Evening star., 1915-11-15

THERE WAS BREATHLEss SILENCE.
found seats Dgether. then the pro-
lessor asked for Tom. Mrs. Banks
sighed deeply. What was there to say?
Prof. leighton nodded kindly. under
standinsly. as he gave his attention to
the program just opening.
Alfred ChurchilTs group of poems
came at the end. He was a pale, slen-
der youth, with a dreamy, intellectual
face. He read clearly and well. Mrs.
Banks knew young Alfred's poems
pride in him as a product of Medbury.
But oh, the misery of knowing that
her own son had as great talent, and
that at that moment ne was probably
selling 10 cents worth of nails in the
Banks store that could almost run it
SELF
Mrs. Banks barely suppressed a
groan. out of the corner of his eye
Prof. Leighton glanced at her compre-
hensiveIy, and when Alfred Churchill
ended amid a babel of talk and ap-
plause he remarked quietly, Very
clever. isn't he? But we can't all be
poets, can we2
Il suppose not" bleated Mrs. Banks
We must have our keen-headed busi-
ness men, mustn't we? Above all. Mrs.
Banks, in this day of progression and
competition We must have our alert
business men, | think
Il suppose So" duly agreed Mrs.
Banks.
AS the professor moved away she
thought he looked at her peculiarly.
And he had emphasized so Tneaningly-
progression and competition. What
was all this talk that one heard about
progression. anyway And why, when
the word was spoken of in her pres
ence, did people look at her queerly? +?
Why had young Tom applied the word
to the new hardware store For the
first time Mrs. Banks thought of that
store seriously. Competition and pro-
gression. the professor had said. Com
petition, Was that what had come into
the life of the Banks Hardware Com
pany, the oldest entxrprise in Med
bury And Mrs. Banks suddenly re-
membered words of her husbands S,
which had made no impression at the
time:
They say they're going to put the
Banks hardware Company out of busi-
ness
Mrs. Banks paled She found the
ceaseless chatter about her tiresome
and she left the clubhouse and walked
toward Main street. she could not re-
call having been there since Toms un-
wise association with the Banks COM
pany. She walked along SLOWLY. She
told herself she felt quite disinterested,
yet somehow something urged her on.
suddenly she stopped abruptly, her
eyes widening lit disbelief. her breath
coming hurriedly- Could 1t be posi-
bleg Before her in the Fallows block
an electric sign fiared out the words
Cut Rate Hardware shop. That the
words would ever be Haunted on Main
street in Medbury, and to the INJURY oil
the Banks Hardware Company, was
something she had never dreamed Of.
She shivered as she approached the
bright little shop and glanced around
hurriediy. There was no one in sight
so she went on boldly. and in a moment
stood before the most up-to-date, at
tractive window Medbury had ever
seen. ''
She stared stupidly. In a way she
gra sped all the detail of prettily shaded
electric bulbs and perfectly displayed
merchandise. priced at enticing figures
but in greater comprehension she was
visioning another shop higher up the
street
II was a larger shop and it had old
fashioned hanging lamps in either win
dow, throwing splotchy shadows on a
dusty couSlomeration of pots and ket.
ties. hammers and bolts and screws
Above the door was black sign let
tered in gold: .'Banks"-that is. the let
ters had been there. once. the dear only
knows how many moons before. Blu,
ers and all, for miles around. knew
banks?
Mrs. Banks sfivered again. as though
the vision hurt, and moved on detected.
ly as one having received a severe Jolt
She knew not why. Mr.. Banks had ap
peared downcast when he had hears
about the new store coming. She had
laughed at him then. Now. looking bacl
at those stabbing words. Cut Rate
she cringed.
She hurried on to take one peep a