
she had to. She felt almost as if she
had called him to her and she was
uneasy.
He seemed to he suddenly, cleverly
inspired. "I'l take some samples"
he said.
"Of which kindo"
"Why, of--of-" He hesitated.
"of this-and this" he said bodily.
She smiled ever so family and snip
ped off q. portion Vt Irish-the real
thins--at $" a yard. She knew then