The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1914-11-05

checked II, said Nicholson.
thought it would come on the same
train"
"You what?" asked the other.
Checked it," answered Nicholson,
displaying a stub.
L don't know what you mean by
checking it," replied his friend. IF
you had guard put your bag into
the baggage-van it must have come.
Why-good heavens. man, don't you
see that you left it at the parcels
room? It's waiting for you there, no
doubt, and It will cost you twopence
a day until you get it,"
,, Bewlldered and disguised, Nichol-
son suffered himself to be dragged off
to his friends house. He bought an
outfit and determined to return via
oxford when he concluded his round
OF visits. And in the enthusiasm of
the nights meeting he almost forgot
his troubles.
The following morning he saw this
advertisement in the Coventry papers:
III the gentleman who took away a
lady's shoe from the Queens hotel,
oxford, will return 1t to its owner, no
questions will be asked. Address M.
M, Leicester. Reward If required"
Leicester was Nicholson's last stop
| ping place. He resolved to explain by
letter and arrange to meet Miss Mar
tin there. Meanwhile his friend told
him that it would be possible to have
| the bag forwarded to the station
there. Accordingly Nicholson wrote
an apologize letter to the poste res
| tante, and then continued his journey.
Four days later he descended at
Leicester station. At the post office
he found communication from Miss
Martin.
Miss Martin will be glad to see
Mr.. Nicholson at the Temperance no.
tel, provided he brings her shoe with
| him."
Nicholson found the missing suit
| case, slung 1t into a cab and hurried
to the hotel. Miss Martin came into
the parlor.
Nicholson was hardly articulate
when he saw her. They had never
stood face to face before. Now Miss
| Martins face was covered with
bushes, which followed each other
across it with remarkable rapidity.
81 am really very sorry" explained
Nicholson. "It was that fool Boots
| fault. He thought"
He cursed himself for a donkey
under his breath, for he could see that
Miss Martin understood quite well
what Boots had thought. But she
only said Jelly:
'Will you kindly give me my shoe"'
Nicholson opened the suitcase and
took out the shoe, wrapped neatly in
paper.
Il am very sorry to have caused you
so much trouble" he said. you un-
derstand it was not my fault, don't
your"
"Ill tell you In minute" Miss Mar
tin answered. Kindly wait. 1t is no
use attempting to pass me, because
you will be stopped by the doorkeeper.
He knows"
What do you mean?" Nicholson de-
manded.
For answer Miss Martin carefully
extracted the shoe from the parcel
ard, to Nicholson's surprise, began to
unscrew the heel. The heel came off,
and out Of the hollow interior there
fell one, two three, four, five hundred
dollar bills.
"Oh thank heaven!" she cried. 81
was down to my last dollar. Oh-h-h!"
And suddenly Miss Martin went into
something that very closely resembled
Mysteries. And before Nicholson
knew what he was doing he found
himself bending over her and implor-
| ing her to be calm.
Can you ever forgive :me?" she
pleaded.
"Why wouldn't you speak to me
on the boat?" he asked.
Because / was so afraid" she an
swered. II knew Europe was full of
confidence men, and you-you looked
at my shoes so hard. l put the shoes
outside to bluff you, because l thought
i thought you would never dream
that / would put the shoe with the
money in it outside the door. And,
and-I thought you had followed me"
81 didn't" answered Nicholson bold
ly, "but, as a fellow-countryman, I'm
going to now, to see that you don't
get into any more trouble and-for
other reasons"
And something in the girls look en-
couraged him to believe that she was
not wholly unwilling.
Copyright. 1914. by w. G. Chapman)