The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-12-07
The EDening Story
The Amber Beads.
(By Eldredge Holt }


toothpowder concern.
She was prescription clerk in a cut
rate drug store. Besides that she
lovely ight-brown eyes. shaded, it is
true, by pair of rimless gold-bowed
spectacles. But that was because the
light in the pharmacy of the cut-rate
drug store was not of the best and
there were many prescriptions to fill.
He had met her at the school where
they make young men and here and
there young woman into druggists,
SO they both had their diplomas and
would some time have a little drug
store OF their own, and they would
not have to keep clerk because, no
matter what happened, Alice-that
was her name-could manage to tend
store for a few hours a day. You
know there is a regulation that says
that every drug store must have a
graduated pharmacist in constant at
tendance during the day and part of
the night to put up prescriptions.
OF course one man cannot be at the
post all OF the time. Alice and Paul
that was the toothpowder agents
name-had it all arranged that they
could save money from the first, for
since she was a registered pharmacist
she could substitute in the store for
the few hours that Paul would need
to take off. Oh, yes, they were very
matter of fact and business like about
it and had talked over their plans for
the future quite frankly.
In the meantime. Paul was vending
toothpow der, trying to save enough
money to buy his own little drug store
and by careful slkimping, with what
savings Alice could add. it would take
two years before this purchase could
be made. A long time, you think?
Yes, but if you had seen the steady
soft light in Alice's bespectacled ewes
I'm lla it,f
her creamy, pale cheeks when those
eyes met PauIS you wouldn't have
wondered that he was willing to wait
Besides. to Alice and Paul marriage
was, besides being a beautiful adven-
ture and the one and only romance,
something of a business undertaking
as well.
And there was no reason whatever
to be rash and hasty about it. Still
at times when Paul was on the road
with his suitcase full of samples and
work grew very heavy at the cut-rate'
drug store, Alice's brown eyes grew
moist and she had to take off the
gold-bowed spectacles and wipe away
the tears. tears not of discomfort, but
just of loneliness and a little impa-
thence. For Alice's mind was full of
imagining their wee home-it would
probably be a little flat over the drug
store to begin with--and two nights
a week she was taking cooking les
would be- able to concoct buildings as
well plasters. And Paul sometimes
Snarled little at the necessity that
made him wait so long, and when
sales were not as good as usual-that
meant smaller commissions for him
he would write a letter of impotence
to Alice.
One particularly lovely autumn day
Paul sauntered into the cut-rate drug
store He had unexpectedly come to
nd he Tod to Vlv-ic A
Alice dropped the test tube she was
holding when she heard his voice and
slipping out of her acknowledging lin
en- apron, ran out to the counter out
side.
I've had a hurry call to New York,
he told her. land I've only a
few minutes between trains. But /
stopped over to see you And, say,
Alice, I've had a specially good run of
luck. That new patent cap top on
the powder makes a big hit. And I
am going to be extravagant L want
to get you something from the big
city 1 can't afford the engagement
ring I ought to have got you, but tell
me what piece of jewelry that doesn't
cost so very much-say ten or fifteen
would most like"
Alice clasped her hands before her
and thought for a second.
"a string of amber beads she said
at last. II have always wanted
them
Paurs face showed his disappoint-
ment. Somehow he had always asso-
ciated amber beads with the fact that
some old women he had known about
wore them around their necks tic ward
off chills and fever. If Alice had said
a gold-link bracelet, with a heart
shaped paddock and a key, he would
have been entirely satisfied with her
choice. But Alice stuck to her plea
for amber beads. Il love the color of
amber So she said, land all my life |
I have dreamed of having them some
time"
In ten days Paul returned one |
and. going straight to the |
drug store, found Alice and |
gave her the beads Again there was /
short connection between trains and I
in a few minutes he was off again. /
Il don't really like those beads" he |
said, and I can take them back and |
get the money if you say so. I'll tell /.
you frankly that they cost twelve dol /
lars I got them at a pawnshop I /
happened to be passing. I tried to /
jew the man down. but he wouldn't /
listen to cent less You might take 1
them to some regular jeweler and find i
out whether I was buncoed or not
Maybe they are only glass;
Alice held the beads up to the Hght
and reveled in the soft golden radi-
ance that shone through them "Ii