Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1915-09-09
DINNER IS WATKINS
sY KEITH KENYON.

bus and entered the lobby OF West
marks best hotel She registered and
a bellboy carried her suitcases up to
her room.
There she unpacked and made her
self comfortable with the dizziness OF
an old traveller, Tor Nell had beer
travelling saleswoman for three years
and knew all the lights and shades
of one-night stops.
Jewelry was her line, and in the
compact sample case, that locked
more like a closed book than anything
else, Nell Drew carried a line OF sam
pies that charmed orders out OF de.
partment store buyers.
She hummed a tune as she dressed.
She had grown into this habit through
a peculiar state of mind that had ex-
listed ever since she had told jerry
Mason that she wasn't going TO tie
herself down to any mans domestic
plant-she was going to carve out
a career for herself
Jerry had sighed Its bit tough,
he admitted. I've been dreaming for
months past how you'd meet me at
the front door and say. Jerry, dear,
dinners waiting for you!
Nonsense" laughed Nell, but the
laugh was shaky one, and Jerry
was stupid or he would have heard
the quaver in her voice; but he had
accepted it as her ultimatum and had
gone away. And Nell had deciued
upon her career and was making
success of it.
Tonight she was passing through
the usual ordeal and she hurried
through her toilet so as to go down
to the dining room where the light
and the clatter would put to fight any
impertinent longings for domestic
life.
Westmark was a large middle west
ern city and the Westmark hotel was
an excellent hostelry. 1t was IA
yorite stopping place Tor motorists,
and Nell was not surprised to find the
dining room we'll filed
Nell sat down. noting with little
purr of satisfaction that the table ap-
pointments were above criticism. A
tall vase of pink carnations was in
the middle of the damask cloth and
plnk-shaded candle stood at either
end
She could discern a black coat
sleeve and large masculine hand pick
ing up a soup spoon The rest of
her vis-a-vis was hidden behind the
flowers Just as she picked up the
menu and chose her soup the hand
across the table reached forward and
removed the vase of flowers.
Even flowers should not stand be
tween old friends" said a familiar
voice
"Jerryi" Her hand went across the
table to meet his IN a warm clasp.
What are you doing in WESTWARD.
anyway" she asked, with something
like her old air of camaraderie.
Live here" he replied tersely,
Tn Westmark? What are you do
ing here-practicing law"
He nodded I'm a full-fedged cor
poration lawyer now. l live at this
hotel"
You do? Then you're not" she
paused in slight hesitation.
no, I'm not married. he said quiet
ly Il suppose you are succeeding
in your chosen career or you would
not look so happy"
Last year my sales topped all the
others" she boasted, "and I was the
only woman traveller on the list"
Happy woman He was crum-
bling his bread aimlessly and eating
nothing. You don't look like a mas
culine sort of woman" he went on
bitterly Il suppose, though, that you
can talk right up to the men and get
orders out of EN-, eh?'
Nothing of the sort" she retorted
Indignantly. Most of the buyers !
approach are women, and the few men
who select from my samples are more
interested in the fine values l offer
them than in my personality"
He appeared slightly relieved at
this and began to attack his salad
with some show of appetite.
The sound of his voice, the sight
of him, the certainty that he was I'M
changed aroused fond memories in her
heart. She was terrified at the flood
Of emotion that swept her and left
her white and shaking with fear
Fear Of what2 she asked herself,
and her traitor heart confessed fear
he would go away and she should
not see him again
How insignificant seemed her tri-
umphs in the business world! Here
was Jerry deprived Of q home. living
at a hotel depending upon his friends
for table companions or perhaps some
chance woman like herself. Suppose
II It had been another woman who
had occupied her seat--some charm
ing girl who would attract Jerry and
with whom he would fall madly in
love And very likely he had got
over his lcve for her.
The thought was maddening. She
stole glance at him. Stir he was
neslecting his dinner and mis- big.
capable fingers were making little
round pellets Of the bread crumbs.
Nell Drew head saleswoman for