Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1914-09-11

- "AoO " Ln0 UTduU Oh welcome Lnat
you fellows hand out to us women on
the road. This is new territory for me
my first trip West. Think it over.
Don't-er-say, sixty-f1ve strike you as
being nearer my size?"
The clerk stared at Emma McChes-
ney. and Emma McChesney coolly
stared back at the clerk.
Our aim" he began loftily, lis to-
make our guests as comfortable as
possible on all occasions But the last
lady drummer Who
That's all right" interrupted EN-
ma McChesney, "but I'm not the kind
that steals the towels, and / don't car
ry an electric iron with me, either.
Also | don't get chummy with the
housekeeper and the dining-room girls
half an hour after / move in. Most
women drummers are living up to
their regulations, but some of us are
living 'em down. I'm for revision
downward. You haven't got my num-
Der, that's ALL"
A slow CLEAN Of unwilling admira-
ton Illuminated the clerks chill eye.
He turned and extracted another key
with its jangling metal tag, from one
OF the many pigeonholes behind him.
you win,'' he said He leaned over
the desk and lowered his voice dis
creetly. Say, grille, go into the cafe
and have q drink on me-"
Wrong again." answered Emma
NJ ", d. o.,
the complexion. Thanks just the
same. Nice little hotel you've got
here"
In the corridor leading to sixty-five
there was great litter of pals, and
mops, and brooms, and damp rags,
and one heard the sigh Of vacuum
cleaner.
Spring housekeeping" explained
the bellboy, hurdling pail.
Emma McChesney picked her way
over little heap of dust cloths and
a ladder or so.
"House-cleaning," she repeated
dreamily; spring housekeeping"
And there came troubled, yearning
light into her eyes. 1t fingered there
after the boy had unlocked and thrown
open the door of sixty-f1ve, pocketed
his dime, and departed.
Sixty-five was-well, you know what
sixty-five generally is in small mid
die western town. Iron bed-tan wall
paper-pine table-plne dresser-pine
chair-red carpet stuffy smelly
buzzing at window-sun beating IN
from the west. Emma McChesney
saw it all in one accustomed glance.
.Lordy, hate to think what nine
teen must be" she told herself, and
unclasped her bag. Out came the tlrst
aid to the traveLstained-a jar OF cold
cream. 1t was followed by powder,
chamois, brush, comb, toothbrush
Emma McChesney dug four fingers
into the cold cream jar, slapped the
stuff on her face, rubbed 1t in a bit,
wiped it off with dry towel, straight
ened her hat, busted the channels over
her face, glanced at her watch ana
hurriedly whisked downstairs.
after all" she unused, that thin
guy might not be out fer music
house. Maybe his line is skirts. too.
You never can tell. Anyway, III beat
him to it,
Saturday afternoon and springtime
in a small town! Do you know 1t!
Main street-on the right side-all
a-bustle; farmers wagons drawn up
at the curbing; farmers wives IN the
inevitably rusty black with dowdy hats
furbished up with red muslin rose
in honor of spring; grand opening at
tha new five-and-ten-cent store, with
women streaming in and streaming
out again, each with a souvenir PINK
carnation pinned to her coat; every
one carrying bundles and yellow pa
ner hays that might contain bananas
or hats or grass seed; the thlrty-tWo
automobiles that the town boasts all
dashing up and down the street, driven
by hatless youths in careful college
clothes: a crowd of at least eleven
waiting at Jensons drug store corner
for the next interurban car.
Emma McChesney found herselI
strolling when she should have been
hHGfllnQf In the ulICOIAOAA -
eltv Cloak and Suit store. She was
aware of a vague, strangely resuess
feeling in the region of her heart-or
was it her Iiver?-or her lungs?
Reluctantly she turned in at the en-
trance of the Novelty Cloak and Suit
store and asked for the buyer there
we might introduce one OF those SIDE
shifting little business deal scenes.
But there can be paid no finer compn-
ment to Emma McChesney's salesman
shin than to state that she landed her
man on a busy Saturday afternoon
with a store full of customers and the
head woman clerk dead against her
from the start.)
Az she was leaving:
, "Generally it's the other way
around smiled the boss. regarding
Emn,a,s trim loneliness, but seeing
you're a lady, why, it'll be on me.
Ha reached for his hat Lets go ana
- little something.